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    • kitchgp posted
    Posted in Trams and Light Rail » Is it time to reconsider the free tram zone in Melbourne?

    Interesting theory, but I would have thought that since MT is below the Loop and given road congestion, a good number of those will interchange to Loop trains to complete their journey. Ditto for MM2. Change Flagstaff for Parliament, Clifton Hill for FSS, Parkville for Melbourne Central.
    potatoinmymouth

    Metro Tunnel 1’s stations are not directly below the Loop. Town Hall starts at Flinders Street and extends to just north of Collins Street. State Library starts at La Trobe Street and extends to the City Baths. Assuming your standard average passenger alights in the middle of the platform, it will be 200 metres (horizontal) or so to the platforms at Flinders Street or Melbourne Central. It will be just as easy or easier to access trams in Collins Street or La Trobe Street.

    There are too many interchange options to discuss fully here. However, as an example, a Dandenong line passenger that currently uses Parliament could exit at Town Hall and catch a Collins Street tram. There are no Flinders Street direct Parliament trains (even if the City Circle was reinstated) so he/she would have to continue to State Library and catch a train to Parliament. Also, trams provide more stops. (Interchanging at Caulfield sort of defeats the purpose of the system.) A Dandenong line passenger heading for Docklands or William Street that currently gets off at Southern Cross could catch a Collins Street tram from Town Hall.

    Metro Tunnel 2 is obviously still just a loose proposal but the route needs consideration, terrain notwithstanding. If the bulk of the Mernda and Werribee line people want to go to the centre or east of the CBD (the west still being very much business hours) the route should reflect this, not dump them in the northwest of the CBD. Interchanging at Clifton Hill, for example, would require enough Parkville passengers from a Hurstbridge train to balance east-CBD from Mernda passengers. (Because of the non-reversal of the Clifton Loop, AM and PM would be different.)

    The City Loop provided 5 distribution points in the CBD. Prior to the early 80s ‘everybody’ jumped on a tram to or from either Flinders or Spencer Street Stations. Now that is being wound back. Potentially, Dandenong & Sunbury lines will have only 2 points, Frankston & Craigieburn lines only 3 (through-routing) and Mernda & Werribee lines only 2 (if Metro Tunnel 2 is via Flagstaff and Southern Cross). Whilst a lot of commuters will use other trains or walk, a significant proportion of the interchange load will be borne by trams.

    Edit history

    Edited 12 Jun 2019 23:14, 2 years ago, edited by kitchgp

    Interesting theory, but I would have thought that since MT is below the Loop and given road congestion, a good number of those will interchange to Loop trains to complete their journey. Ditto for MM2. Change Flagstaff for Parliament, Clifton Hill for FSS, Parkville for Melbourne Central.
    potatoinmymouth

    Metro Tunnel 1’s stations are not directly below the Loop. Town Hall starts at Flinders Street and extends to just north of Collins Street. State Library starts at La Trobe Street and extends to the City Baths. Assuming your standard average passenger alights in the middle of the platform, it will be 200 metres (horizontal) or so to the platforms at Flinders Street or Melbourne Central. It will be just as easy or easier to access trams in Collins Street or La Trobe Street.

    There are too many interchange options to discuss fully here. However, as an example, a Dandenong line passenger that currently uses Parliament could exit at Town Hall and catch a Collins Street tram. There are no Flinders Street direct Parliament trains (even if the City Circle was reinstated) so he/she would have to continue to State Library and catch a train to Parliament. Also, trams provide more stops. (Interchanging at Caulfield sort of defeats the purpose of the system.) A Dandenong line passenger heading for Docklands or William Street that currently gets off at Southern Cross could catch a Collins Street tram from Town Hall.

    Metro Tunnel 2 is obviously still just a loose proposal but the route needs consideration, terrain notwithstanding. If the bulk of the Mernda and Werribee line people want to go to the centre or east of the CBD (the west still being very much business hours) the route should reflect this, not dump them in the northwest of the CBD. Interchanging at Clifton Hill, for example, would require enough Parkville passengers from a Hurstbridge train to balance east-CBD from Mernda passengers. (Because of the non-reversal of the Clifton Loop, AM and PM would be different.)

    The City Loop provided 5 distribution points in the CBD. Prior to the early 80s ‘everybody’ jumped on a tram to or from either Flinders or Spencer Street Stations. Now that is being wound back. Potentially, Dandenong & Sunbury lines will have only 2 points, Frankston & Craigieburn lines only 3 (through-routing) and Mernda & Werribee lines only 2 (if Metro Tunnel 2 is via Flagstaff and Southern Cross). Whilst a lot of commuters will use other trains or walk, a significant portion of the interchange load will be borne by trams.