Tram-Trains

[Purple Orange]

Apologies if there is already a thread for this somewhere, but I was wondering how far along is testing for tram-trains, what are the obstacles and are they insurmountable?

(PS by insurmountable, I mean that there is either no feasible solution or that there may be a feasible solution, but the appetite for doing anything about it is not there).

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Apologies if there is already a thread for this somewhere, but I was wondering how far along is testing for tram-trains, what are the obstacles and are they insurmountable?

(PS by insurmountable, I mean that there is either no feasible solution or that there may be a feasible solution, but the appetite for doing anything about it is not there).

They're running between Sheffield and Rotherham.

Nice little project, actually. Wheel profile was a bit of an issue since the track on the Sheffield tram section varied from normal NR rail profile, but development work was able to find a compromise wheel profile that would run acceptably on both the Sheffield tram network and the NR route to Rotherham.

The section from Meadowhall to Rotherham was electrified to basically 25kV standards, although the OLE supply is still 750V DC, to enable ease of conversion should electrification around Sheffield ever happen...

 

[Harpers Tate]

....and the vehicles are dual-voltage (although use on 25kVAC has not been tested "in anger").

 

[Purple Orange]

Thanks both. Therefore is it realistic that we could see this approved in n the next couple of years, allowing it to be translated over to Metrolink?

Or are we in for a class 769 bi-mode scenario?

 

[Harpers Tate]

In this context, in the UK we are somewhat behind certain other parts of the world (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tram-train), where tram-trains have been in use for some time. In that context, my guess is that "approved" is simply a matter of someone considering the cost-effectiveness - rather than anything in the practical sense. There is of course a short term investment cost which would need funding.

 

[edwin_m]

The Cardiff Valleys Metro project includes providing tram-trains. Although they are only planned to run on a few hundred metres of tramway track in the Bay, there are ideas about extending this more widely discussed elsewhere.

TfGM also has ideas, such as the ones being discussed on the Marple Rose Hill thread. This would use a high floor vehicle to a very similar specification to that for Cardiff. This is probably more a question of making a business case and finding the funding than any fundamental technical problem with the concept.