It almost looks like the tram has used the turnout, but the tail of the tram has tried to remain on the other track pair, leading it to go straight into the next pole.
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Fortunate no passengers on the tram.
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It tells volumes though that these events are so rare that something like this is newsworthy. Even many heavy rail disruptions arenât in the news unless they are catastrophically bad (eg enough to shut down Central).
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An ABC article had a quote from an eye witness of the incident. Apparently the driver has been hospitalised as well.
Surfers Paradise resident Mark Neveceral said he watched the derailment unfold from his nearby 18th-floor apartment.
He said the tram was crossing to the other side of the tracks at an interchange when it derailed.
âExcept before the end of the tram reached the interchange, the interchange seems to have actually swapped back, and the back of the tram didnât make it onto the other side of the tracks,â he said.
The timing is at least a bit better now that the system is running with a fleet surplus, allowing for set 17 to be repaired if possible while still having enough trams to run services, even for special events.
If not Iâd imagine that replacing the affected module with a new one wouldnât be horribly difficult.
My concern is how long it will take to replace the post.
Sounds like theyâve got services back running between Helensvale and Southport South, which is something at least.
Hope the blues reconsider lol
Still id prefer trsin extend to cooly first tho
Gold Coast LNP MPs should be out there excitedly asking people how much they prefer catching a bus instead of the light rail!
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Sounds like theyâve worked through the night to fix the damage, and trams are in service again. That is a lot quicker than I was expecting!
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In my experience GoldlinQ doesnât mess around when it comes to fixing things and keeping service running smoothly so this doesnât surprise me in the slightest.
They are a world class operator through and through.
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Letâs just say it straight: the cancellation of stage four of the Gold Coast light rail is a slap in the face to our city â and especially to the business community thatâs been backing this project for the better part of a decade ! https://bit.ly/46mI61P
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The Queensland Fire Department Facebook page have posted regarding their work in extracting the power pole from the tram, including photos showing some of the extent of the damage.
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Looks like theyâll have to just replace that section of the tram based on that damage! I wonder if they can order in a replacement for the section between those two vestibules.
What is the flooring material?
Sunrise news clip on Mayor Tom Tateâs opinion piece on the GCLR stage 4 axing.
Note the title should read âoutrageâ not âoutageâ.
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I share the Mayorâs disappointment. Letâs hope they park it and it can be picked up later. Putting a âMetroâ in place will be the kiss of death.
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Most major projects have had 2x cost escalations, so the cost projections and concerns are probably valid.
IMO it will be a delay, not a cancellation forever. This looks a lot like the normal (chaotic) pattern of a Queensland Government delivered major project.
Usually a project has to be reviewed, cancelled, revived, rescoped and renamed before it completes. All of these things add delay and massively escalate the cost.
This was the pattern for Cross River Rail, Sunshine coast line/DSCL/The Wave, Kippa-Ring Line, and the Olympic Stadium and Athletes village.
Light Rail is really the only obvious long term solution in the corridor as the capacity of BRT will max out and you canât fit a Priority A busway in the corridor.
So:
- Not really a cancellation, just a huge delay (years) and a massive cost escalation
- BRT as an interim measure until the Queensland Government enters the review/revive/rename stage of their project cycle.