Red Line Trams Get Extensions

RadarControl

I was travelling on the Luas this evening between Connolly and Heuston and I noticed that the tram has been extended by 10metres. The middle section has had two 5m sections placed on either side of it. At least every 2 or 3rd tram was extended to 40m. Good news for the crush in the morning and evening.

MarkoP11

There are only 2 currently in service, 3 exist with the extensions, 23 more to do

Remember not so long ago the RPA refused point blank to even consider the 10m extensions for the Tallaght line fleet, they called it nonsense in 2004 and even as recently as 2006 only weeks before signing the order maintained that it was nonsense.

So this is for Ger Hannon in the RPA it wasn't nonsense it was common sense. We where right, we are on record, you are on record http://www.platform11.org/media/press_release.php?year=2004&no=pr_028.html

It's not nonsense now, the Tallaght line despite running with shorter trams at a lower frequency that the Sandyford line still manages to carry more people, funny that isn't it we saw it coming before the first passenger even boarded a tram

Slice

Are you sure they haven't just stolen a few mid-sections from the Green line? The number of times I've boarded a shorter tram on the green line seems to be increasing

MarkoP11

The mid sections didn't have the yellow band on them just after they where added in Red Cow so they aren't lifted from elsewhere

There is contract for 26 extensions signed in March 2006.

The baby tram on the Green line will also be extended in due course, each Green line tram makes 2.4 trips per hour so you get to see it a lot at peak times

Red Alert

The baby tram is out and about a good bit on the green line.

Now imagine the efficiencies there could be if the two tram networks were linked, and the maintaince facility in Sandyford could be wound down.

Ste.phen

Red Alert wrote:

The baby tram is out and about a good bit on the green line.

Now imagine the efficiencies there could be if the two tram networks were linked, and the maintaince facility in Sandyford could be wound down.

Until something goes wrong at Red Cow and the entire network is out of commission

dowlingm

with the additional trams ordered (and the line extensions) it would probably be shortsighted to close either depot. They need to fix the ones they have though.

Prof_V

Red Cow will presumably have to handle the Lucan line, as well as the expanded Red Line, so it's very doubtful it would have room to take over the Green Line. There's also the fact that the future layout in the city centre will have the Green and Red Lines crossing rather than inter-running, which would put Red Cow well out of the Green Line's way. I suppose there might be potential to consolidate some of the specialist maintenance, though.

I believe that beyond a certain distance from a depot (I recall 20km from somewhere, but that could be wrong) it's more economical to provide a secondary facility. Even before the Luas lines were split, there were going to be basic stabling facilities at Sandyford because it would be so far from Red Cow, and I think there might also have been some form of depot planned for the Ballymun area had Luas gone there.

If Metro ever gets extended onto the Green Line, there'll obviously again be a need for some kind of facility at Sandyford, since the Cloghran depot would be fairly far away, particularly if Metro services went all the way to the Bray area.

Victor

http://www.rpa.ie/cms/download.asp?id=202