[Melbourne] W-class trams

["DL" <D_Lindstrom@Bigpond.com>]

    http://www.theage.com.au/news/2001/03/08/FFXPH16WZJC.html

            Government haggles over tram bill

      By STATHI PAXINOS
      TRANSPORT REPORTER
      Thursday 8 March 2001


      The State Government was locked in negotiations with two private tram
      operators over the size of its contribution to a $2.5 million repair
bill
      to improve the braking systems on Melbourne's 53 W-class trams,
Transport
      Minister Peter Batchelor said yesterday.
      Mr Batchelor, at the launch of Moomba's Trams on Parade, also said it
      could be another 12 months before the last of the fleet was phased
back
      into service.
      In January, Mr Batchelor confirmed that part of the cost of upgrading
the
      trams' brakes would be paid from the public purse. He said yesterday
the
      government was obliged to contribute to repairs because it had
insisted on
      a higher standard braking system than was specified in the initial
      contract the Kennett government signed with National Express, which
runs
      Swanston Trams, and Metrolink, which runs Yarra Trams.
      The W-class trams vanished from service after two accidents within a
week
      in June last year that were caused by poor brakes. Next month, two
City
      Circle trams will be fitted with overhauled standard air brakes and a
      German-manufactured electro-magnetic back-up system.
      If successful, the remaining 51 operational trams would be
progressively
      fitted with the brakes and returned to service on selected routes in
the
      following months.
      Opposition transport spokesman Geoff Leigh said the State Government
was
      not serious about returning the trams to service and Mr Batchelor
would be
      blamed for losing a Melbourne icon.
      Mr Batchelor said the length of time the repairs were taking was not a
      sign of reluctance to bring back the trams. The private operators also
      affirmed their commitment to the trams.
      "People want the W-class trams. They are on routes now that are
important
      for tourist operations and they are a much beloved part of the
Melbourne
      tram network," he said.
      "If you went to San Francisco and asked whether the people there
wanted to
      get rid of their trams they'd think you were crazy and for those
people
      who want to get rid of the W-class trams here in Melbourne I have the
same
      response."
      Fourteen W-class trams not requiring repairs have been decorated for
the
      Moomba parade to represent devotions exhibited in Melbourne society.
      Parade director Liss Gabb, who developed the Tram as Temple concept,
said
      topics such as AFL, rave culture, and religion had been chosen.

--
Regards,
David Lindstrom