NationStates Jolt Archive

Well in London, Ken Livingstone is thinking of bringing back the tram to take pressure off the tube. Trams were last used in London in 1952 but they won't be around for at least 10 years. So I put to NSers are they a good idea?

Poll coming.

:D YAY!

Tramways forever! Thumbs up for Mayor Livingstone!

Tramways cost a lot less than underground; are almost as fast (if you have them as light railways, that is, their tracks are separated from the roads); and are also a nice sight.

I live in Milan and I can tell you that if someone ever tried to stop our beautiful Art-Deco trams (yep! "Peter Witt" model, year 1928) , he'd be tied to a tramway track and left there for the next tram...

Ha! Too slow, Ken. They already started some 6 years ago! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramlink)

We have trams in Melbourne. They're pretty useful, since they can get into areas where it is impractical or prohibitively expensive for trains to run. They're also more reliable and faster than buses.

We used to have them in Denver (most bigger cities did, way back when), in fact, you can see the tracks in the streets when the paving starts to wear away. I guess it was too much trouble to tear them up so they just paved over them. I like most forms of mass transit, so yay for the London trams.

Good idea, and London has been far too slow in getting a tram system off the ground - Nottingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham all have them, and Bristol has been trying to implement the idea since 2000.

Trams are cool and have a lot of heritage for geeks like me. :)

And they also ease up on road traffic and pollution. For example, LA's smog and pollution problems started in the '60s when the tram system was shut down.

In other words...

TRAMS FTW!!!!

Ayes to the left.

*Aye*

You should foward this thread to Ken. He can read it aloud with his whiny little voice and make his secretary laugh.

we have them in warsaw.

Good idea, and London has been far too slow in getting a tram system off the ground - Nottingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham all have them, and Bristol has been trying to implement the idea since 2000.

Birmingham has A tram. But all that does is leave Birmingham.

Although I believe further tram systems are in the pipeline I would have much prefered an overhead rail system... those are cool.

Trams?? Uh... are those Street Cars...?

Trams?? Uh... are those Street Cars...?

no. they are trams.

Where will they put them?

no. they are trams.
What's a tram? Seriously... I have no idea (stupid Canuck here). Please translate 'tram' into Canuck speak. :)

Tram= Light rail system for urban areas.

We have them here in Dublin too. Actually, much the same as London the lines were orignally torn up in the late 60's early 70's I think. Now because of their effective and successful trials they're a big hit here.

Fast, cheap enough, reliable, every 3-4 mins and servicing suburbs to the city centre - they're a worthy addition to any city.

Tram= Light rail system for urban areas.

We have them here in Dublin too. Actually, much the same as London the lines were orignally torn up in the late 60's early 70's I think. Now because of their effective and successful trials they're a big hit here.

Fast, cheap enough, reliable, every 3-4 mins and servicing suburbs to the city centre - they're a worthy addition to any city.

Oooo! Rapid transit! Kind of like the SRT! I get it! Yay! Not a street car, it's a subway that actually moves! ;)

What's a tram? Seriously... I have no idea (stupid Canuck here). Please translate 'tram' into Canuck speak. :)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Tram_Amsterdam.jpg
This is what a tram looks like.


any questions?

Oooo! Rapid transit! Kind of like the SRT! I get it! Yay! Not a street car, it's a subway that actually moves! ;)

Well it's above ground.

Here's our one.


http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/f/f1/300px-Ireland_-_Dublin_-_Tram.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Tram_Amsterdam.jpg
This is what a tram looks like.
ooooo! It's a BIG street car!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e0/Dundas-streetcar-and-ago-as-seen-from-near-deconism.jpg/300px-Dundas-streetcar-and-ago-as-seen-from-near-deconism.jpg
Toronto streetcar system (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_streetcar_system)

(It's easier for me to think street car than 'tram'... especially since 'tram' makes me think of the ones I rode when I was in Maine that look nothing like your trams....)

Here's our one.


http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/f/f1/300px-Ireland_-_Dublin_-_Tram.jpg

Damn. Thats a sexy one, too!

And trams are great. I'm all for various forms of public transit in urban areas.

Damn. Thats a sexy one, too!

And trams are great. I'm all for various forms of public transit in urban areas.
Me too.. Too bad the current governments here won't go for that...

Streetcar, tram... it's how I get to work in the morning. I don't care what it's called, provided it's running.

Me too.. Too bad the current governments here won't go for that...

Man, I can't believe they re-elected Howard Moscoe as chair of the TTC. I would do things soooo much more differently than that guy if I was in his shoes.

Man, I can't believe they re-elected Howard Moscoe as chair of the TTC. I would do things soooo much more differently than that guy if I was in his shoes.
Like no automated subways and more a transit system that isn't overpriced and inefficient at best?

Melbourne trams (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Melbourne%2C_Australia) FTW. :)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/98/Ac.newtram3.jpg.JPG/180px-Ac.newtram3.jpg.JPG

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Z3_Melbourne_tram%2C_Elgin_and_Lygon_Streets%2C_Melbourne.jpg/150px-Z3_Melbourne_tram%2C_Elgin_and_Lygon_Streets%2C_Melbourne.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/70/B2_2117.JPG/150px-B2_2117.JPG

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fd/D_class_tram.jpg/150px-D_class_tram.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6e/Ac.newtram1.jpg.JPG/150px-Ac.newtram1.jpg.JPG

We have heaps of them here & Melbourne has arguably the best public transport system in Aus.

we're gunna get trams in edinburgh too at some point. w00t!

Well it's above ground.

Here's our one.


http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/f/f1/300px-Ireland_-_Dublin_-_Tram.jpg

Luas=teh win

Though they've stopped using the indestructable tickets.

Yay for London!

Meane-while, downe here in ye olde Sydney, trammes are nott an optione according to the moste anciente parliamentarians.

Bleeding NSW Labor (as for why they spell the party name the American way, buggered if I know). Can't see sense when it's staring them in the face. Oh, we have one line - a converted goods line (the ports it served are due to shut in a few years anyhow), but I don't expect any more to be added within the next century...

I mean, our new ticketing system is 7 years late already (it was SUPPOSED to be ready for the Olympics, though like the "Millennium trains" (which didn't hit the tracks until 2003 and were briefly withrdrawn). The former because they think it's a good idea to change the fare system (which is notoriously complex) after changing the ticketing system, the latter because of initial bugs (which have since been mostly worked out. The M-bugs are now a fairly good train).

My opinion on the Tangara is however unpublishable. :p Those are so bad that Melbourne outright rejected the design. (The Tangara is identical to the 4D, which has since been completely and utterly destroyed. Best photos I've ever seen. :p )

/rant