--- InTramsDownUnder@..., Mal Rowe <brill21e@...> wrote:
>

> My info is from an iPhone app called "Transit Times"

>

> It shows an all day travel time between Victoria Square and Glenelg of 34 minutes (was 24 in 2006).

> Just like in the 'old days' (of 2006!) the travel time is reduced in the evenings ... to 32 minutes (was 18 in 2006).

>


Thanks Mal.

OK that's 11.5 km in, at best, 32 mins with 18 intermediate stops (2.5 km are on street, about 1 km of this in mixed traffic).

If I take the Melbourne St Kilda line between St K station and Clarendon St and double back on the line until I get 12 km (to keep it simple) I get a 23 min run with 20 intermediate stops (all on ROW). Are all stops compulsory on St K line? This is 9+ mins better than Adelaide (subject to finding out whether the stops are compulsory).

On the Prague Modrany light rail line from Levskeho terminus to Narodni divadlo it is 11.8 km, taking 24 mins with 18 compulsory intermediate stops. Only 6 km is ROW, the rest on street but in own lanes. This is 8+ mins better than Adelaide.

So the two legacy systems can beat the modern Adelaide light rail by 8+ mins on this equivalent section. The old H car service could be said to be up in that league but I guess it was "cheating" without compulsory stops!

So I think it's fair to describe the Adelaide line as an operational failure. It's success, however, is growing patronage at 10% per annum. This is good, but just think how many more people might be attracted to it if it was a well run tram system. The fundamentals of good PT are speed, frequency and reliability. Australian PT operators tend to be so preoccupied with the third factor than they disregard the first two. We've got a long way to go.

cheers
Tony P