Wow, that Besancon ride is a shock to see. One might attribute the
decisions made at Besancon to lack of experience, but even the old,
experienced systems were not immune from bungled decisions to buy fixed
truck trams that were unsuitable for their cities, usually during the years
1990 to 2010 when a fully low floor tram design with swivelling bogies had
not yet been developed, but political and legal pressure for fully
accessible (fully low floor) trams was strong. For example, the
Adtranz/Bombardier (later Stadler) Variotram may attract enthusiast
affection here, but in Helsinki and Munich it attracted only severe buyer's
regret.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadler_Variobahn

So the history of cracking and failure in modern low-floor fixed-truck
trams actually extends further than the infamous Combino episode, to other
cases that didn't attract much publicity beyond the city of operation. CAF
is only the latest in the list. You would think the lessons had been
well-and-truly learned by now. And if anybody thinks that Alstom is immune,
it's only a matter of time. Meanwhile, they're in enough trouble already
with their swivelling bogie tram, the Citadis Dualis/Spirit (same design
platform as Melbourne E class):

https://manifestomultilinko2.wordpress.com/2020/07/12/citadis-dualis-and-citadis-spirit-tram-train/

If Melbourne has come to the decision that only Alstom and CAF will be
considered, then they're between a rock and a hard place.

Tony P

On Saturday, 27 November 2021 at 16:11:56 UTC+11 Mal Rowe wrote:

> On 27/11/2021 15:47, Tony Galloway wrote:

> > The Besançon operating environment :

> >

> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3IimY2Vc8M

> >

> > All hills and curves, so the wrong tram from the start.

> >

> Thanks Tony,

>

> That track would be challenging for any fixed truck tram.

>

> The coincident curves (vertical and horizontal) at the 24 minute mark

> would be enough alone to break a Citadis.

>

> I am struck by the speed limit signs - they seem to be placed based on

> risk at points of intersection with motor and pedestrian traffic and not

> to reduce wear and stress to the tram and tracks on curves as in Melbourne.

>

> See for example: https://tdu.to/i/17251 - where the curve is exaggerated

> by the telephoto lens and it's even a proper bogie tram.

>

> Mal Rowe in city with a challenge for the 'F class'.

>

>

>