Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Waterfront tram future mooted

The future of Auckland’s waterfront trams will be considered during a suspension of service while upgrades are made around Wynyard Quarter.
Waterfront Auckland will also ponder the feasibility of extending the rail loop from Wynyard Quarter to Britomart while major works are done along Halsey St and Daldy St.
Upgrade work began earlier this month and is expected to take about nine months. The tram service will be suspended from Easter.
Waterfront Auckland general manager of strategy Stephen Rainbow said during the tram’s hiatus research would be done into the organisation’s long-term vision to connect the two areas.
“We’ll be looking at that link and ensuring it is part of the public transport system.”
The existing trams could be used for the service or possibly light-rail rolling stock, he said.
The width of the rails was a deliberate decision to allow the possibility of light-rail transport to use the track, he said.
Waterfront Auckland had three possible routes for the Wynyard Quarter to Britomart rail link which were a new bridge over the Wynyard crossing, along Fanshawe St and along the viaduct. 
The link could not be seen as an isolated project because it needed to fit into the larger debate over the development of Quay St, he said.
The two historic trams began the service around Jellicoe, Halsey, Gaunt and Daldy streets in 2011 on a 15-minute circuit.
Both arrived from Australia after being restored at the Bendigo Tramway Museum in Victoria.
3 News

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