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Speed
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Mar 19, 2007
Last Visited: Nov 20, 2008
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:53 am
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Yarra Trams' performance results do seem to read, "Yarra Trams wishes to advise that our guaranteed levels of service have been met, so no compensation can be claimed for service delivery or punctuality" for recent months, which is not surprising to me.
A point that is often repeated about these performance targets (for trains and trams alike) is that they are for the entire week and not the peak periods, during which delays are most likely to occur. The article's wording states that they conducted their survey during the morning peak.
Making performance targets also requires having an achievable timetable. While the delays due to heavy traffic on any particular morning can't be predicted, you can still timetable trams with an expectation that they will run significantly more slowly during peak hours.
While trams may presently be somewhat punctual, reducing the traffic ahead of them would make the service faster and therefore more pleasing to the passengers.
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fullofrubbish
Assistant Commissioner
Joined: Mar 14, 2007
Last Visited: Nov 20, 2008
Location: Parkville
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:23 pm
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The 19 is pretty amazing with the number of people it carries... chuck in a bit of a disruption or a 10 minute service gap anywhere in the morning or afternoon peaks and it takes a good 2 or 3 B2's to clear everyone! However I've learnt if there looks like a disruption going on in the avo to always catch a 59 up to Haymarket....chances are one or two B2's will shunt just before Victoria Street and you can beat the crowds!
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route14
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Dec 28, 2006
Last Visited: Nov 20, 2008
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:37 pm
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Good strategy. Haymarket is also a compulsory stop with a facing point, so you are also less likely to be left behind by a full (or fool rather?) tram skipping stops, but I haven't seen service cars shunting at Victoria Market (making Queensberry St. the last stop) in my time, most of them do so at Lonsdale St. or Flinders Lane (Collins St. last stop).
Not the black cat
nor the white cat
but the right cat
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Edith
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Nov 11, 2004
Last Visited: Nov 19, 2008
Location: Line 1 from Porte de Vincennes bound for Bastille station
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:52 pm
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| route14 wrote: | | Good strategy. Haymarket is also a compulsory stop with a facing point, so you are also less likely to be left behind by a full (or fool rather?) tram skipping stops, but I haven't seen service cars shunting at Victoria Market (making Queensberry St. the last stop) in my time, most of them do so at Lonsdale St. or Flinders Lane (Collins St. last stop). |
I have been caught a couple of times. The last was in a big anti-Howard demo last year. Elizabeth Street was stopped from around the Vic Market.
Dreams are not something to wait for
They are something to work for
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route14
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Dec 28, 2006
Last Visited: Nov 20, 2008
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 3:43 pm
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That's a different matter, I was referring to short shunting.
Not the black cat
nor the white cat
but the right cat
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Edith
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Nov 11, 2004
Last Visited: Nov 19, 2008
Location: Line 1 from Porte de Vincennes bound for Bastille station
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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 2:00 pm
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| route14 wrote: | | That's a different matter, I was referring to short shunting. |
It did short shunt. In fact all services terminated there, then returned from whence they came. Have I missed some subtle distinction here ? 
Dreams are not something to wait for
They are something to work for
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Gwiwer
Rt Hon Gentleman and Ghost of Oliver Bulleid
Joined: Nov 22, 2003
Last Visited: Nov 21, 2008
Location: Far away yet close at hand in images of elsewhere
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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:48 pm
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Trams terminating short of destination and returning whence they came are "short-shunted".
It makes no difference whether this is done because they are late or because their route is blocked.
A short shunt is a short shunt.
CEO Penhayle Bay Railway. Ferroequinologist. BA Hons (Honourable Bachelor of Aquatarts  )
The wise yet mysterious Sir Gwiwer Greybeard |
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Speed
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Mar 19, 2007
Last Visited: Nov 20, 2008
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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 5:37 pm
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The Age does a study, together with the PTUA...
| Quote: | The Sunday Age can reveal no new peak services have been added to the majority of lines examined in a new analysis, while many have fewer services than they did nine years ago.
The review was done across 11 of Melbourne's 26 tram lines using timetables from 1999 provided by the Public Transport Users Association. The Department of Transport refused to release their copies of the timetables, at first denying they existed. It later admitted it had them.
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The department would not say how many more trams it has in its fleet compared to 1999, but the current number, 493 is not believed to be significantly greater than it was nine years ago. Recently leaked documents show a lack of storage space for trams is compounding the problem of overcrowding.
There have been service cuts along route 57 during the afternoon from the city to West Maribyrnong and the route 55 morning services from West Coburg to Domain Road, two of the busiest lines on the network. The most significant cut has occurred during the morning peak from East Brighton to Melbourne University, where nine services now run instead of 12.
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Transport advocate Paul Mees said the number of services had been declining during peak periods for 20 years. Dr Mees said it beggared belief that as patronage had soared most routes had not had new peak services added. "If I was Yarra Trams I would want to make as big a profit as possible so, of course, I wouldn't be adding any extra services. But where are the Department of Transport?" he said. "They are the ones supposed to be monitoring and regulating Yarra Trams in the public interest. "Why haven't they been requiring Yarra Trams to add extra services and worse still why have they been covering up for Yarra Trams for 10 years by not alerting the public to the fact there's been no extra services in line with patronage."
Daniel Bowen, president of the Public Transport Users Association, condemned the cutbacks and said a major overhaul of the network was needed to ensure more trams could run more efficiently on the system. "The Government needs to seriously re-evaluate its priorities." |
http://www.theage.com.au/national/peak-hour-tram-services-stuck-at-1999-levels-20080906-4b58.html
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Gwiwer
Rt Hon Gentleman and Ghost of Oliver Bulleid
Joined: Nov 22, 2003
Last Visited: Nov 21, 2008
Location: Far away yet close at hand in images of elsewhere
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Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 1:39 am
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| Quote: | | The Sunday Age can reveal no new peak services have been added to the majority of lines examined in a new analysis, while many have fewer services than they did nine years ago. |
No line has fewer trams scheduled than the minimum PSR requirement which is what YT is obliged by their operating contract to provide. Many lines had service enhancements made to a level over and above the minimum required and it may be that a select few of these trips have ceased to run in order to provide rolling stock for busier services elsewhere.
| Quote: | | The review was done across 11 of Melbourne's 26 tram lines using timetables from 1999 provided by the Public Transport Users Association. The Department of Transport refused to release their copies of the timetables, at first denying they existed. It later admitted it had them. |
It would be interesting to learn which 11 routes were studied. Over the past 9 years some routes have been combined (8 and 22 into 8, 11 and 12 into 112, 16 and 69 into 16) while others (23, 25, 68 ) have ceased to run altogether but have been replaced by alternatives. 11 routes might encompass the major arterial routes, 11 occasional peak time or restricted-hours services or some mix of those.
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| Quote: | | The department would not say how many more trams it has in its fleet compared to 1999, but the current number, 493 is not believed to be significantly greater than it was nine years ago. Recently leaked documents show a lack of storage space for trams is compounding the problem of overcrowding. |
Approximately 40 more trams overall than the fleet total 9 years ago but those 493 carry rather more passengers account the fact that many of them are 3 or 5 module trams which have replaced single cars. The actual carrying capacity of the fleet has grown significantly. There is an acknowledged need for additional capacity very urgently and instead of fighting over whether a n individual trip is worked by a Z or a B (or even worked at all) perhaps this is where the energy should be directed.
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| Quote: | | Transport advocate Paul Mees said the number of services had been declining during peak periods for 20 years. Dr Mees said it beggared belief that as patronage had soared most routes had not had new peak services added. "If I was Yarra Trams I would want to make as big a profit as possible so, of course, I wouldn't be adding any extra services. But where are the Department of Transport?" he said. "They are the ones supposed to be monitoring and regulating Yarra Trams in the public interest. "Why haven't they been requiring Yarra Trams to add extra services and worse still why have they been covering up for Yarra Trams for 10 years by not alerting the public to the fact there's been no extra services in line with patronage." |
Paul Mees as a "transport advocate" (and having in earlier times been cited as a "transport expert") should know that YT does not improve its profitability by running fewer services. On the contrary it requires to maximise the number of trips run to offer every opportunity for passengers to travel since not only does YT receive their fee for service (and suffer financial penalties therefrom if they fail to meet the required performance levels) but they also retain 40% of all farebox revenue collected aboard their trams so there is a significant incentive to run them.
There have, in fact, been more services in line with patronage but as has been suggested these have sometimes come at a cost of minimal service cuts elsewhere in order to meet the demand. The network does not have infinite capacity to deal with ever-growing numbers using it.
What has happened is that greater capacity has been provided by operating larger trams at slightly wider intervals than was the case perhaps 20 years ago. For example a D1 every 12 minutes on the 6 provides more passenger-carrying capacity than a W class running every 10 minutes, though granted that a fair number of those may have to stand for at least a part of their journey.
| Quote: | | Daniel Bowen, president of the Public Transport Users Association, condemned the cutbacks and said a major overhaul of the network was needed to ensure more trams could run more efficiently on the system. "The Government needs to seriously re-evaluate its priorities." |
On the first part Mr Bowen is of course espousing the "Company" line inasmuch as he is quoted as representing the PTUA. Occasionally it is necessary to rob Peter to pay Paul to achieve the greater overall gain and this is what YT are no doubt attempting to achieve.
It is VicRoads and the State Governement who can make the biggest difference to efficient use of trams - they can act to remove private motor vehicles from certain streets, restrict or ban parking and stopping, prohibit turns, fund and introduce tram priority measures and fund new trams.
CEO Penhayle Bay Railway. Ferroequinologist. BA Hons (Honourable Bachelor of Aquatarts )
The wise yet mysterious Sir Gwiwer Greybeard |
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dbowen
Train Controller
Joined: Nov 16, 2004
Last Visited: Nov 20, 2008
Location: Melbourne
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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 1:02 pm
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| Gwiwer wrote: | | Quote: | | The review was done across 11 of Melbourne's 26 tram lines using timetables from 1999 provided by the Public Transport Users Association. The Department of Transport refused to release their copies of the timetables, at first denying they existed. It later admitted it had them. |
It would be interesting to learn which 11 routes were studied. Over the past 9 years some routes have been combined (8 and 22 into 8, 11 and 12 into 112, 16 and 69 into 16) while others (23, 25, 68 ) have ceased to run altogether but have been replaced by alternatives. |
They were all ex-Swanston Trams routes, covering most of their network, though I don't have the precise list in front of me. Changes were taken into account. Comparisons looked at number of trams into the city in the AM peak, and out in the PM peak.
Daniel
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