How do trams solve the problem of getting too close to each other due to road jams? [closed]

Imagine a bad road situation where all trams on the same route are stuck because of a jam ahead of them. When it clears up, if they go at their usual speed, they will all stay together until the end of the day. That is not desirable for commuters, as it would mean all trams will arrive at each station over the course of a few minutes, and with a huge delay for every stop. But somehow that doesn't actually happen. How do trams drivers solve this problem?

I understand that buses have more freedom on the road as they're able to pass each other and possibly catch up to their initial schedule, but trams are all on the same rail and can't do that. One possible solution would be to simply let each tram wait until their route schedule repeats (up to an hour or so), but that would still cause a very long delay.

public-transport

Best Answer

Lived in Melbourne, Australia for a year, lots of trams there.

You'll frequently hear the driver announce 'we're just holding here for a bit for spacing' or 'to meet our schedule'. So it's entirely possible for them to pause and widen the gaps, and so on.

For example, the 109 ends in Port Melbourne at a 'dead end' (ie no turnaround). At that point they can queue up, sure, and then one can just take the other's position and scoot off down the track, and the rest can adjust accordingly. Worst case they can skip a slot if it makes more sense to fix the schedule faster.

But when one breaks down and you're in tram number six or seven in the line, sometimes you do wish for buses, who can just drive around the 'dead' one ;)

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What are the benefits of a tram?

Trams reduce congestion in city centres by providing people with a quick, reliable, high-quality alternative to the car. They can reduce road traffic by up to 14%. Trams can help us tackle climate change. Travelling by car produces over three times as much CO2 as travelling by tram, according to Defra.

What is the purpose of a tram?

Trams have been used for two main purposes: for carrying passengers and for carrying cargo. There are several types of passenger tram: Articulated. Cargo trams.

Are trams better than trains?

Also known as streetcars or light rail (there's debate around the nomenclature, naturally), trams offer riders speed and reliability, are cheaper (though not cheap) and easier to install than rail, and offer side benefits like no emissions and can help underpin neighborhood regeneration projects \u2014 though the latter's ...

Are trams cheaper than buses?

As per above the cost per passenger mile of a tram is around half that of a bus.

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