Capacity difference between buses and trams?

[Myrtone]

A capacity difference between buses and trams is often mentioned. Nowadays trams are generally longer than buses but buses are apparently not licensed to carry as many passengers as even trams of equivalent size can carry.

[boronia]

Bus capacity is regulated by axle loading regulations. The (theoretical) weight of passengers is taken into consideration along with chassis, body, seating weight.

In a tram or train, axle loading is constrained by the track specification.

[Fleet Lists]

Off topic item deleted.

[Myrtone]

I know track specification constrains rail vehicle axle load, but why is the acceptable axle load greater for a tram than a bus of equivalent size. Do trams really have more capacity for a given floor area than do buses?

[eddy]

I know track specification constrains rail vehicle axle load, but why is the acceptable axle load greater for a tram than a bus of equivalent size. Do trams really have more capacity for a given floor area than do buses?

Steel rail usually has a higher axle loading than a bus axle but this can easily be overcome by whacking an extra axle under the bus and because of overhead wires a DD bus can carry more than a single deck tram of the same length like my trailerbus.

[boronia]

I know track specification constrains rail vehicle axle load, but why is the acceptable axle load greater for a tram than a bus of equivalent size. Do trams really have more capacity for a given floor area than do buses?

The weight of a bus impacts directly on the road surface under the tyres; this is what causes road damage. . On a rail vehicle, the weight is distributed through the tracks and sleepers.

You can do the maths to compare cpacity vs floor area.

[Myrtone]

Is there really a difference between the impact of rubber on bitumen and the impact of steel wheels on steel rails?

[Merc1107]

It would be worth comparing how often a road requires resurfacing for a given volume of freight relative to rail carrying the same. I'd expect that the higher the volume, the more competitive rail becomes (as disruptions, lost productivity due to road resurfacing or poor roads would be a negative externality).

[Linto63]

Is there really a difference between the impact of rubber on bitumen and the impact of steel wheels on steel rails?

Evidently, hence why buses are limited to 3 tonnes of weight per wheel, while laden railway wagons can be in excess of 15. Light rail is of course built to a lesser standard than heavy rail as it doesn't have to withstand as heavy or fast traffic, but the principal stands.