COM: Glenelg Tramline Upgrade

[BillD]

Driving near the city tonight I thought that I'd have a couple of trips to check out the action.

I arrived at South Tce just in time to see the up 6:42 entering King William St right on time. A couple walking nearby moaned as the tram left but I told them not to worry as there were shuttle trams on Fiday night. We checked the timetable and looked forward to the 6:50 (which did not eventuate). I unfortunately noted that there were no orange-clad points control people and correctly assumed that there would be no shuttles. No worries, the 6:59 will be along shortly... no! Soon after this, four Flexitys headed out of the city at about five minute intervals (well loaded).

Eventually an inbound Flexity arrived at 7:27, with a peak-hour load and we headed into the city. I was interested to note that another Flexity was following a couple of hundred metres behind ours.

I said to a fellow passenger that the squeeze might ease off at Victoria Square but the thirty-or-so passengers who alighted were matched by a similar load who boarded. Rundle Mall stop was packed, with we who got off having to push through those boarding and waiting for the next down tram.

Well patronised is a massive understatement. If only the complainers who suggested that people don't want the trams could've seen the loadings. Wow !

Heading back to South Tce later in the evening was a similar story with standing room only from Rundle Mall.

A person on that tram said that the timetable issues around 6:45 were caused by a medical incident where someone in Victoria Square collapsed very close to the tracks, causing long delays while an ambulance was called (apparently this incident was not related to tram operations).

Meeting a friend at South Tce, I was told that there continue to be issues with the H-types at Victoria Square, with slightly too much clearance between the H's step and the platform at the southern end. Evidently the clearance is only slightly out of spec' but in these litigious times the right thing must be done.

The same person said that the points at South Tce need minor adjustments: this is what led to the lack of shuttle trams.

Another grapevine source suggests that the equipment from Germany to control the points and traffic lights has been dispatched today and should arrive within a week or so.

Finally, as the excitement dies down, I noted with great excitement that the bicycle lockers which have been anticipated for about a year have been installed at stop 12 outside the depot. Yes, bicycle lockers !

How strange... in the last couple of weeks a big event was seeing the first H-type on the extension during daylight. Now it's drab looking bike lockers !!!!

Cheers, Bill

[UrbanSG]

Well here are some details from the AdelaideNow website today:

Tram extension success
October 20, 2007 12:30am

TRAM patronage has skyrocketed more than 39 per cent in the first week of the extended route to North Tce.

In the first three days, 28,059 trips were taken on the trams while the three weeks prior averaged 20,126 trips each week.

On October 17 last year, about 6800 passengers travelled on the tram between Victoria Square and Glenelg, but this year there were about 9500 passengers.

Commuters have been unable to board their selected trams at peak times because of the strong demand.

[jimmy_2486]

Commuters have been unable to board their selected trams at peak times because of the strong demand.

Never happens to me....I know how to push and shove my way in hehehe.

[Cruise]

I think the trams are popular now because they are free, new and honestly a bit of a gimmick,
I'd wait at least a month or two before before announcing anymore tram plans, if still popular the tram line is a success then. calling it a huge success less then a week in isn't very smart.

[cruel_world00]

I was at a function last night where Pat Conlon was. I may have told him to fix my train because it is dirty and slow. Alcohol was not insight

[jk1237]

I think the trams are popular now because they are free, new and honestly a bit of a gimmick,
I'd wait at least a month or two before before announcing anymore tram plans, if still popular the tram line is a success then. calling it a huge success less then a week in isn't very smart.

But its not the free travel area thats the problem at the moment. Its congestion on the trams continuing to Glenelg, which you need to have a ticket for, which people are having trouble fitting in.

[jimmy_2486]

jk1237 is right, proof of the matter is that the trams are also packed (just as much) traveling from glenelg into the city as they are traveling from the city to glenelg.

[Cruise]

I think the trams are popular now because they are free, new and honestly a bit of a gimmick,
I'd wait at least a month or two before before announcing anymore tram plans, if still popular the tram line is a success then. calling it a huge success less then a week in isn't very smart.

But its not the free travel area thats the problem at the moment. Its congestion on the trams continuing to Glenelg, which you need to have a ticket for, which people are having trouble fitting in.

Sorry my mistake, i thought the article just posted was about the free area, not on the way to glenelg
Cheers

[PhilH]

Just got back from town, where I met met BillD (great to meet you, Bill) on Parliament House steps. Bill told me that the H's aren't running this weekend due to continuing clearance issues at Victoria Square. So, no video of H's and Flexi's passing, also no video of Flexi's and Flexi's passing, because a few of the trams seemed to be running late, but I did get a few trams on their own at the intersection, as well as at Rundle and Railway Station. Also, 103 and 108 were the only trams that I hadn't seen all week, and today I saw them both within a few minutes of each other! Hopefully the H's will be running next weekend, and I might station myself in between the North Terrace intersection and the Rundle stop to increase my chances of seeing the two trams passing. I'll post today's vids to YouTube later, but for now laundry and housework awaits!

[Howie]

Bill or Phil, were you one of the guys on north terrace with the silver camera and tripod? If so i was on the tram going past taking photos of the surrounding buildings

Anyhow, just got back from the city.. and the tram experience was fantastic. Everyone was pretty enthusiastic, about the whole experience, and yes, not everyone could board the tram as it was chockers. We had to push to get a seat, and once we got one we weren't giving it up.. haha, well not until we did the whole city loop.

[Will409]

I was in the City during the afternoon at about 3pm onwards (I was busy in the morning) and had a look in. When I got on my tram at the railway station, roughly 60-75% of all the seats were taken and after everyone at the stop I was onboard, it was standing room only with not much space to spare! After Rundle Mall, it was at crush load and remained like that all the way to South Terrace where I got off. There was a bunch up again on the extension but it was quickly cleared up and everything running smoothly. 109 was only 1 intersection or so behind my tram at all times and sometimes, even closer. Very busy indeed and this is a Saturday!

It has become manifest that this extension has become a huge success patronage wise even though it is early days. It will no doubt quieten down a bit over the coming weeks but if this is a sign of things to come, the future for trams in Adelaide looks very bright indeed.

[BillD]

Hi Howie, that wasn't us in town.

Thanks to GrahamJ on another forum for finding a DTEI website detailing the South Rd flyover planning process. The page also has a mailing list subscription link to help us keep up with the progress!

Here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/368z95

[PhilH]

Tram videos from this morning. I was grateful for the shade provided by the plane trees and the Parliament House facade, because it was just a tad warm!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyDno67hSqU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk9tew5CXbk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJkdvp8EKcw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSFOvV8ZcMQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abXnzHgHQRg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU3VrLxqXi4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-FQnJlzXeo

Wish I did have a tripod, Howie! I'll have to work on the family to get me one for Christmas! (I'm not sure that I can buy one myself just at the moment - I've just bought a house, so my priorities are settlement, then fixing the bathroom, painting the whole house, new guttering, new paving, etc etc etc).

[AtD]

Well here are some details from the AdelaideNow website today:

Tram extension success
October 20, 2007 12:30am

TRAM patronage has skyrocketed more than 39 per cent in the first week of the extended route to North Tce.

In the first three days, 28,059 trips were taken on the trams while the three weeks prior averaged 20,126 trips each week.

On October 17 last year, about 6800 passengers travelled on the tram between Victoria Square and Glenelg, but this year there were about 9500 passengers.

Commuters have been unable to board their selected trams at peak times because of the strong demand.

Petition to scrap tram extension
June 08, 2006
A PETTION signed by more than 2700 South Australians calling for the scrapping of an extension to Adelaide's historic tramline has been presented to State Parliament.
The petition, with 2753 signatories, opposes the tramline extension partly because of fears it will create extreme congestion in the city.

The SA Government announced last year it would extend the tramline along King William Street to the Adelaide railway station.

Currently, the tramline, which runs from the seaside suburb of Glenelg, stops at Victoria Square in the centre of the city.

The state Liberals have opposed the extension, construction of which is expected to commence later this year and to be completed by September 2007.

SA Liberal transport spokesman Martin Hamilton-Smith said in light of recent cost blowouts on major transport projects, the $21 million extension should be scrapped.

"It all comes down to priorities and, in this case, the Labor government's priorities are totally out of touch with those of the community," he said.

At one stage, Adelaide had an extensive network of tram services, but all except the Glenelg line were ripped up in the 1950s.

So the number of extra passengers per day above the average load is about the same number as signatures the petition achieved.

Trams: 1, critics: 0.

[AtD]

Tram videos from this morning. I was grateful for the shade provided by the plane trees and the Parliament House facade, because it was just a tad warm!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyDno67hSqU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk9tew5CXbk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJkdvp8EKcw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSFOvV8ZcMQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abXnzHgHQRg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU3VrLxqXi4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-FQnJlzXeo

Wish I did have a tripod, Howie! I'll have to work on the family to get me one for Christmas! (I'm not sure that I can buy one myself just at the moment - I've just bought a house, so my priorities are settlement, then fixing the bathroom, painting the whole house, new guttering, new paving, etc etc etc).

Thanks for those.