This system worked really well ninety years ago when all electric
services terminated at St Kilda Rd. and passengers transferred to the
frequent Cable Tram service.
We had privatised tram services then as well. My how the wheel turns.
Perhaps they will revert to cable systems in St Kilda Rd.

-----Original Message-----
From:TramsDownUnder@...
[mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of citadis
Sent: Wednesday, 29 March 2006 10:09 AM
To:TramsDownUnder@...
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Re: Radical plan for St Kilda Road tram
services

--- InTramsDownUnder@..., "Haby, Steven"
<steven.haby@...> wrote:
> >

> Essentially...

> - high frequency shuttle from St Kilda Jct to Melbourne Uni

> - All southern routes terminate at St Kilda Road

> - YT wants additional 250 low floor trams by 2009

>

> In today's Age

> http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/shuttles-may-end-tram-

bottleneck/2006/03/27/1143441087280.html
>

>

This is typical of Yarra Trams approach to problems, quick and
nasty, forget the effect on passengers for all their lip service,
they refuse to listen to passengers and most importantly, they
refuse to listen to the very people who run the bloody system, there
is stil to many of the useless MTA bearuacrats running the show who,
after decades, still don't know how to run a bloody tram service.
Passengers will leave the system in droves if they have to change
trams so tantalisingly close to the city (even St.K Jct)they bitch
and complain if you have to do a change over once in a while! The
only good part of this rubbish is the idea of a third track at the
major junctions, thi is important and works very well o/s (however,
overseas they tend to make it four tracks) so the diverting tram
gets out of the way of the through tram, what they are talking about
is a centre road for the "branch lines" to pull into, this would be
a disaster and would certainly weaken the passenger base for the
whole of the StK Rd routes effected. The simplest way to speed up
services is have a diverging third track about two tram lengths long
at each junction so that ie: a 72 comes along and switches to the
third track and the following 6 or what ever pulls in beside it then
proceeds on its way not being held up waiting for the 72 to get it's
light, the added bonus for passengers is, if they are on the wrong
tram, they would know when it moves left and they can just change
there without having to go around the corner to the next stop and
walk back, a minor point though. This idiotic, lunatic idea needs to
be fought against or the patronage loss and the anger against the
trams (they will be blamed and the drivers will get it in the neck,
not bloddy management) will really damge their future as opponents
of trams will start screaming for a one seat bus ride to the city!
Who ever came up with this idea should be put in a museum!

Greg

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