[sustran] Re: Ultra Low Floor Tram v/s BRTS

[Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory]

Hi all,

Trams and light-rail:

Negatives:
* Much higher than BRT implementation cost per vehicle and for 
infrastructure
* Less flexible than BRT (but more flexible than it used to be, as they 
can have onboard energy for short distances, plus much better with 
bicycle feeders/eaters)
* Overhead lines can be unsightly (there are alternatives but they are 
costly)

Positives:
* Lower operating cost than BRT (less energy, fewer drivers). Energy 
from braking can go back into overhead lines (hybrid buses can do 
similar or course)  OR can someone prove otherwise?
* Flexible source of energy (whatever fires up a power plant. Hopefully 
not coal, of course, but I have been told that an  electrical truck in 
London powered by coal still creates less emissions than a newer Diesel 
truck. For example, biogas is much more efficient for transport 
converted into electricity, than it is if carried on a vehicle. Diesel 
and natural gas prices will be going up, up, up...)
* Trams can last 40 years with a mid-life rebuild
* Prettier than buses, and more interesting looking, and "higher class" 
than buses, even the nicest ones
* Rubber-tyred versions available (for steep gradients)
* Can be quieter than buses
* Once implemented, very hard to remove (politically and technically)


- T

Brendan Finn wrote:
> Dear all, 
>
> The original message contains two fairly standard pieces of disinformation from the tram lobby : 
>
> 1) The suggestion that the tram is rather cheap really
> 2) The suggestion that bus can't do the job but tram can
>
> I am no longer surprised either by the brass-neck of the lobby, or that decision-takers and the media continue to fall for it. 
>
> With best wishes, 
>
>
> Brendan.
> _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
> Brendan Finn          e-mail : etts at indigo.ie          tel : +353.87.2530286
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Anupam Gupta" <anupam9gupta at gmail.com>
> To: <sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org>
> Sent: Monday, April 28, 2008 1:33 PM
> Subject: [sustran] Ultra Low Floor Tram v/s BRTS
>
>
>   
>> Hi Everyone - I've just received the mail below on a Metro Mailing Group.
>> Since I'm not an expert in these matters, I thought I'd ask the group here
>> if they had any idea on the merits of a "Hi-Tech Ultra Low Floor Tram" over
>> the BRTS. Thanks very much for your time. 
>>
>>
>>
>> ****Mail starts****
>>
>> Just a reminder to all the readers, the BRT as a concept has already 
>> being implemented in Pune City. It was the first BRT corridor in 
>> India and its sucessfully running in 2 corridors namely Katraj-
>> Swargate and Hadapsar- Swargate, with 6 more corridors being planned 
>> and under design.
>>
>> There were indeed few snags even in Pune, but yet the project went 
>> ahed and currently stands as in "running" condition.
>>
>> On second thgoughts, a Ultra low floor Tram can be implemented 
>> instead of a BRT. in the same BRT corridor, its both cheaper than a 
>> Metro rail and monorail, as well as better blended in road trafic 
>> than normal rail and metro transport. Several cities and towns in 
>> Europe and Asia sucessfully run Hi-Tech Ultra lowfloor Trams.
>>
>> Infact a few of "sucesfull" BRT corridors over a period of time 
>> ultmately have infact moved either to Light Rail Systems or Ultra Low 
>> Floor Trams.
>>
>> The closeness of the low floor tram to the rail track and road 
>> surface as well as the usage of a overhead pentograph instead of a 
>> third rail as in a Metro rail makes is more suitable to blend easily 
>> in city trafic along other modes of road transport.
>>
>> Moreover one Low floor tram can infact take the load of 4 busses in 
>> a single go.
>>
>> My sugesstion is to implement the HiTech Low Floor Trams in all 
>> existing BRT corridors as the concept of BRT as unimpelmentable in 
>> dense traffic locations like in India.
>>
>> ****Mail ends****
>>
>>
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Anupam Gupta
>>
>>
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------- 
>> IMPORTANT NOTE to everyone who gets sustran-discuss messages via YAHOOGROUPS. 
>>
>> Please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. The yahoogroups version is only a mirror and 'members' there cannot post to the real sustran-discuss (even if the yahoogroups site makes it seem like you can). Apologies for the confusing arrangement.
>>
>> ================================================================
>> SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). 
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>     
> -------------------------------------------------------- 
> IMPORTANT NOTE to everyone who gets sustran-discuss messages via YAHOOGROUPS. 
>
> Please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. The yahoogroups version is only a mirror and 'members' there cannot post to the real sustran-discuss (even if the yahoogroups site makes it seem like you can). Apologies for the confusing arrangement.
>
> ================================================================
> SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). 
>
>   


-- 
--------------------------------------------

Todd Edelman
Director
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