Electric trams and trains have been around for more than 100 years. Non electric even longer. They have been proved reliable over many years.
So what is happening around the world with trams (light rail vehicles) and trains?
CAF is a Spanish train and tram manufacturer but its tram product seems to unfit for purpose with frame cracking leading to the trams being pulled from service in various cities.
Sydney: Inner West Light Rail, aka L1 and Dulwich Hill tram. Service suspended and replaced by buses for up to 18 months. The trams have been in service for only 8 years. Life expectancy for a tram is 30 years.
Birmingham, England, the same fleet of trams taken out of service.
Similar problems in Belgrade in Serbia and in Besancon in France.
Budapest has bought new CAF trams but refuses to allow them to enter service until faults are rectified. It seems CAF of Spain has ruined its tram production reputation.
Toronto, the delivery of Bombardier street cars built in Mexico was way behind the delivery schedule as wires were found to be squashed and the vehicles with many faulty welds. Bombardier is no more, having been bought by train and tram company Alstom of France.
Ottawa, Canada, Alstom built light rail vehicles can't seem to stay on their tracks. They are suspended.
But in the early 2000s, Alstom delivered delivered 36 built trams to Melbourne and then a further four longer trams. They are the second most hated trams in Melbourne.
The honour of the most hated trams in Melbourne goes to Melbourne's Siemens of Germany fully imported trams. They truly are shockers.
Queensland bought new trains made in India. They have had to be retro fitted to make them legally operational.
New South Wales bought trains that would not fit through existing train tunnels, leading to tracks having to moved and clearances adapted. From South Korea was it?
In Washington DC trains built by Kawasaki of Japan keep running off the tracks, leading to the model being removed from use and a reduced service.
What the eff is going on?
As I began electric trains and trams have been around for a long time and were a very reliable means of transport all over the early twentieth century world.
They are now very complex beasts, with a lot of electronics, but it is not the electronics that are failing. It is the absolute basic train and tram matters, the frame of the vehicle, the bogies or trucks if you are in the US and the wheels. This is non tech stuff that was perfected many many decades ago.
Meanwhile Melbourne's newest numbering 100 E Class run around our tracks with no problems and offer good comfort, made to a Bombardier design and adapted for Melbourne and made in Melbourne from local and imported ingredients. Victoria could have bought cheaper overseas trams, but decided not to and we are benefitting from that now.
We have also built a huge number of regional trains here known as VLocity. They are very comfortable.
Now we have a new suburban train built here known as HCMT, High Capacity Metro Train. I had the pleasure of catching one a couple of days ago and it is just brilliant.
Make locally using well tested world technology is my conclusion.
This post has not been checked and probably has some errors, but I don't think my conclusion is wrong.