That's the concern, considering the population growth (including that
Melbourne is forecast to overtake Sydney as the largest Australian city).
There's simply insufficient investment in new trams and the infrastructure
that goes with them. What we're getting is unsatisfied latent demand. There
would be some significant factor more than 51% of people who *want* to use
PT if they could but the supply (capacity) is inadequate for the potential
demand. It's a poor response by both political sides.

Tony P

On Sunday, 12 August 2018 14:23:32 UTC+10, Mal Rowe wrote:
>

> On 12/08/2018 1:50 PM, Prescott wrote:

> > As far as I can see, neither of them is promising any new trams beyond

> > the current deliveries.

> >

> Correct, and that's disappointing as I assume that Bombardier will shut

> down the E class production line once E2 6080 is delivered. We are up

> to at least 6067 in service (see attached pic), so that can't be long off.

>

> The government has instead committed to a full refurbishment of the

> fleet, but that's just 'kicking the can down the road' if the final

> exemptions for the DDA end by 2032, only 14 years away.

>

> To replace nearly 300 non-compliant trams would require over 20 low

> floor trams per year if we started now.

>

> I suspect the big issue is not only the cost of the new trams, but the

> cost of depots and substations to support them.

> Of course smaller new trams simply replacing trams of the Z and A

> classes would be less demanding on infrastructure, but with Melbourne

> population within the 'tram zone' growing rapidly, that's not likely to

> satisfy demand in the future.

>

> Mal Rowe - part of the team refurbishing the old fleet

>