I've had my first go on the extended light rail service to Dulwich Hill and back. The full journey including a ten minutes or so turnaround wait at Dulwich Hill was about ninety minutes.
The good news, which the newspapers seem to be taking glee in reporting as bad news, is that the service seems to be popular. My trip was between 10.30am and Noon on Thursday a time when you might expect patronage to be light yet in both directions the seats were fully occupied and many passengers had to stand for most of the distance.
Unfortunately I failed to get much in the way of interesting photos. On the way to Dulwich Hill I was seated on the sunny side of the carriage and glare restricted photo opportunities. On the return trip I grabbed the last of the few seats the Spanish origin vehicle provides and was pinned in an awkward position facing the rear.
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| Waiting for the tram to arrive at the Central Railway terminus |
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| Hawthorne, one of the new tram stops |
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| Dulwich Hill tram stop and terminus |
Passing alongside Darling Harbour passengers can see the remains of the Exhibition and Conference Centres both under demolition in preparation for the construction of newer and bigger replacements.
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| Demolition of the Exhibition Centre |
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| Inside the 'Spanish' tram nearing Central Railway |
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| On the Up ramp over Eddy Avenue |
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| The driver's cabin on the 'Spanish' tram |
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| The 'Spanish' tram on the Central Railway Colonnade terminus |
There is no doubt that some passengers, like me, were senior citizens on a sightseeing trip but there were also many obvious commuter passengers travelling various sectors of the line. The tram ran at good speed at some points but there were also some slow portions. There are still many workers at points along the line. Obviously the extended service has been opened even though work on completing the extension is ongoing.
You simply can't continue to refer to it as the Spanish tram. Do I ever say I was on the German tram, or the French tram? Maybe I should. Yours are only leased anyway, and when Sydney eventually buys it, as it will, it will pay a premium price for a well used tram.
ReplyDeleteThe driver's cabin photo is not very clear, but quite good all the same.
Clearly Andrew I am going to have to learn tram model numbers and names and recognise which titles apply to which trams if I am to approach your standards of light rail reporting!
DeletePerhaps I'll revert to the 1950s and refer to them as the 'New Australian' trams or maybe the 'Reffo' trams? That seems appropriate in the era of the Abbott.
My apologies that the cabin photo is not as clear as you would expect. The reflection of a particularly attractive senior male seems to have got in the way.
But Victor, if you really just wanted to go to Dulwich Hill and back it would have been quicker to take the train!
ReplyDeleteAh Marcellous, we Senior Citizens with our $2.50 travel cards don't commute for speed but for pleasure and leisure.
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