Re: When is a Tram a Tram?

Matthew Geier (matthew@sleeper.apana.org.au)
18 Nov 1997 07:01:11 +1100

Evan <boyle@ruralnet.net.au> writes:

>> So here I am on the Tram, wondering "Why is the a Tram, and not a
>> Train?"
>> "It's on a dedicated rail corridor for most of its length, it travels at
>> (relatively)
>> high speed (Compared to Melbourne trams), it is multiple (2) carriges"

>The Broken Hill Tramway was a railway but named a tramway because of the
>monoploy on railways the government used to have.

There is/was a legal definition as well. The operating rules were quite
different between a tramway and a railway.
There isnt a lot of difference at all now. The Sydney Light Rail reserved
trackage is fully signals, with ATP. The Adelaide Glenelg line is a
suburban railway without signals.
In Adelaide the distinction would be vague with 2 car trains on the tramway
and 1 car trains on the railway !, the only real difference being that
the railway has signals and high level platforms.

-- 
Matthew Geier,                 | Australian Public Access Network Association
matthew@sleeper.apana.org.au   | +61 2 9587 9773  
matthew@law.usyd.edu.au        |   018 977 356