New Australia

Melbourne Trams

D2 class tram on Spencer Street. (Image: Wikipedia)

While NewAustralia is a supporter of monorails this should not be at the cost of tram systems. Trams are a vital part of Melbourne's public transport, heritage and culture and we fully support their continued development.

(This site is heavily Melbourne centric at the moment - this will be corrected as more information about light rail systems in other cities comes to hand.)

Tram Priority

Traffic management is heavily weighted towards private vehicles - this has to change with trams getting a much higher priority. Tram stops should be shifted to the down-stream side of each intersection so that the tram can change the light to green and proceed through the intersection without stopping.

Timetabling

Existing timetabling is chaotic and unpredictable. We recommend 'Clockface' timetabling where trams are running more than 10 minutes apart and 'continuous' (no timetable) when running with less than 10-minute headway.

Extending Tram Lines

Many trams lines finish in illogical places when a short extension would see them link to other services. For example:

• No.3 to East Malvern.
• No.5 to Darling Station.
• No.6 to Ashburton Station.
• No.48 to High Street. (Joining the Dockland - Doncaster monorail - see East-West Monorail page.)
• No.67 to Carnegie Station.
• No.75 to Knox shopping Centre.

Using the W-Class Trams

Tram W6.983 on route 30. (Image: Wikipedia)

About 200 W-class trams are in storage around Melbourne. NewAustralia is interested to know:

• Are these trams in operational condition?
• Are they fitted with pantographs or poles?
• Could these trams be coupled together to form a larger tram?

NewAustralia believes these heritage trams could be both a useful addition to the tram fleet and a tourist attraction. The issue with disabled access can be resolved by running the W-class trams in between scheduled low-floor trams as an 'extra' service.