I have heard that tram tracks are currently been laid on the Collins Street extension. Can anyone confirm how far the tram tracks have progressed?
Collins Street, Melbourne, Tram Extension
Phillip
Station Master
Polar Tiger
Chief Commissioner
Location: FL390
Several hundred metres to the west of the route 35/48/70 track.
MelbourneCity
Chief Commissioner
Nice to see some progress. Be great to see how Docklands has developed in 5/10 years from now!
tranzitjim
Chief Commissioner
Location: Banned
Pitty they did not put in some points.
Would like to have seen a Grand Union Junction placed there.
Would like to have seen a Grand Union Junction placed there.
fullofrubbish
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Brunswick
What is the eventually plan for the Collins Street extension? What tram routes will utilise it?
scrat
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Fitzroy North
I assume the 31 will be sent down their at first, hopefully with a more frequent timetable.
The eventual plan will be to send it to Bourke St West, making the corner of Collins St and Bourke St.
Bourke St is also meant to have a tram line running from Harbour Esp to Collins St, but I'm unaware how the arraignment will work.
Given that Bourke St will eventually have trams, an east facing half union at the intersection of Collins St and Harbour Esp would have made sense to me, but as I said I'm unaware of the full future plans.
Hopefully Polar Tiger can fill in the blanks/make corrections.
Liam
The eventual plan will be to send it to Bourke St West, making the corner of Collins St and Bourke St.
Bourke St is also meant to have a tram line running from Harbour Esp to Collins St, but I'm unaware how the arraignment will work.
Given that Bourke St will eventually have trams, an east facing half union at the intersection of Collins St and Harbour Esp would have made sense to me, but as I said I'm unaware of the full future plans.
Hopefully Polar Tiger can fill in the blanks/make corrections.
Liam
connexwest
Deputy Commissioner
Location: Waiting for the World's Biggest Divvy Van
The 48 service will be diverted along Spring Street and into Collins Street from around mid year. Points will be installed at Spring/Flinders and Spring/Collins to allow this to happen.
The route 70, along with the city circle, will be sent to Waterfront City, which will be upgraded to a double track terminus, similar to Vermont South
The route 70, along with the city circle, will be sent to Waterfront City, which will be upgraded to a double track terminus, similar to Vermont South
Gwiwer
Rt Hon Gentleman and Ghost of Oliver Bulleid
Location: Loitering in darkest Somewhere
Bourke St will eventually have trams
Bourke Street already has trams. Between Spring and Spencer Streets. Unless the footbridge is replaced they won't be extending over the railway. A connection from north to west from Harbour Esplanade to Bourke Street's western extension will link with the Collins Street extension.
The Collins Street extension will reach the corner of Collins / Bourke and as noted is expected to be serviced by a full-time service 31 and a diverted 48 initially.
scrat
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Fitzroy North
A connection from north to west from Harbour Esplanade to Bourke Street's western extension will link with the Collins Street extension.
That's what I said.
I figured by prefacing that trams would run along Bourke St West between Harbour Eps and Collins St people would know what part of Bourke St I was talking about.
Liam.
Aussie Steve
Deputy Commissioner
The 48 service will be diverted along Spring Street and into Collins Street from around mid year. Points will be installed at Spring/Flinders and Spring/Collins to allow this to happen.
Pretty good idea to me.
Myrtone
Chief Commissioner
Location: North Carlton, Melbourne, Victoria
Nice to see that they are using grooved rails. Shame about the concreted track, laying it in bricks might have been better.
scrat
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Fitzroy North
I don't want to start another high/low platform argument that ends in me frustrated and not participating, but...
Where, except sections of Bridge road, is there non-grooved rails, let alone track laid or re-laid in the last 20 years?
Why?
Solid mass concrete lasts for about 50 years.
Liam.
Nice to see that they are using grooved rails.
Where, except sections of Bridge road, is there non-grooved rails, let alone track laid or re-laid in the last 20 years?
Shame about the concreted track, laying it in bricks might have been better.
Why?
Solid mass concrete lasts for about 50 years.
Liam.
route14
Chief Commissioner
If it's in the reservation, open ballast might be better.
Flinders_Flyer
Chief Train Controller
Location: Greensborough
How about grass? It looks rather nice. I know Adelaide recently did it. Grassed track is also quite common in European countries such as France. Its much easier on the eyes and makes for a more pleasant environment. I think it also helps to muffle the sound of the tram a bit. Not sure about the negatives though. Well aside from maintenance and watering anyway. I suppose in these dry times grassed track probably wouldn't be the best.
scrat
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Fitzroy North
route14, Flinders_Flyer, no disagreement, however, ballasted track down Collins St? And Grassed track is usually installed in a trench in the solid mass concrete which still uses grooved rail (I think).
Both have advantages, with ballasted track the ride and speed is better and with grassed track the aesthetic improvement is amazing, just look at the Box Hill extension.
The one downside is that emergency vehicles can't use them, I hardly see that to be a problem in Docklands, but who knows in the future.
Liam.
Both have advantages, with ballasted track the ride and speed is better and with grassed track the aesthetic improvement is amazing, just look at the Box Hill extension.
The one downside is that emergency vehicles can't use them, I hardly see that to be a problem in Docklands, but who knows in the future.
Liam.
Gwiwer
Rt Hon Gentleman and Ghost of Oliver Bulleid
Location: Loitering in darkest Somewhere
Emergency vehicles can drive along grassed tracks and have done so at Box Hill on at least one occasion.
They cannot drive on ballast road with raised rails however.
They cannot drive on ballast road with raised rails however.
scrat
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Fitzroy North
Emergency vehicles can drive along grassed tracks and have done so at Box Hill on at least one occasion.
So its solid enough?
Makes sense I just wasn't that sure, but later thought that it would be just like driving down a median strip, they probably can't go as fast though.
Can you confirm how the Box Hill grassed section is constructed?
Liam.
Gwiwer
Rt Hon Gentleman and Ghost of Oliver Bulleid
Location: Loitering in darkest Somewhere
The Box Hill section is constructed on a normal tramway base of levelled sand. This then has a skeleton framework of reinforced concrete laid to take the rails and with cross-bearers at intervals.
The concrete is then infilled with soil or other suitable medium and has the grass laid on top.
In the case of Box Hill I understand a native species of grass was used so as to be relatively drought resistant, also to maintain YT's commitment to improving the environment and using native species in their greening process.
Emergency service vehicles can drive along the tram tracks just as they do elsewhere since these are embedded in the concrete. The grassed areas are able to take the weight of a vehicle for short distances without undue damage but are not suitable for driving on with a heavy vehicle such as a fire truck for an extended distance.
Cars, which have a narrower wheelbase than most emergency vehicles, can also drive along those tram tracks; I have done so myself in a "Baby Citadis" Barina during service disruptions without touching the grass.
The concrete is then infilled with soil or other suitable medium and has the grass laid on top.
In the case of Box Hill I understand a native species of grass was used so as to be relatively drought resistant, also to maintain YT's commitment to improving the environment and using native species in their greening process.
Emergency service vehicles can drive along the tram tracks just as they do elsewhere since these are embedded in the concrete. The grassed areas are able to take the weight of a vehicle for short distances without undue damage but are not suitable for driving on with a heavy vehicle such as a fire truck for an extended distance.
Cars, which have a narrower wheelbase than most emergency vehicles, can also drive along those tram tracks; I have done so myself in a "Baby Citadis" Barina during service disruptions without touching the grass.
scrat
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Fitzroy North
Thanks Gwiwer,
So I was pretty much right with how the grassed tracks are made.
I always seem to think of emergency vehicles because I have lived and/or worked around Fitzroy/Collingwood for the last ten years, and the tram tracks are really useful for St Vincent's Hospital and East Hill Fire Station.
Liam.
So I was pretty much right with how the grassed tracks are made.
I always seem to think of emergency vehicles because I have lived and/or worked around Fitzroy/Collingwood for the last ten years, and the tram tracks are really useful for St Vincent's Hospital and East Hill Fire Station.
Liam.
Polar Tiger
Chief Commissioner
Location: FL390
Emergency vehicles can drive along grassed tracks and have done so at Box Hill on at least one occasion.
They cannot drive on ballast road with raised rails however.
Sure about that?
Check this pic out: http://www.vicsig.net/trams/photos/20050129-ptjn-r10-b2-2084-cw.jpg
Gwiwer
Rt Hon Gentleman and Ghost of Oliver Bulleid
Location: Loitering in darkest Somewhere
R10 is a tramway recovery vehicle and as the illustration shows is capable of going anywhere it has to. I had in mind the likes of ambulances, police vehicles (and fire trucks, though they are mostly very robust) which might find that sort of expedition rather less easy.
bramt
Deputy Commissioner
*Bump*
The tracks in Collins St have been extended very slightly further toward Bourke St this weekend.
It looked like they were only laying track up to ~30-40m beyond the existing ANZ/Myer stop, I assume planning to finish it later, when they complete the road. A crossover was being constructed immediately after the existing stop, so obviously this is where trams will be terminating for now.
So I wonder why they didn't build it like this in the first place in 2009, instead of having to remove all old track from beyond the existing stop? Continue double track into the construction area, and use a crossover instead of a single track terminus?
This would have been similar to what was done for stage 1 of the extension, from Spencer St to Batman's Hill drive, where double track was laid across the intersection but remained disconnected until stage 2. Trams terminated at a wooden platform stop constructed on track beyond a crossover, which incidentally was back in use this weekend.
The tracks in Collins St have been extended very slightly further toward Bourke St this weekend.
It looked like they were only laying track up to ~30-40m beyond the existing ANZ/Myer stop, I assume planning to finish it later, when they complete the road. A crossover was being constructed immediately after the existing stop, so obviously this is where trams will be terminating for now.
So I wonder why they didn't build it like this in the first place in 2009, instead of having to remove all old track from beyond the existing stop? Continue double track into the construction area, and use a crossover instead of a single track terminus?
This would have been similar to what was done for stage 1 of the extension, from Spencer St to Batman's Hill drive, where double track was laid across the intersection but remained disconnected until stage 2. Trams terminated at a wooden platform stop constructed on track beyond a crossover, which incidentally was back in use this weekend.
bramt
Deputy Commissioner
*bump*
The final stop at the corner of Collins & Bourke Sts is coming together, it's an island stop with 2 terminating tracks behind a scissors crossover, about ~100m beyond the existing crossover. There is a closure next Friday, presumably so they can finish the overhead. The new stop probably won't open then though, it looks like there's more than a week's work to go. Eg there's no footpaths or curbing between Collins and Bourke yet.
The final stop at the corner of Collins & Bourke Sts is coming together, it's an island stop with 2 terminating tracks behind a scissors crossover, about ~100m beyond the existing crossover. There is a closure next Friday, presumably so they can finish the overhead. The new stop probably won't open then though, it looks like there's more than a week's work to go. Eg there's no footpaths or curbing between Collins and Bourke yet.
Phillip
Station Master
*bump*
The final stop at the corner of Collins & Bourke Sts is coming together, it's an island stop with 2 terminating tracks behind a scissors crossover, about ~100m beyond the existing crossover. There is a closure next Friday, presumably so they can finish the overhead. The new stop probably won't open then though, it looks like there's more than a week's work to go. Eg there's no footpaths or curbing between Collins and Bourke yet.
Had a look at the final tram stop at the intersection Collins and Bourke Street and it looks good.... but it seems a shame if the tram is not extended further along Collins Street i.e. once development happens beyond the current terminus. It seems a long walk from the final end point of Collins street and the current terminus.
I know that there are plans for the Collins Street tram line to cross the Yarra River (but I can't see this happening in reality) and may be this is the reason for not extending the tram any further along Collins Street. But another reason may be due to lack of road space for a trams and road users beyond the current terminus.
Quick Reply
We've disabled Quick Reply for this thread as it was last updated more than six months ago.