-----Original Message-----
From: Roderick Smith [mailto:rodsmith@werple.net.au]
Sent: Wednesday, 22 March 2017 11:07 AM
To: 'transportdownunder@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: snippets, Wed.22.3.17

Attached:

170321Tu Bombardier E2. (Brendan Donohoe).

170322W Melbourne 'Age':
- 9.54Tu route 96 chill. (Hannah Francis).
- 7.54 W Deepdene 109 trams. (Charles Cheah).
- bus, tram & train temperature polls.
- Metro train (stock).
- bus (stock).

170322W Melbourne 'Herald Sun':
- Metro tender, loop scada replacement.
- Spotless & Downer-EDI.
- letters, energy. [with tdu].
- E2 trams.

Roderick

Metro Twitter Tues.21.3
6.23 Because of a burst water pipe near Epping station, bus 356, 357, 358 &
577 stops are relocated to Davisson St; bus route 569 to Cooper St.

Melbourne Express: Wednesday, March 22, 2017.
An abusive man terrorised and swore at passengers on a North Coburg tram
before turning on the driver and hitting the protective glass window with a
metal bar.
CCTV: tram driver attacked. A man allegedly shattered the glass window of a
tram, which caused minor injuries to the driver in North Coburg.
Train: 15 degrees (at least that's what it feels like on the Hurstbridge
line).
Age reporter Hannah Francis says just yesterday her tram was "freezing" and
felt more like 10 to 15 degrees, definitely not 22. Woolly ponchos anyone?
The geotechnical stage of the Swanston St tunnel is complete. Major
construction starts next month, over Easter. The Cranbourne/Pakenham,
Craigieburn, Frankston, Sandringham and South Morang lines will be affected.
8:31 Route 109 trams have resumed along their normal lines following the
earlier disruption. Delays may occur as we restore the timetable.
Communications consultant and happy tram user, Greg Day today talks about
E-class trams and mentions that its software is prone to faults, delivering
too cold or too hot temperatures inside trams.
8.04 The tram situation on route 109. tram 109 at Deepdene.
7.51 Route 109 trams are operating in sections, with no trams between Kew
Junction and Deepdene shopping centre (a tram fault in Whitehorse Rd).
Passengers could change to route 72 trams at Burke Rd, or bus 285 along
Balwyn Rd or bus 284 along Whitehorse Rd to connect with trains.
7.03 Rain has delayed emergency drainage works in Flinders Street, closing
the street between Batman Avenue and Spark Lane, eastbound. [has this
affected trams?].
Not content to just enter our poll? Give us an insight into the temperature
of your tram, train or bus via email here.
Chris Lowe, Bus Association Victoria executive director, says most bus
routes in Melbourne have their temperature set to 21 degrees.
"The driver has the discretion to turn the air/heating on and off, but can't
change the temperature it's trying to reach," Dr Lowe said.
He says this is the common approach by most bus operators.
Bus drivers can turn the heating or cooling on and off but cannot adjust the
temperature. Photo: Chris Hopkins Metro Trains sets the temperature on
trains at the slightly lower, 22 degrees. All of its trains have
heating-cooling units.
"These units can't be altered on a day-by-day basis and are not controlled
by our drivers," Mr Williams said.
"There will be variations in temperature due to factors including where a
passenger is sitting, how full the carriage is and the time of day," he
said.
Metro encouraged passengers to notify it if they believed the heating and
cooling unit was not working.
If you need to make a complain, make sure you note the train service time
and carriage number (located above the passenger emergency intercom). They
should speak to staff or should contact the PTV Customer Feedback line on
1800 800 007.
All Metro Trains have air conditioning and heating. Photo: Joe Armao,
Fairfax Media.
From Yarra Trams:
Tram drivers cannot adjust the thermostat on board trams, so don't ask them.
About 70 per cent of passengers travel on air conditioned trams. Trams built
pre-1988 have no airconditioning.
One of the issues is that the doors of the trams open every minute or two
making it hard to control the temperature.
The TramTracker app has a little snowflake symbol that denotes trams with
air conditioning.
Three types of trams - the B-Class, C-Class and D-Class - have their
temperatures set at 23 degrees.
The newest type of tram, the E-Class, is responsive to the outside air
temperature. When the temperature outside is between 18 and 30 degrees, the
system is set to a range of 20 to 22 degrees.
On the E-Class when the temperature is above 30, the system aims to keep the
air inside at five to 10 degrees cooler than outside.
An E-Class tram in Flinders Street.
Is the temperature too hot, too cold or just right on your train?
Too hot.
Too cold.
Just right.
View results
Is the temperature too hot, too cold or just right on your tram?
Too hot.
Too cold.
Just right.
View results
Is the temperature too hot, too cold or just right on your bus?
Too hot.
Too cold.
Just right.
View results
Express bloggers keep an eye on social media to see what commuters think and
talk about. We notice that along with being generally peeved with the
squeeze on the Geelong V/Line trains in the morning, passengers get really
cranky about the temperature inside trams, trains and buses.
- freezing cold aircon, wearing jacket and scarf Route 11.
- 96 (6016) is freezing! Turn down the aircon please?
- Why is there no AC on the 7.48 train from Melton? Crank it up the train is
packed and it's so hot and stuffy.
- turn the heater off on the 8.23 Clayton.
- absolutely packed 220 bus, oppressive morning. Driver thinks, nah don't
need aircon. Don't understand your drivers.
An abusive man terrorised and swore at passengers on a North Coburg tram
before turning on the driver and hitting the protective glass window with a
metal bar, reports The Age's Emily Woods.
Investigators say the terrifying trip began when the man boarded a city
bound-tram on Sydney Road about 7.30am on March 9.
Police say man then held up the tram by standing in the doorway, smoking a
cigarette. He then began swearing at passengers.
The man then slid open the side window to the driver's carriage and yelled
at the driver before hitting the glass window with an iron object, causing
it to shatter all over the driver.
The tram driver was treated for minor injuries. The man was last seen
getting off the tram at Bell Street, Coburg.
The man police want to speak to over an assault on a tram assault. Photo:
Victoria Police.
Police have released CCTV of a man they believe may be able to assist them
with their inquiries.
He is perceived to be Caucasian in appearance, about 20-25 years old, medium
build, with brown-coloured hair.
At the time of the incident the male was wearing a Nike cap, black T-shirt,
grey tracksuit pants and black-coloured Nike shoes.
Police want to speak to this man over a tram assault. Photo: Victoria Police
A rower rows through the reflected lights on the Yarra River. Photo: Leigh
Henningham.
<www.theage.com.au/victoria/melbourne-express-wednesday-march-22-2017-201703
20-gv1ui5.html>
Deepdene pic.twitter.com/6DuvlWiKCD.
pic.twitter.com/PgjuFgxp8a.

Melbourne Airport light-rail link proposed.
Feb.17 RACV 'RoyalAuto'.
Monorail.
An elegant, super-fast solution for the city to Melbourne Airport rail link?
It takes just 15 minutes from the city to Melbourne Airport and runs every
four minutes, 24 hours a day, carrying up to 40,000 people an hour.
It's driverless, ticketless, fully automated, super quiet, will operate on
or above existing infrastructure, is environmentally friendly and
predominantly locally manufactured.
It costs you around $25 each way, less than half the cost of a taxi,
integrates with existing infrastructure and provides options for service
extensions and stops such as at Essendon Airport.
And the project cost is around $1.5 billion, about a tenth of what it would
cost for standard heavy rail on the same route.
Would you use it?
The answer is yes.
Peter O'Brien, former president of the Victorian and Australian Chambers of
Commerce and Industry and a former board member of Tourism Australia, is
leading the Airshuttle Consortium and believes the answer is a resounding
yes.
He has 12 consultants working on Airshuttle on a pro-bono basis, has strong
bi-partisan support, encouragement from the Committee of Melbourne, which
includes RACV, the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the
Victorian Tourism Industry Council, and the backing of public figures such
as Sir Rod Eddington, Martin Ferguson and John O'Rourke.
Proven technology.
"In the past 50 years everything has moved on in Australia except the
trains," Mr O'Brien says. "What we are offering is 21st-century,
state-of-the-art technology that is already proven in many similar
situations worldwide."
The Airshuttle proposal will use the latest light-rail technology and will
run above existing roads, significantly reducing the land requirement - it
takes up the equivalent of a standard bike lane in either direction. It will
be near silent as the trains run on rubber wheels and use solar panels for
power along with the latest battery technology. The trains will also be
fitted with privacy glass that automatically switches to opaque in
residential zones.
Airshuttle, if it gets the state government's green light, will be privately
funded and operated, and will take about five years to establish, according
to Mr O'Brien. If the project gets approval in the near future it will be up
and running by 2022, he says.
Growing gateway.
Mr O'Brien's preferred stop in the city is Southern Cross, but other
locations are being considered, and he expects the new train link to take
around 15 per cent of traffic heading to the airport, with the rest serviced
by car, taxi and bus. Melbourne Airport currently handles around 34 million
passengers a year and expects this to reach 64 million within the next 15 to
20 years.
"Melbourne Airport is the major economic gateway to the state and it's
essential we get an absolutely reliable, safe, high-frequency, express rail
service," he says.
www.airshuttleaust.com.au
<www.racv.com.au/membership/member-benefits/royalauto/news/melbourne-airport
-light-rail-link-proposed.html>
[yet another incompatible technology, and quite misleading claims.
Compatibility with the tram work would result in synergies].

Boy hit by bus in Carine (WA).
PerthNow March 21, 2017.
A CHILD has been injured after being hit by a bus on Beach Road in Carine.
St John paramedics treated the boy at the scene before he was taken to
Princess Margaret Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
It is understood the boy, 11, was riding a bike when he was struck near the
intersection of Davallia Road about 3.15pm.
He was conscious and talking when he was pulled from under bus.
Emergency services at Beach Road as an 11-year-old boy is treated after
being hit by a bus. Picture: Seven News.
There are unconfirmed reports he suffered a broken leg.
<www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/boy-hit-by-bus-in-carine/news-st
ory/05e854782b0b6b7807e4aa92c19c6016>

Police hunt man following assault on tram driver in Melbourne's north Herald
Sun March 22, 2017.
POLICE are hunting a man who attacked a tram driver in Melbourne's north.
The assault unfolded after the offender boarded a city bound tram on Sydney
Road at about 7.30am on March 9.
The man disrupted the service by standing in the doorway smoking a cigarette
before beginning to swear and terrorise passengers.
The offender then opened the driver's side window and yelled at the driver
before hitting the glass window with an iron object, causing it to shatter.
The tram driver was treated for minor injuries.
Police have released CCTV of a man they believe may be able to assist them
with their inquires, he was last seen getting off the tram at Bell Street,
Coburg.
He is believed to in his early to mid 20s, caucasian in appearance, with a
medium build and brown-coloured hair.
At the time of the incident the male was wearing a Nike cap, black T-shirt,
grey tracksuit pants and black-coloured Nike shoes.
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/police-hunt-man-following-assault-on-tra
m-driver-in-melbournes-north/news-story/a27a7981fe6c120ed4bf95cea2939293>