Comments on: Similar but different – Melbourne’s Z and A class trams

By: Jordan

Jordan — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 09:15:43 +0000

I do understand people and governments want a transport system which is accessible to all but a lot of money is spent installing ramps, lifts, raised platforms, tactile floors etc. for a very small portion of the population when the vast majority of paying customers miss out on other benefits such as increased services because the funds are spent elsewhere on maintenance and construction. A balance should be struck The other side of the coin would be that people in new areas miss out on accessible services all together because the funding is sent elsewhere.

By: GURVINDER SINGH GANDU

GURVINDER SINGH GANDU — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 02:01:23 +0000

I call the Z class baby A class trams

By: Marcus Wong

Marcus Wong — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:53:10 +0000

In reply to Andrew. I suspect the difference in door utilisation is thanks to the Z3 class having a handrail in the middle of the doorway, forcing passengers to go side by side, while the A1/A2 class trams lack it they just wander anywhere.

By: Marcus Wong

Marcus Wong — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:49:55 +0000

In reply to Tramologist. Where would the space for the extra seats come from - replacing the conductor/standing area with more seats?

By: Marcus Wong

Marcus Wong — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:49:12 +0000

In reply to David. We might have got Z4 and Z5 class, but the existence of B1 and B2 classes suggests an articulated version of the Z class would be a new class still.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 22:49:44 +0000

Very interesting. I remember Crabb making the announcement and how much smoother these trams would be with their computer controlled acceleration and braking. I don’t think they are any smoother than a Z3 but people had experience the roughness of the Z1s. The wide doors on A Class are wider than a single door but not quite wide enough to allow two people to on the steps at the same time. People hang back from getting on and off side by side.

By: Tramologist

Tramologist — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 22:33:32 +0000

It would have been nice to have a variant of Z class with a seating capacity of 66, 8 fewer than the factory layout of B class but 16 more than the Apollo seating modification.

By: David

David — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 21:22:32 +0000

I wonder, if the A1’s had kept the same nose and been classed Z4, would we then have had the Z5 class, and then ZZ1 and ZZ2 for the articulated units?