Newcastle light rail, renewal & integrated transport

[tonyp]

What, because of the particulate emissions?

Yes. There's big activity to wind back on diesel across the board in both Europe and China. One of the byproducts is the rise of China's electric bus industry. Some European cities have banned diesel buses from their centres for years. Paris, Madrid, Athens and Mexico City will be eventually banning all diesel vehicles from their city centres. UK is introducing a diesel car scrappage scheme. It won't be too long before major manufacturers like VW wind back on making them because demand will evaporate in their major markets (and VW has "that" other reason for getting out if it too!). We live in a bit of a fools paradise in Australia not seeing this coming. Even if there is not official action here, the supply of products will eventually dry up.

The old PR refuge of claiming the latest high Euro standards e.g. "Euro 6" won't hold water either as these make little contribution to improving things anyway. Tests done in UK also show that vehicles don't remain at these standards for very long as they age. I saw a long term report on a bunch of popular cars, in which I recall Jeep was the worst performer, deteriorating from Euro 5 to Euro 1 standard after only a couple of years. I wonder how many buses suffer this too?

[simonl]

Not to mention that the finest particles are the worst and also not removed very effectively by complying with even the toughest standards. That's what you call regulatory capture.

Will that just result in the heavier parts of the oil being refined into heavy fuel oils for ships where I would assume that the same particulate emissions apply, just further away from population centres?

[tonyp]

Funnily enough I'm just sitting here reading the West Australian over breakfast and there's news that 5,000 litres of diesel has leaked from a tank into the drainage system from East Perth bus depot. Ouch.

Anyway, on topic, no diesel trams in Newcastle thanks!

[mandonov]

So the new trams being CAF Urbos 3's, this is probably the solution that will be used for wire free operation:
http://www.caf.net/en/ecocaf/nuevas-sol ... entech.php

As the video shows, the battery/capacitor can be charged either by catenary at the stops or a shoe lowered onto a third rail at the stops.

[tonyp]

So the new trams being CAF Urbos 3's, this is probably the solution that will be used for wire free operation:
http://www.caf.net/en/ecocaf/nuevas-sol ... entech.php

As the video shows, the battery/capacitor can be charged either by catenary at the stops or a shoe lowered onto a third rail at the stops.

Battery/capactor technology has advanced to the stage where a tram can be run that distance from terminus to terminus without need for flash recharges at stops in between. So we shouldn't expect to see rechargers at stops unless TfNSW has been conned. The other issue with rechargers at stops is that they extend the stop dwell and thus compromise operation. They also restrict turnaround at termini and can affect time-recovery of a late-running vehicle. The best systems are those that only require charging overnight (only possible with buses so far), or charging on the move via sections of overhead wire (used in both buses and trams). Downtime is so far the greatest problem with autonomous electric vehicles.

[Tonymercury]

So, will they need to carry a very long extension lead 'just in case'?

[tonyp]

So, will they need to carry a very long extension lead 'just in case'?

Not for that distance. However, purchase of a recovery vehicle would be a useful asset no doubt.

[moa999]

The shoes look like a neat solution.

Presumably designed with some sort of ability to plug in a standalone battery/capacitor in the event of failure to get it home

[tonyp]

Skoda battery/capacitor tram running on a 2 km wire-free section in Konya, Turkey with no flash recharge at intermediate stops, the same distance as the Newcastle line:



This is the current state of the technology for trams. It's the same basic design platform as the CAF but, unlike TfNSW's trams, has a proper number of doors. It also has a full complement and proper arrangement of seats over the power bogies:



In NSW we get to subsidise a Spanish manufacturer's still-evolving ascent of a technological learning curve.

It's also worth pointing out that the wire-free section of CSELR is only 1.5 km but uses an outdated technology countless times more expensive than this.

[Fleet Lists]

With now just over a month until Keolis Downer take over the Newcastle Buses and Ferries, is there any idea under what name they will be operating? They dont seem to use the the Keolis name in any of their operations. I suppose they could keep using the name Newcastle Buses and Ferries as the Sydney Ferries operating name has been retained but that name may no longer be fully appropriate oce the Light Rail is included.

[burrumbus]

Evening Lourie.
The company holding the contract and accreditation is Keolis Downer Hunter Pty.Ltd.
Bus and ferry accreditations were obtained in early April.
So far no indication of a trading name.Wait for the massive hoopla announcement on that one !!!

[mandonov]

I thought it was Newcastle Transport?

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/newsro ... -transport

[Fleet Lists]

I think you are right.

[Tonymercury]

Meanwhile in Detroit -

Extract from a US group page.


'An e-mail from Tom Morrow says there were problems with the DETROIT
Woodward Avenue start-up of the Q Line (M-1 Rail) modern streetcar line
in Michigan's largest city. A correspondent explains what has gone wrong:


While the stories coming out of Detroit are overwhelmingly positive, the
QLine has a very serious shortcoming, which is alluded to but not
described in this article.

It takes 20+ minutes to charge a car at the north end of the line. I
know -- I waited.


The net effect is that the cars bunch in the station just to the south
of the pocket charging track (Grand Blvd) and the next one two blocks
down (Baltimore Ave). No crossover; each car must serially wait for
the car in front of it (or two cars in front of it) to charge before
service can continue. Meanwhile, the 53 Woodward buses are running on an
8-10 minute headway on weekdays. The bottom line is that the streetcar
is definitely not rapid transit.'


One hopes that CAF can do better in Newcastle.

[Daniel]

Going from the new driver's uniforms that have been issued - light green Keolis Downer logo with white text and the Newcastle Transport logo which is basically a colourful stylised N in the hop theme.

[kypros1992]

Newcastle Buses website to close as expected on July 1. Website will be newcastletransport.info and FB page is NewcastleTransport.info

[Fleet Lists]

What is your source?

http://www.newcastlebuses.info/news/cha ... buses.info states
"From Saturday 1 July, State Transit's Newcastle Buses and Ferries services will be operated by Newcastle Transport. This website will not operate from this date. All timetables and service information will be available from transportnsw.info "
I would not expect there to be separate Newcastle Transport Info.

[mandonov]

I would expect it to exist as the customer facing portal for the organisation itself.

[Fleet Lists]

Yes that would be newcastletransport.info but what is the reference to :"FB page is NewcastleTransport.info"

[Fleet Lists]

From today's Telegraph

[Daniel]

This would explain the 3 BCI buses that have now turned up at Hamilton depot. Two full size and one midi.

[Tonymercury]

And its something that Newcastle bus crews did for a long time on their own accord.

I remember being on an outbound 233 many years ago where one passenger was picked up midway between stops and another rang the bell and the operator said "You're at the next streetlight aren't you?' and pulled up at the house.

[Tonymercury]

Last December -

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/43539 ... g-a-pizza/

[Glen]

And its something that Newcastle bus crews did for a long time on their own accord.

I remember being on an outbound 233 many years ago where one passenger was picked up midway between stops and another rang the bell and the operator said "You're at the next streetlight aren't you?' and pulled up at the house.

I think what they are proposing is a bit more extensive than that, i.e. operating to no fixed route.

[tonyp]

I think what they are proposing is a bit more extensive than that, i.e. operating to no fixed route.

What parameters are there on this concept, like how far are buses allowed to go to pick or drop somebody before they cross over into taxi territory? An Opal fare is certainly cheaper than a taxi fare.