Saturday, April 20, 2019
The Trams Are Running!!!
Today is an important one for Canberra - the first section of the light rail system was officially opened for passengers. I have been watching the work on the section near my apartment for 2 years, easy enough because the track is visible from my bedroom window. The trams have been running on the track for a couple of months, testing everything and passing all of the government transport requirements, but today they started actual passenger service. The route is from Gungahlin town centre to the Canberra CBD. The nearest stop to my home is just 140 metres away, so I guess that the Oldies will not be using the car so much now when they go shopping.The first 3 photos are of the first 3 trams to leave Gungahlin. I waved one of them away, and the driver waved back. We were there early and there were only a few people waiting for the free rides that are happening for the next month. An hour after these photos were taken the crowd was enormous. The last 3 photos show trams at "my" station; that's our apartment block with the green panel. I intend to be down at that station watching trams often, and riding them into the terminals of course. As expected, there were a few near-misses between trams, cars and pedestrians during the test phase. How can anybody not see a large, red thing that can only move along its track and not get out of its way?? Sometimes people amaze me.
Why the long time since the last posting? Well, we have been planning the next adventure. Hints? It's to my favourite place on my favourite sorts of transport. It is months away yet but I am getting excited.
