How Much Would It Cost Nowadays To Build A Tram System Like Melbourne’s?

December 31st, 2014 by James Ayre from http://cleantechnica.com

Melbourne, Australia, is home to what is by far the largest streetcar system currently in operation in the world — one that makes those found in the US cities where there is one at all seem like a fair ride in comparison. The urban streetcar system comprises roughly 249 kilometres of double-track and 487 trams in total.

You’re probably getting jealous now, and for good reason. So a good question to ask would be, why doesn’t the city I live in have such great public transportation infrastructure? And how much would it cost for it to develop a similar system?

Now an important point to make from the start on this topic is that Melbourne’s system has been in place for quite a long time now — such systems were actually very common throughout much of the world in the early parts of the 20th century. Had the system been removed back in the 1950s-60s like the systems in many other major Australian cities were, the costs for building it would likely now be unaffordable.

Going by the $1.6 billion that it cost to build the relatively new 13 km Gold Coast G link line, Melbourne’s system — were it to be developed today — would probably cost somewhere around $30 billion. Going by other recent light rail projects, it could be even higher, up to $45 billion.

Big numbers. So, why would it be so much more expensive nowadays?

One of the main reasons is that new systems almost invariably are kept separate from now ubiquitous car traffic — something that wasn’t always necessary.

The Urbanist provides some relevant thoughts on that matter:

However if Melbourne were building a new system today from the ground up it would face the same sorts of pressures to provide a much better and more costly network (eg with more segregation from traffic) that other cities are experiencing. Decisions made many years ago simply wouldn’t be politically viable in today’s car-oriented world. 

A brand new 250 km network would have the advantage though of offering an opportunity to obtain substantial economies of scale. However whether that opportunity was realized would depend on the sequence of construction; Melbourne’s network was built incrementally over the course of a century.

There’s no guarantee, or even likelihood, that any new network of similar size would be constructed in accordance with the most efficient schedule. No matter what they might say, politicians don’t think or act like that.

All good points. It’s also worth noting that the level of bureaucracy and intermediation (and accompanying graft) has increased pretty significantly in the years since the Melbourne network’s creation. There’s a lot of red tape to go through in the modern world, and a lot of people with their hands in the pie. It no doubt isn’t as simple to get things like the tram network done nowadays as it was back then.

The main takeaway from this all, though, is that maintaining and/or rebuilding or renovating legacy infrastructure is usually the most economical approach to public transportation infrastructure buildout… by far.

It’s just too bad that so many of these quite effective tram systems (which once covered the US) were done away with during the wild embrace of the personal automobile during the last century.

Image Credit: LHS; RHS

Sydney: Commuters set to vote on new-look Sydney trams

• JIM O’ROURKE TRANSPORT REPORTER. THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
• DECEMBER 28, 2014 12:00AM

WILL it be the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House or perhaps the face of Luna Park?

The trams in Reims, France. 

Commuters could be given a vote on the look of Sydney’s new trams so they reflect the character, heritage or personality of the city.

French transport giant Alstom, which is supplying the trams for the CBD to South East light rail, scheduled to begin operation in early 2019, gives its customer cities the option of customising the “nose” or front of their trams.

In the French city of Reims, for example, local authorities gave their citizens the opportunity to vote on the design of the driver’s cab.

Tramway Montpellier. Montpellier, where a diving mask was used.

A tram in Dubai, where a diamond shape was chosen.

About 15 per cent of the residents of the city, famous for its fine champagne, turned out to vote in a community referendum and chose a depiction of a champagne flute.

In oil rich Dubai, a cut diamond shape was chosen to reflect the wealth of the Emirate.

A diving mask was used in Montpellier, a prime scuba diving centre on France’s Mediterranean coast, and Lyons has trams that look like silk worms, a link to the city’s historic manufacture of the luxury material.

In Toulouse, the headquarters of Airbus, the trams are designed to look like the front of a passenger jet.

The state government hasn’t ruled out letting Sydneysiders vote on the design of their own trams.

A tram in Toulouse.

Alstom’s Christian Messelyn, who headed the Reims tram project, said the vote was conducted on the internet on the tram nose design over a week.

“It was like a small election and was very well received,” Mr Messelyn said.

“About 40,000 people then turned out for the line’s opening ceremony.”

Will Sydney have trams trundling along George Street with a nose shaped a funnel web spider or a giant black arrow, similar to those sewn into the uniforms convicts used to wear?

When asked if she is considering offering Sydney residents an opportunity to have a say in the design of the tram, Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian was non committal.

“Customers will be using brand new modern and clean light rail vehicles as part of this exciting project,” she said.

“Of course the new vehicles will reflect local needs here in Sydney.”

Sydney light rail contract signed, likely to open for services in 2019

Date

Jacob Saulwick. Transport Reporter

New South Wales, State Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian says the project will create more than 10,000 jobs. Photo: Nick Moir

The light rail line from Circular Quay to Sydney's eastern suburbs is likely to open for services in early 2019, after the $2.1 billion contract for the project was signed on Wednesday night.

The cost of the project is a $500 million increase over the previously announced $1.6 billion price tag, but less than the $2.2 billion reported recently.

The contract also includes provisions for major works to finish within 2018, meaning major disruptions in the city and suburbs will take just over three years, starting in late April 2015.

Services will be tested before opening to passengers in early 2019. The light rail line will run down George Street, through Surry Hills to Randwick and Kingsford.

Late changes nominated to the project include increasing the size of the vehicles from 45 metres to 67 metres, meaning the line will also have a larger capacity than first planned.

In a statement on Wednesday night, Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian said: "This project will provide a significant improvement in public transport in Sydney, as well as creating more than 10,000 jobs for our economy."

"Customers will have brand new clean, modern, reliable and efficient services from Circular Quay, through the CBD, to major event venues at Moore Park and on to the south east's major residential areas and educational and medical facilities," she said.

"This is the best option to tackle congestion in the CBD and south east of Sydney."

"We will continue to work closely with the community to fine-tune the detailed week by week program for construction, and regular one-on-one meetings and community and business forums are already underway along the light rail route.

Canberra, Australia: Capital Metro light rail bidders announced for City to Gungahlin tram line

The ACT government has named four private business consortium groups who will be considered for the building of Canberra's $800 million light rail line.

Thanks to: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/capital-metro-light-rail-bidders-announced-for-canberra-gungahlin-tram-line-20141222-12c2e0.html

An artist's impression of the proposed Canberra light rail.

Some of the world's largest transport, engineering and construction firms look set to join the bidding for Canberra's $800 million light rail line.

Capital Metro Minister Simon Corbell announced four groups have expressed interest in building the 12 kilometre line from Gungahlin to the city – including the companies behind light rail projects in Sydney and the Gold Coast and the operator of Melbourne's historic city-wide tram network.

Transport giants Downer, Bombardier, Keolis, Alstom Transport, UGL Rail Services and TransDev Australasia are represented in the consortiums.

A short list will be prepared for the formal tender process by the end of March 2015 and an interactive bidding process will lead to a construction and operation partner chosen within a year. 

Some of the infrastructure and construction firms named in the consortiums include John Holland, Leighton Contractors and Spanish company Acciona Infrastructure.

Big name finance groups including Macquarie Capital and Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi are also involved.

The consortium names could also provide a hint for the future branding of the line, which is expected to be the first in a wider network. Names revealed on Monday include Canberra Metro, Activate, Connecting Canberra and CANGO.

Mr Corbell and the cabinet will consider groups for short listing, inviting two or three to submit proposals as part of the project's request for proposal stage.

The successful bidder could also win a strategic advantage for future lines as part of the wider network. A light rail master plan for Canberra is due for release soon. 

Expression of interest documents called for trams to have space for bikes, priority seating for the disabled, areas for  wheelchairs and prams and be capable of wire-free operation.

The trams must be able to be used "at all times without anxiety", with well-lit stops, surveillance systems, and be safe, clean and well-maintained. 

The targeted travel time from Gungahlin to the city via Northbourne Avenue, the Federal Highway and Flemington Road is 25 minutes.

Bidders will be required to deliver the project affordably for the ACT community, with the territory reserving the right to determine a cost threshold. 

Mr Corbell said specific proposals for user experience, design and on board services were not included in the expression of interest stage. 

"It will be through the request for proposal stage that we will ask them to address all of the specific requirements that we have put forward, including the quality of the service, the nature of the service, the type of rolling stock to be used, accessibility and bikes on light rail."

Construction is on track to get under way in 2016 with services commencing by 2019.  

Opposition transport spokesman Alistair Coe said it was unsurprising large multinational companies were expressing interest in the project, which would include hundreds of millions in accessibility payments from the taxpayer over its lifetime.

Mr Coe warned the consortiums that a future Liberal government could tear up the contracts. 

"We hope that the project in 2016 has not progressed and therefore we can easily cancel it. In the event that it is in some way progressed, we will look into what we can do to try and stop it."