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Favourite Tram System? [UK]

Whast your favourite UK Tram System?

  • Birmingham (Midland Metro)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Croydon (Tramlink)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    79
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Nick

Member
Joined
8 Jun 2005
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975
Go on, vote in the poll and post, whats yours? Mines Nottingham of course ;)
 
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Tom

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Nottingham has got my vote too. I really like the system there. Better than Croydon Trainlink
 

tramboy

Member
Joined
8 Jun 2005
Messages
367
I feel obliged to vote for NET, as it is currently the best (and i live near it) but that might have something to do with it being the newest, and therefore the most "aux fais" with newer technology.

Sheffield would get another vote, if i had one, as the system there uses the biggest trams in the UK, as well as providing some interesting gradients and many aspects of a new tramway/light rail system (underpass, overpass, viaduct, fast running, street integration etc).

All the others IMO could do with a little improvement to bring them upto par...Birmingham needs more than one line along a disused railway embankment (it needs to get into the city centres), Manchester needs an upgrade fast, as well as new trams cos the Firema ones are falling apart, Croydon could do with better, longer lasting track (although the trams are ok) and Blackpool really is in a league of its own!

Regards

Dave
 

Guinness

Established Member
Joined
13 Jun 2005
Messages
3,736
Well Metrolink gets my vote. I find it a good system considering its the oldest 2nd Generation Tramway in the UK. :)

Hopefully if Labour stick to there promise of Phase 3 we could see new trams. :)

NET would be my second choice though. :)
 

jd

Member
Joined
9 Jun 2005
Messages
675
Psssht. Call the Midland Metro a tram? It only makes the roads for the last 2 stops. It will be good when/if they get on with the expansion plans though.
 

Tom B

Established Member
Joined
27 Jul 2005
Messages
4,602
Sheffield - it and Blackpool are the only ones I've been on and blacpool is in a leage of it's own; I would consider it differently to the modern light rail systems.
 

Jim

Established Member
Joined
11 Jun 2005
Messages
3,398
Location
Wick
I have been on: Croydon, Birmingham & Sheffield. I think Sheffield's is the best as they are decent trams.
 

47205

Member
Joined
1 Jul 2005
Messages
285
metro_4090 said:
T&W Metro? :roll:

The Tyne & Wear Metro is basically a railway line methinks :? . They used to have 101's running along it. :)
 

Guinness

Established Member
Joined
13 Jun 2005
Messages
3,736
The T&W Metro would be classed as a Metro simular to the LU. I don't think it runs on road, so therefore its not a tram! ;)
 

evil_hippo

Member
Joined
9 Jun 2005
Messages
772
Location
Lewisham
Paul_Parkin said:
The Tyne & Wear Metro is basically a railway line methinks :? . They used to have 101's running along it. :)

I disagree. For a start, Callerton-The Airport was never BR, nor were the Felling-Pelaw slow lines; and Kenton Bank Foot- Callerton was on disused trackbed but not tracks, as was Pelaw-South Shields and Sunderland-South Hylton. The Underground sections were completely new.

Metro trains are only obliged to have yellow front end between Pelaw and Sunderland. Signage is totally different, especially speed limits which are in kilometers per hour. Signalling is also dramatically different and rather than computer screens the metro is signalled from a huge board with little lights on it in the control centre at South Gosforth (I've been there :D ).

However, it is true that the track gaugew is the same and the tracks and sleepers are of the same standard, though the trains are slightly narrower.

Had I had the choice, this system would be down as my favourite, however there is a good reason that it isn't: Light or heavy rail, it certainly is not by any stretch of the imagination a tram system.
 

Nick

Member
Joined
8 Jun 2005
Messages
975
Incidently, since T&W runs on NR tracks, do the LRVs have to have AWS/TPWS fitted?
 

Simming

Member
Joined
8 Jun 2005
Messages
1,186
Location
Cornwall
No, the tracks that they run on have both systems of train pretection, BR and T&W Metro (I cant remember the system)
 

andrewmay

Member
Joined
8 Jun 2005
Messages
508
Location
West Midlands
My vote is for the NET as it was certainly the most pleasing for me. As for the Midland Metro it certainly won't get a vote from me nor many other people as I think it's a terrible system. Excessively noisy trams, bad trackwork and so on. It needs alot of investment for it to become a worthwhile system in my opinion. In its defense the areas it runs through certainly don't help with frequent vandalism and sometimes burning cars rolled down the embankments causing hours of delay and thousands of pounds worth of damage.

I once read a report in which a person in a high position working for the Midland Metro described the system as "crap" but then again that was a while ago. The extension should provide the necessary investment needed I hope.

I've been wanting to get that off my chest for a while as I've only told it to my dad and he likes the Metro. Feel free to bombard me with facts that prove that the metro is a good system as my thoughts are just deducted from journeys that I have made on the system.

Cheers,
Andrew
 

tramboy

Member
Joined
8 Jun 2005
Messages
367
Midland Metro, in my opinion, went to entirely the wrong place to start with, and chose one of the most unreliable builders to construct their cars. I've never been impressed that the old railway trackbed of the Metro seems at some points to run through open countryside...never good for patronage, and the reliability of the infrastructure (the overhead...which in parts looks very flimsy) and the trams leaves a lot to be desired. Ansaldo Firema have never impressed me as tram builders, and have left their not so good mark on other systems around the world (although saying that their trams do work in some places.)

The areas it runs through are hardly it's fault, but if it gets out of the "we're stuck with this one line and bad stuff" rut, then it has the potential to be a great system and cover a wide area.

(Sorry...failed to bombard you with facts making it seem a good system! Slightly biased living near NET but there we go!)

Cheers

Dave
 
Joined
11 Jul 2005
Messages
194
Light rail I cant be bothered with, although i once did enjoy a ride on the NETwhere it runs along side the real stuff, the railway
 

Craig

Established Member
Joined
15 Jun 2005
Messages
3,958
Location
Newcastle
evil_hippo said:
I disagree. For a start, Callerton-The Airport was never BR, nor were the Felling-Pelaw slow lines; and Kenton Bank Foot- Callerton was on disused trackbed but not tracks, as was Pelaw-South Shields and Sunderland-South Hylton. The Underground sections were completely new.
AFAIK Sunderland - South Hylton is owned by Network Rail, track gauge trains have run down there a few times.

Simming said:
No, the tracks that they run on have both systems of train pretection, BR and T&W Metro (I cant remember the system)
Pelaw - Sunderland is fitted with TPWS for mainline trains and Indusi train stops for the Metros. The signals also have much longer overlap sections.
 

tramboy

Member
Joined
8 Jun 2005
Messages
367
If anyone wants a vaguely simple to understand explanation of the indusi system (i say vaguely simple because as with most German things the theory is more simple than in practice) have a look at this page here. It might be a bit old but still explains the principles behind it.

Cheers

Dave
 

TomCrame

Member
Joined
6 Jul 2005
Messages
38
tramboy said:
(Sorry...failed to bombard you with facts making it seem a good system! Slightly biased living near NET but there we go!)

Just a little biased then ;)

I personally think that Midland Metro has opened up travel links to Central Birmingham that some areas had lacked for a number of years and were quite deprived without.

West Bromwich, for example was in dire need of a faster route to Birmingham than the 79 bus. Whilst there was the option of train services from Sandwell and Dudley, the station was not close to the centre of town, such that unless you were a fast walker or were prepared to get a bus, it wasn't really a contender. The Metro has alleviated this problem. Wednesbury was another town lacking a rail connection where people were forced to use buses pre-tram.
 
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