Brian it would be the same as a bus driver locking up the bus at a terminus to go for a break.

The penny has dropped into my head (because i didn't see the new timetable until today) that the reason for the new separate set down and pick up stops at Central is because they have made it the layover terminus, not because of crowd conflict. This is typical on loop termini. The tram drops at one platform, then closes the doors and lays up until departure time when it moves forward to the departure platform (or it may move forward anyway).

It's not possible at Central because the railway station is at the top of the loop, but typically the drop off and pick up platforms are at the throat of the loop so as to enable several trams to be received and held between the stops. At Central if another tram turns up, the first tram has to move forward to the departure stop where it still has some scope for continuing its layup. Loop science 101 and good to see they're starting to understand it.

So this leaves Dulwich Hill solely to handle the mad panic reverse without being complicated by mandatory layovers and toilet breaks. It still needs that extra track though.

Tony P