Wednesday, 2 April 2014

Dulwich Hill tram extension too popular

It is early days but this report in the Sydney Morning Herald about the initial success of the Dulwich Hill light rail extension is interesting and possibly an indication of things to come, especially the planned extension to the University of New South Wales.

(Sydney Morning Herald)

7 comments:

  1. Quite predicable. Build a railway line, tram or train, through a well populated area and separate if from traffic and people will use it. Seems like the peak frequency may need to be increased to five minutes. Quite preposterous to not let school kids travel on it using the concession cards. What is it there for?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrew, the light rail service frequency has been an issue from the outset. It is as though the service is being provided as a tourism activity rather than a commuter service. Ten minute frequency during peak hours in a city like Sydney is ridiculous.

      Delete
    2. Another point. When we attended the Seniors concert a couple of weeks ago, the light rail had trams lined up like in the old days at Randwick Racecourse and as each filled up with concertgoers the trams were sent off to Central Railway. It worked beautifully dispersing thousands of people very efficiently. I can see it working similarly after sporting and concert events when the proposed tramline to pass the Football Stadium, Cricket Ground and Entertainment Quarter is operating.

      Delete
  2. I forgot to add this. I read on forums that the line is heavily speed restricted and trips could be significantly quicker. Hopefully once drivers are all trained and experienced, the new vehicles delivered and things bedded down, the vehicles will run more quickly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Speed restrictions through the Haymarket, where pedestrians and the light rail are in close proximity, have applied since the initial short line was opened back in 1997 or whatever the year was.

      Delete
  3. It seems too crowded like in Europe but it is morning everybody is in the hurry.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gosia, Sydney once had the largest tram system in the entire British Empire but it was totally closed down in the 1960s. The new line that has been constructed with the reintroduction of trams in the late 1990s is just a shadow of what we used to have.

      Delete