G class order and internal view

[Mal Rowe]

The attached cut away view is from a PTV brochure and shows the general
internal layout of the G class trams for Melbourne.

I have had it confirmed that the delivery date for the first few G class
cars will be around the end of the year when they will start testing
from Maidstone.

I have also had confirmation that there are options in the contract for
three extensions of 60 more cars each - giving the potential total of
180 more G class trams.

Those extensions will provide an option to go for the 5 section version
and other improvements identified once the first group enter service.

See: https://tinyurl.com/mwsxs7n8 for the 5 section general arrangement

Mal Rowe - looking forward to a ride.

[TP]

Thank you Mal. Always good to see a bit of technical information coming through.

Would be interested to know if the aisle is wider through the truck on the centre module. That's the primary reason for compromising on fixed trucks, so will be interesting to see if Altsom has followed through on that.

Tony P

[Mal Rowe]

On 22/04/2025 15:54, 'TP' via TramsDownUnder wrote:
> Thank you Mal. Always good to see a bit of technical information
> coming through.
>
> Would be interested to know if the aisle is wider through the truck on
> the centre module. That's the primary reason for compromising on fixed
> trucks, so will be interesting to see if Altsom has followed through
> on that.
>

Yes, that is the case.

In the attached interior shot of the mock up you can see the wider aisle
through the centre section in the foreground and the narrow aisle above
the rotating trucks in the distance.

Mal Rowe who is in the photo because only half the tram was built and so
half the picture is a reflection in a mirror.

[timmy1041]

Mal,

       With Maidstone Depot pretty much complete and ready for action and the first G Class still at least 6 -7 months away for testing only, not service straight away,and with the 57 & 82 still to be mostly Z for the next 12 -18 months is there any info on when these routes will be moved from Essendon as obviously 

they will not wait until there is enough G's for the full service.

                         Regards Tim

[Mal Rowe]

On 22/04/2025 23:44, timmy1041 wrote:
> Mal,
>        With Maidstone Depot pretty much complete and ready for action
> and the first G Class still at least 6 -7 months away for testing
> only, not service straight away,and with the 57 & 82 still to be
> mostly Z for the next 12 -18 months is there any info on when these
> routes will be moved from Essendon as obviously
> they will not wait until there is enough G's for the full service.
>

I don't know Tim, but would be surprised if Maidstone becomes fully
operational before it is needed - staff cost money.

Mal

[Matthew Geier]

The hiring and training of said staff will take months too. If the the
first G is due in say 6 months, they have to start the hiring process
for the new depot now. Some may transfer in from other depots and not
need so much training, many others may need to spend a week or two down
at Dandenong being trained in G class maintenance processes by Alstom
even before the first car is transferred to Maidstone.

[timmy1041]

I get that Mal but i would have thought that it wuld cost more if not the same to have it just sitting there and contributing nothing to the tram system and be a draw card for the fine vandals/graffiti element of that part of melbourne.Even if it only stores and runs the Z's on the 57/82 for now with minimal maintenence for now,at least there will be people constantly on site,exactly like the change from E/Preston to New Prestoon, send qall the Essendon Z's to the new depot along with enough drivers to fill the tables for that week and have the rivers shared between both depots so they can still do  58 & 59 as the original idea was,with any Z3 tables for the 58/59 in the short term run from Maidstone.

[timmy1041]

Matthew,there is already drivers and trams at Essendon just waiting to be transferred,and as the 57 & 82 are exclusively Z3 the ervice runs can start immediately
with the mechanics & maintenence guys/gals can go and spend time at Dandy with the drivers doing training once the trams get to the depot just like it has always been done,with staff and rolligstock being shared with Essendon from day one.

[Andrew Highriser]

Not normally one to defend Yarra Trams, it has been quite good and getting staff trained and ready for new operations, which won't actually be a service increase, rather a different depot for existing services. I suppose some new depot staff will be needed, but depending on run out and run in times to begin and wrap up services, there wouldn't be a need for new drivers, or minimal at least. Retraining of existing maintenance staff from Z to G will happen. Most staff will be transferred, and a new depot without  more difficulty to travel to and from for staff, along with adequate parking should see plenty of drivers and maintenance staff happy to transfer. 

However, the new depot is all about space for larger trams and potentially increasing services. Until the G class trams enter service, there is little point in using the new depot, which will no doubt be well secured, with lots of cctv and probably patrolled at night by guards, as existing depots are.

Andrew.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TramsDownUnder" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tramsdownunde...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tramsdownunder/cd475e55-b0bd-42fd-8276-4768a4d59e25%40sleeper.apana.org.au.

[brian_weedon]

There is a video of a G class tram on the test track at Alstom. See

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYyWS1Mh9dY

Brian Weedon

[Mick Duncan]

Gday  All

When Maidstone opens, will Essendon close?

Cheers,   Mick

On 27/05/2025 3:18 pm, 'brian_weedon' via TramsDownUnder wrote:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYyWS1Mh9dY

[Steven Altham]

No Essendon will not close Mick 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TramsDownUnder" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tramsdownunde...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tramsdownunder/d3ec0cd3-99da-4962-b90c-0c4549fa87d7%40bigpond.net.au.

[TP]

I have naturally been following the progress of the G class' close design relative, the Škoda 52T in Prague, which is just now carrying its first public passengers during the homologation process. I'm wondering why Alstom's progress has been so slow? Both companies have equally had to design the tram, which, in each case is a bespoke variant of an existing model. The Melbourne contract was signed in April 2022, with production due to start in later 2023 (did it?). From Mal's comments above, the first tram is due to appear at the end of this year.

In Prague, the contract was awarded in November 2023, more than a year and a half later. Production started in June 2024, about six months later, and the first couple of trams arrived in Prague in April and May 2025, starting homologation trials soon after. The first tram has reached the stage where it can carry revenue service passengers. Meanwhile we still wait for the G class. Is this some special treatment for Australia?  I recall that the CAF trams for Sydney took ages to arrive too.

Tony P

[Mark Skinner]

Here's a quick snap of the 52T I got a couple of weeks ago outside the Masaryk Station in Prague. 

The Prague transport undertaking has advertised for fans that it's running seven trips per day from Barrandov to Lehovec with these vehicles. 

Mark Skinner

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tramsdownunder/8457684f-f0a8-4fcc-93e7-7c19597a6ffcn%40googlegroups.com.

[Mal Rowe]

On 20/06/2025 21:41, 'TP' via TramsDownUnder wrote:
> In Prague, the contract was awarded in November 2023, more than a year
> and a half later. Production started in June 2024, about six months
> later, and the first couple of trams arrived in Prague in April and
> May 2025, starting homologation trials soon after. The first tram has
> reached the stage where it can carry revenue service passengers.
> Meanwhile we still wait for the G class. Is this some special
> treatment for Australia?  I recall that the CAF trams for Sydney took
> ages to arrive too.
>

Hi Tony,

The simple answer is that I don't know, but what I do know is that after
the contract was awarded in Victoria there was an extensive design
review program involving hundreds of people (including me) visiting the
mock-up and giving feedback.  Others included people with various access
issues including a friend who uses crutches.

I don't know what changes were made after that process - there is no
obvious changes in recent renders of the tram appearance.

After the issues with buying 'off the shelf' C and D class trams
Victoria is rightly careful.

Mal Rowe - looking forward to a ride and hoping that I find the G as
good as the B has been

[TP]

It sounds like the design review took unnecessarily long. They have those in Europe too. Public feedback explains why hard wooden or plastic seats are popular there - people associate fabric with dirt. They'd rather a hard seat than not knowing what nasty things are breeding in the fabric beneath you!

How are there so many of the public mad keen to ride a mere new tram? Look at the crowd boarding near the end of this video. The enthusiasts among them stand out like a sore thumb, as they do here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPG2TDrnr88

Good to see that they're keeping the driver's bar fridge going, an innovation in the 15T.

The first two out on the run. The sound of those motors should become familiar on Melbourne streets no doubt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kSZIUIYtvQ

On the Barrandov line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kSZIUIYtvQ

Tony P

(who senses that Prague and Melbourne have closed in to a very similar design solution for a legacy system)