Track renewal Place Royale et Régence Brussels, Belgium.

[Richard Youl]

Melbourne residence and tram users should be very grateful that track renewals are completed so fast there.

This email came from a friend in Belgium who advises that it will take one whole year to renew just 2 kilometres of track.  Photo was taken on Friday 14th November, but where are all the workers? I spotted one, possibly the same man captured in 2 photographs.

Such slowness is common throughout much of Europe, and the contractors laying the Gold Coast stage 3  track are no better at all.

Richard

Begin 

Bonjour à tous.

Un peu d'actualité.

Quelques vues des travaux de voie Place Royale et Rue de la Régence.

A la date du vendredi 14 novembre.

 

Christian.

[TP]

Those stone paving sets take a long time to relay - individually down on the knees!

Tony P

[Mal Rowe]

On 20/11/2025 23:07, 'TP' via TramsDownUnder wrote:

Those stone paving sets take a long time to relay - individually down on the knees!

Hmmm,

Here's what Bendigo just achieved, quoting the Bendigo Tramways facebook post:

Now that the trams are back on track, we thought we’d share some interesting facts about the recent tram track renewal works in Pall Mall and High Street.

In just 22 days, contractors were able to:

• Renew 310 metres of single track and 290 metres of double track

• Remove, clean and re-lay 1600 square meters or an estimated 40,000 individual cobbles

• Install over 100 individual welds to join the track

• Lay over 1000 cubic metres of concrete

• Cover a total job site of 800 metres

Perhaps the issue is civil engineering management?

Mal Rowe in a state that sometimes gets it right.

[Richard Youl]

Thanks Mal,

I will send this on to my Belgian friend who is sure to send it on to the STIB. It won’t be the first time he has needled them about what can be achieved in the Antipodes. 

Richard

On 21 Nov 2025, at 6:54 am, Mal Rowe <mal....@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Geoff Olsen]

I find this conversation fascinating. One so often hears that something that is done in Europe wouldn’t work here. This appears to be the opposite of the norm as it works here but not in Europe. Perhaps we mere colonials can teach the old world something,

Geoff O.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tramsdownunder/4423E3F1-8FBB-4DED-AD66-3067C1AF6B55%40icloud.com.

[Robert Taaffe]

Maybe you should rephrase that Geoff to “in this case we mere Melbourne colonials can teach….”. Full marks to Melbourne tram staff for being world leaders. Maybe if the builders and transport authorities in Sydney were no so pig headed the cost of tramway per way could significantly reduce and be built and renewed faster an no doubt a lot cheaper.

Bob T

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tramsdownunder/001f01dc5a6a%24d8522e90%2488f68bb0%24%40bigpond.net.au.

[Mal Rowe]

On 21/11/2025 09:13, 'Geoff Olsen' via TramsDownUnder wrote:

I find this conversation fascinating. One so often hears that something that is done in Europe wouldn’t work here. This appears to be the opposite of the norm as it works here but not in Europe. Perhaps we mere colonials can teach the old world something,

The contractor for Bendigo was Acciona Rail - Europeans.  They have taken over local firm Coleman Rail.

Acciona are also doing the Union Rd Epsom Rd project in Melbourne.

I attach another pic of the Melbourne work showing reels of shiny new trolley wire on Yarra's new trolley wire truck and about to be installed.

Mal Rowe - wondering if Melbourne know how will be transferred to Europe.

[Geoff Olsen]

Mr. Taafe sir I stand corrected. I wonder if Sydney could claim the most expensive and over engineered tramway in the world which could explain the lengthy construction time.

Geoff O.