https://www.facebook.com/CommunityAllianceAssociationInc/posts/170399384346880
The communities of Labrador, Biggera Waters and Southport have had some redress of their concerns of greatly increased density in their areas with Council suddenly finding that such an increase wasn’t necessary after all. However the devil is always in the detail, as concerns about rates increases and inadequate infrastructure emerge. Rates rises were probably inevitable for such areas near the beautiful Broadwater, but ensuring adequate infrastructure ahead of increased density is definitely a Council responsibility. The exorbitantly expensive light rail is not the answer here - or anywhere else in the city - when there are less expensive and less disruptive alternatives available. Brisbane has shown the way with the articulated electric buses that take 150 passengers... Perhaps our new Council could investigate the trackless tram that does the same job as a light rail, but doesn't need roads dug up for the tracks or overhead wires, can take 300-500 passengers, and can be installed in about one week, thereby avoiding disruption to businesses. PLUS, it costs about ¼ of the light rail! We recommend that the new Council contacts Professor Peter Newman, the WA public transport guru, currently researching trackless options.
Trackless Tram vs Tram
Trackless trams are an interesting public transport mode, definitely worth considering for the future public transport in Gold Coast.
Some of the pros/cons of trackless trams versus traditional trams (light rail):
1. Maturity of technology / buying choices: the trackless tram (low floor, articulated, guided: to some extent self-driving using dashed lines painted on the road, electric, bus) is a very new technology. Worldwide, there are tens of manufacturers of regular trams, but there is only one company that makes trackless trams: the Chinese state owned CRRC. A Belgian manufacturer Van Hool makes articulated buses that look like trams (trambuses), but they are used like traditional buses, some on BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) lines. The CRRC tested their trackless trams, which they call ART (Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit) in their home city of Zhuzhou with passengers since May 2018. There is one commercial line, in Yibin, China opened on 5 Dec 2019. A win for the traditional tram.
2. Cost to build/disruptions during construction: the Yibin line is 17.7 km long, and it cost A$231m, which is A$13m per km. The cost in Australia would be probably at least 2 or 3 times higher: A$26-39m. The Brisbane Metro, which will use shorter and simpler electric buses is budgeted for A$45m per km using the existing busways. The costs vary a lot from project to project. If a new bridge is required, it will cost almost the same for light rail or trackless tram. The cost of the Gold Coast light rail stage 2 from Southport to Helensvale was $420m for 7.3 km which is A$58m per km. The cost of the 6.7 km stage 3A from Broadbeach to Burleigh is $709m, which is A$106m per km. Almost twice as much. Same technology, same city, different route. For comparison, a recent tram line extension in Gdansk, Poland had a budgeted cost of A$15m per km, and a new line in Utrecht, The Netherlands cost A$88m per km. The trackless tram, same as the regular tram, cannot be installed in a week: it requires stations, charging infrastructure, signalling, dedicated lanes. Just like the regular tram, it cannot go everywhere because of wide turn radius and maximum incline. The best/cheapest routes are green-field, flat, straight, separated from other traffic. Still, most likely a win for the trackless tram.
3. Cost to operate: assuming the same capacity and one driver, other major operating costs are energy and maintenance. Rolling resistance: the friction of rubber wheels on bitumen is much higher than steel wheels on steel rails, so the energy usage per passenger is higher for trackless trams, assuming same weight of vehicles. For traditional trams there are rails and overhead wires. For trackless trams: charging stations and batteries. The actual costs for trackless trams over 25+ years of use are unknown. For example, how long will the batteries last? Winner: unclear.
4. Flexibility: the ability to drive off the painted tracks is a win for the trackless tram. It does not happen too often, and it can be mitigated by trams using alternative routes/tracks, but trams do get stuck for an hour or more in case of an accident or malfunction.
5. Noise: regular trams are loud when taking sharp turns. This can be mitigated in the design of the vehicle, and prevented at the design stage of the line by not putting in sharp turns, but steel on steel will probably be still louder than rubber on bitumen. The trackless tram wins.
6. City building/permanence: rail based public transport encourages city building and urban renewal. Developers and potential buyers know that the public transport is there and will not disappear the next day. Real estate is more expensive close to train and tram stations. Buses do not have that effect. The trackless tram is less permanent than a regular tram, but still it is much better than a bus. A win for the regular tram.
7. Passenger comfort: the comfort level is similar to regular tram. A tie. Note: both the trackless tram and regular modern tram offer much more comfort than our current diesel buses: quieter, smoother ride, almost no air pollution, low floor at each door for quick and easy access.
8. Maximum speed: 70 km/h - the same as for trams. A tie.
9. Passenger capacity: depends on the length of the vehicle. The 43.5m long, 5 section Gold Coast trams have room for 80 seating and 220 standing, 300 total. The 31.6m long, 3 section trackless tram has room for 307 passengers. The length of sections affects the turn radius: shorter sections allow tighter turns. The interior layout of the trackless tram is practically the same as the regular tram, so a tie.
Note: our 147m long heavy rail NGR trains have max speed of 140 km/h and passenger capacity of 454 seating plus about 510 standing, total 964. Light rail stops are typically less than 1 km apart, heavy rail stations are typically 3 km apart or more. Heavy rail and light rail are complementary modes of transport. Heavy rail is a higher capacity, higher speed mode.
10. Charging: it takes 10 minutes to charge the trackless tram for a 25 km journey or 30 seconds for 3 km. Traditional trams do not need these stops. A win for trams.
11. Environment: both run on electricity, so no emissions from burning fossil fuels at the point of use, but trackless trams have multiple large batteries on the roof, and particulate matter emissions from the wear of rubber wheels on bitumen are probably more harmful than steel wheels on steel. Also, trams can run on grass. See links below :-). A win for the regular tram.
...
Sources:
Wikipedia page about the CRRC trackless tram:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_Rail_Rapid_Transit
Cost of the first trackless tram line:
http://www.ecns.cn/cns-wire/2019-12-05/detail-ifzrnvym4352012.shtml
China’s high speed rail with a maximum speed of 350 km/h has a typical infrastructure unit cost of about US$ 17-21m per km, with a high ratio of viaducts and tunnels, as compared with US$25-39 m per km in Europe and as high as US$ 56m per km currently estimated in California.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/07/10/cost-of-high-speed-rail-in-china-one-third-lower-than-in-other-countries
Gold Coast, Light Rail Stage 2 cost:
http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2016/3/18/gold-coast-light-rail-stage-2-on-track-with-contracted-appointed
Gold Coast, Light Rail Stage 3A cost:
https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Projects/Name/G/Gold-Coast-Light-Rail-Stage-3A
Trambuses made by the Belgian company Van Hool, some models are electric:
http://www.exquicity.be/en/
Utrecht, The Netherlands, new light rail: 8km, A$701m, A$88m per 1 km:
https://www.railway-technology.com/projects/uithof-tram-line-uithoflijn-utrecht/
Gdansk, Poland, light rail extension: 3.6 km, budgeted: total A$54m (offers from $A42m to A$67m), A$15m per km.
https://www.pb.pl/osiem-ofert-na-budowe-nowej-linii-tramwajowej-w-gdansku-728406
Brisbane Metro: A$944m, 21 km, using existing busway infrastructure, electric bi-articulated 24m long buses for 150 total passengers. A$45m per km.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brisbane_Metro
Opening of the test line in Zhuzhou, China in 2018:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2fR6gCewAk
Opening of the line in Yibin, China in 2019:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRobrIlwrr0
NGR passenger capacity data:
https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Projects/Name/N/New-Generation-Rollingstock/About-the-NGR-trains
Tram manufacturer Siemens monitored the energy consumption of its Combino trams (called the ‘D class’ in Melbourne) in actual operation in the cities of Basle and Potsdam, and obtained average consumption figures of 1.53 and 1.84 kWh per kilometre (5.5 and 6.6MJ per kilometre) respectively.
While trams weigh more than buses, their steel-on-steel traction is more efficient than rubber-on-bitumen, and so the two differences tend to cancel.
https://www.ptua.org.au/myths/tram-emissions/
Properties within 250m from the tube station are worth up to 10.5% more in London, the effect disappears 1.5 km away:
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/aug/20/distance-from-station-value-of-house-nationwide-uk
Cracow, Poland: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Bombardier_NGT6_-2027.jpeg
Oslo, Norway:
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xJbGaOd7Kjw/VjbbbTlDh3I/AAAAAAAABsM/Le7rMhVCQrE/s1600/IMG_8001.jpg
Other cities:
https://www.google.com/search?q=tram+on+grass&tbm=isch
