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Canberra 2023

Exploring Canberra’s PT

On our trip to Canberra, I got to spend a few hours exploring a little bit of the public transport system. It’s mostly buses, but one light rail (tram) line opened in 2019, and I was keen to see it. There’s also a railway station in Kingston in Canberra’s south, with regional trains to Sydney  ... [More]

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transport

What ever happened to tram cams?

Yet again, the issue of motorists illegally overtaking trams has been highlighted – by Channel 9 on Tuesday, and the Herald Sun on Wednesday. This follows on from reports as recently as January of motorists hitting tram passengers while breaking road rule 163. Educating motorists has a role here. There have been education campaigns in  ... [More]

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transport

With a little help, trams can be as fast as cars

Here’s a quick tram video for you. It’s only a couple of minutes long. There’s no sound. It was recorded last month on a Sunday afternoon on St Kilda Road and Brighton Road. (There are a few edits – check the dashcam timestamp if you can’t spot the cuts.) What we’re seeing here is how  ... [More]

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transport

Comparing tram speeds

Comparing tram speeds along the different sections of route 109.

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transport

Australia’s top tram routes

Unlike here in Victoria, Transport For NSW regularly releases detailed patronage data. I was wondering how Sydney’s new light rail line (L2, CBD to Randwick, opened mid-December) is performing, so I took a look at the figures. Despite a number of technical problems, the line had than 1.2 million trips in January, which seems not  ... [More]

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transport

What future for the FTZ?

The Free Tram Zone (FTZ) just turned five. It was introduced in January 2015. If you’re wondering why there was so much discussion on it last week, it’s because submissions to a Parliamentary Inquiry on the topic just closed. Transport Matters Party MP Rod Barton, who moved for the Inquiry, posted an article addressing some  ... [More]

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transport

Temporary track to minimise disruptions

I think this is quite clever. When trains or trams are partially closed for planned works, generally the less of the route is disrupted, the better. But this is always limited by the placement of turnaround facilities. Witness the current Sandringham line closure: the major works are at South Yarra, but because (despite what was  ... [More]

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Sydney 2018 Toxic Custard newsletter

Sydney on shanks’ pony

Backdated. Posted 23/5/2018 Hotel buffet breakfast at the Sheraton is an eye-popping $44 per person. This is no big surprise – hotel breakfasts are always expensive. But they’d said at check-in that we had a $50 credit, so that took the cost down to $38 for the two of us, which is probably cheaper than  ... [More]

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transport

Melbourne’s tram fleet: accessibility and air-conditioning

Two seemingly unrelated things are occurring this week: Today, Saturday, is expected to be the hottest day of Melbourne’s summer so far this season, with a forecast high of 42 degrees. And… the 60th E-class tram just came into service. We welcomed the new year in with the introduction of Melbourne’s newest E-Class tram, entering  ... [More]

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Toxic Custard newsletter transport

Trains and trams in Brussels and Belgium… any lessons for Melbourne?

My holiday blog is currently up to Brussels. In this (lengthy) post I’ve looked at the many types of rail transport in Belgium, and I try and ponder lessons for Melbourne. Belgian use of rail ranges from trams — street-based and on separate alignments as in Melbourne, but also underground “pre-metro” routes — the Metro,  ... [More]

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transport

The new improved Preston tram depot

Back in September 2010, the then-Brumby government announced an $807 million investment in new trams and infrastructure: Dandenong based company Bombardier will design, construct and maintain 50 new low floor trams for Melbourne as part of an $807.6 million investment by the Brumby Labor Government including a new tram maintenance and storage depot at Preston.  ... [More]

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Toxic Custard newsletter transport

Tram stop barriers – are they good design?

Yesterday’s collision between a police vehicle and a tram stop barrier has raised the issues of whether those barriers are a good design. Source: ABC News Thankfully the two policemen will recover. The barriers are intended to stop pedestrians crossing the tracks at tram platform stops. It’s hardly surprising that people do this, given many  ... [More]