E-Class trams on Route 11 & new passenger info displays - all part of improving Melbourne’s tram network
Monday 22 June 2015
Above: An E-Class tram on Route 11
Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan today announced that E-Class trams have begun operating on Route 11, and new passenger information displays are being installed on 130 B-Class trams.
Route 11 tram passengers will now benefit from the 33-metre trams which carry 210 passengers when full, and also boast dynamic customer information, improved safety features and dedicated spaces for passengers with mobility aids or prams.
E-Class trams will be introduced to Route 11 at a rate of approximately one per month until 2017.
Yarra Trams is building new platforms on Collins street on behalf of Public Transport Victoria while trams continue to operate. Passengers will still be able to use existing tram stops on Collins Street, with the exception of the westbound stop at William Street.
When the new stop is opened at the end of June, all stops on Collins Street will be platform stops, creating a safer environment for all passengers to wait for, board and alight from trams. Non-accessible stops at the intersections of King and Queen streets will close.
Passengers will see new frequency timetables on Routes 3, 3a, 48, 64, 67, 78, 86 and 96, which reflect the turn up and go nature of trams during peak times.
At the same time, more than a quarter of Melbourne's trams are set to receive automated passenger information systems, thanks to an $8.4 million program to help customers find their way on Melbourne's tram network.
Yarra Trams is starting a trial on behalf of Public Transport Victoria to test how the visual and audio systems will operate in live conditions on-board B-Class trams.
Customer satisfaction with trams is at a record 75.9 per cent based on survey results for the March 2015 quarter, with passenger information being a contributing factor to the overall score.
The system aims to make the tram network more accessible to passengers with vision or hearing impairments.
It also has benefits for people making trips where they are unfamiliar with the route, including interstate or international visitors, reassuring them that they are on the right track. Other recent improvements to real-time information include the installation of 50 tramTRACKER mini screens and 40 remote public address units across the tram network.
Three trams from the Camberwell Depot, operating on Routes 70 and 75, will begin using the system from late June.