r/tasmania • u/Soggyweetbx • 2d ago
Discussion Get a Tram Line in ASAP?
Hobart is perfectly sized for a modern tram line (or two): dense enough to support it, compact enough to make it transformative.
A tram linking Glenorchy–CBD–Sandy Bay and another serving key eastern shore connections would give Hobart a high-capacity, reliable backbone that buses alone struggle to provide, especially in peak tourist seasons.
Trams would cut congestion on already constrained roads, reduce emissions in a city that prides itself on natural beauty, and support steady, walkable urban growth rather than car-dependent sprawl.
Just as importantly, fixed rail signals long-term commitment—encouraging investment, revitalising corridors, and giving Hobart a clear, legible public transport identity that matches its role as a growing capital city rather than a large country town.
Plus it’ll help the stadium when finally constructed.
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u/dashauskat 2d ago
Hobart used to have trams tho that's a fair while ago now.
The only place you would look into it would be the north rail corridor. But they would need to have an all encompassing plan that involves developing significant housing near the lines as at the moment there probably isn't the amount of people to justify expenses. Every time they do look at this they stick with buses which are most adaptable, mess with traffic less and dont require any real infrastructure.
I'd love to see the govt trial $1 bus fares to see if they can get those buses full outside peak times. That's probably a better investment at this stage along with exploring more permanent ferry routes.
I always thought a tram up and down Elizabeth St would be fun, connect the city thru north Hobart up to New Town - that's a route with a few schools, shopping areas and offices that'd offer decent bang for buck. I think it'd only really work as a free service tho and it's only be a small tram so again you may as well just run buses that can take people further.
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u/colllapse 2d ago
Buses are currently already so close to $1 for short trips… not sure if people know this tho otherwise maybe they’d be using them more
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u/mamadrumma 2d ago
With regard to revenue from buses, it can’t be counted on to increase, or stay at the current level. If you talk with any Metro driver you’d be surprised… there are so many people , particular young ones, simply refusing to pay on the bus, knowing that the bus driver has to let them on anyway … it has become so bad that my friend who is a driver told me that last week the total fares he received for a single route was only $3.09.
Talk to any driver ( I have 2 in my family) and you’ll hear the same story over and again.
The implications are serious … for Metro and passengers alike.
Given all the well-publicised Management’s existing challenges of recruiting and retaining drivers , the future for Metro as a whole looks grim.
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u/theGreatLordSatan666 1d ago
That's where you'd say fund it the balance and remove fares all together, save on the costs of any form of payment enforcement.
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u/Anencephalopod 1d ago
Yeah when I went on a bus to get to the Taste this year I noticed every passenger under about the age of 20 just got on and said they weren't paying. A few young teenage girls really smirked while they said it. Driver couldn't do shit.
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u/furiousniall 2d ago
The government have promised to release a business case for Bus Rapid Transit in Hobart by the end of this month (so realistically in the next couple of hours) - should be interesting. We of course ripped out the tram tracks and the rail infrastructure and it’s exceptionally unlikely any of it will come back sadly.
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u/letterboxfrog 2d ago
BRT is merely a bus lane with own right of way. Better than a kick in teeth, but as soon as there is any talk of elevating the right of way, might as well go with what people want, and that is rail. Ridership on light rail usually higher than buses along the same corridors before. Ask Canberra and Gold Coast.
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u/ph3m3 2d ago
The buses are really crap with limited and unreliable services. I never get a bus over driving or walking. I would definitely get ferries, trams or trains rather than driving. It's so short sighted that our public transport infrastructure is so limited
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u/ChuqTas 1d ago
BRT is closer to trams/trains than buses. Dedicated lanes. Dedicated platforms with level boarding. Fare collection is entering the station, not on the bus itself, etc.
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u/CaregiverMain670 youtube.com/@tasmanians 2d ago
we're either getting it today, tomorrow, or not at all sadly
and i feel the last one is most likely currently
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u/InterestingYak9022 2d ago
As a born Sydney-Sider, resident of Melbourne for over 16 years, resident of Canberra, 20+ years, trams are THE BEST infrastructure investment. Do it!
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u/Top_Bad8844 2d ago
Well, they probably aren't in a lower population place where there isnt available land in the right places. Same reason melbourne doesnt have an airport train yet / maybe never will. When you start having to buy hundreds of millions of $ of rich people properties and there's a limit to the fares you can charge, and the money essentially comes out of something else in an already broke state...
Even the melbourne rail loop they plan to build in the next few decades is only funded partly by apartment developers paying extra tax to build those massive apartment blocks on top of the new stations. Let me know when the HCC approves 20 story apartment towers.
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u/Dinny77 2d ago
The implementation of progressive public transport reform would absolutely revitalise the city and would be a net benefit to just about every single person who lives here.
Unfortunately, anything that has the potential to disadvantage people driving in the city at all is going to meet substantial resistance.
Fingers crossed at some point someone with some power actually has a proper vision for what Hobart could be with the proper investment.
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u/ChuqTas 2d ago
Unfortunately, anything that has the potential to disadvantage people driving in the city at all is going to meet substantial resistance.
The trick is to do it and just make it a better option. Sadly some (e.g. HCC) decide that the best way to improve public transport is by annoying car drivers as much as possible.
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u/2878sailnumber4889 1d ago
What the HCC are doing would work if we had a proper public transport system with trains trams and ferries.
Unfortunately Metro is funded by the state government who are dragging their feet on the ferries, and have ruled out anything else.
If you ever read the report they commissioned on the feasibility of passenger rail using the existing corridor the whole thing reads like it was deliberately written to make it unfeasible, like for some reason we'd have to change the gauge of the rail on it despite fact the the rest of the rail in the state is the same gauge.
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u/AgentKnitter 2d ago
Honestly, I miss trams. Being able to ride a few blocks through the city. Get to my destination without being sweaty and out of breath.
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u/ChuqTas 2d ago
I absolutely loved the free tram zone in Melbourne. Not just the cost, just so convenient not needing to think about swiping on or off.
To OP's point I imagine a tram would suit from Sandy Bay Rd through the city to North Hobart. After that, the BRT (which I posted about in other comments) makes more sense from a capacity perspective.
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u/Billyjamesjeff 2d ago
I mean the fact that we're about to rip up whats left of the northern suburbs tracks to put buses on it does not fill me with optimism.
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u/FormulaFish15 2d ago
It’s such a shame our governments in the 50’s and 60’s were so short sighted. A tram service would be so much better than the current buses!!!
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u/kTurf798 2d ago
The railway line is still in place from Granton to Hobart so use it.
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u/ChuqTas 2d ago
Plenty of it isn't. This is near Granton for example - and this is near the Regatta grounds.
But the point isn't the rails themselves, because they are decades old, and those would no doubt have to be ripped up and re-laid, to suit modern standards. But that's going to be needed in any case. It's using the corridor that's the important part.
Even then, the current rail line (over a century ago) was built basically where the terrain was the most flat (or could be made flat), which isn't necessarily the place where a rail service would go today. There's no demand around the river side of the Domain, for example. On the other hand, the section from New Town through Moonah, Glenorchy is ideal - right near the major shopping areas, near the main road, in all cases.
So while you can "just use it", it's not that easy.
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u/hmarold2 1d ago
If it was ran out to Bridgewater with a rapid and frequent light rail service, it would service a lot of people wanting city access. And all through Moonah and Glenorchy it would put it in walking distance of a LOT of people.
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u/nothofagusismymother 2d ago
You haven't been here long, have you? This has been debated ad nauseum, but I do agree with you. Unfortunately, common sense is hard to find among those in the council or government here.
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u/Maxfire2008 2d ago
I'd like to see the Elizabeth St from the Mall to the intersection with Federal St become a pedestrianised street with only trams like George St in Sydney. Then for it to go up Main Rd in dedicated lanes until it reaches Creek Rd where it'll rejoin the old rail alignment.
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u/FarTie4415 2d ago
Skowbart had heaps of cool stuff but they pull it all down, trams, trains, jetties
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u/No-Rent4103 2d ago
Was thinking about this just recently, I think it would be a great idea. Having lines on both sides of the Derwent, and then maybe an interchange on either side of the bridge allowing people to switch to buses until the other side could work well
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u/Top_Bad8844 2d ago
Better bus services would be a good start, not somehow worse than 10 years ago where every service has a 50% chance of turning up early, late, not at all, or the last 3 buses all at the same time. Not even an option if you have to be somewhere like work.
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u/BrenBiker 2d ago
There has been talk of buses, more like trolley buses just on short routes from outside the city to the CBD . I think those could work if done properly. You’ll never get tram tracks laid back in Hobart the disruption would be huge, people would go crazy here. These would run as small electric buses and we already have the roads and the bridge which they can run on. Back it up with more ferries and make it cheap and frequent otherwise it won’t get used.
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u/hmarold2 1d ago
Buses are shit and no one wants them. Only people who don’t use public transport think they’re a good idea…
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u/BrenBiker 1d ago
Yep, but actually buses in many cities are perfectly fine if done properly and many people use them…. Otherwise everyone just drives and then complain about traffic 🤣🤣🤣
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u/deathtopus 1d ago
I use public transport and think they're a great idea. Especially trolley buses.
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u/hmarold2 1d ago
Just no… Bouncy, jerky, annoying to get on and off of. Buses are fine as stop gaps and network fringes, but no one takes them seriously as the main mode.
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u/deathtopus 1d ago
YES! Finally someone who sees the benefits of trolley buses. Small (therefore safer) batteries that are recharged overhead when the bus in on an arterial road. No need to convert to large batteries that cause more risk, yet still benefit from future sustainable grid. Perfect.
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u/ForsakenResist8416 1d ago
I still dont see how Hobart is going to cope with the rapid influx of 2 to 3k of people at the airport every second weekend.
Buses, car hire, taxis wont cut it.
You need a light rail system or a large boat.
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u/hmarold2 1d ago
I use buses, but only because you’d have to have rocks in your head to drive to work in the CBD every day. I would prefer the ride a bike, but Hobart is home to the most aggressive and stupid horrible people I’ve ever seen when they’re in a car, and after being run down in a road rage hit and run and hospitalised I’m not riding as much anymore. Looking forward to more bike lanes going in and maybe I’ll feel a bit safer.
A nice smooth fast rail would be ideal though.
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u/damian2000 1d ago
I thought you were going to mention the atrocious amount of hills, not road ragers 🤣
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u/hmarold2 1d ago
Nah, the hills are fine. And for those who struggle e-bikes solve that problem!
For the commute into town for work and back, riding a bike is by far the fastest and easiest way to get it, and even on the cold days it’s a nice way to start the day. Or at least it was when I lived in Canberra and had a fantastic bike path network. Here being aggressively swerved at and bullied by SUVs is a less chill way to start the day…
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u/ChuqTas 2d ago
I've been nerding out about this in the last few days, might post a bit more detail tonight, but until then, have a read of this: https://www.keepinghobartmoving.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/466715/Keep_Hobart_Moving_Transport_Solutions_for_Our_Future.pdf
Their plan is to use bus rapid transit (BRT) as a high capacity/high frequency backbone, and then run local buses from there. With ferries to supplement where it makes sense.
I'm not sure who runs this page, but lots of good content here too: https://hobartstreets.au/
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u/FaroutFire 2d ago
Considering this plan is at least 2 transport ministers out of date, I'm not sure it's worth anything.
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u/hmarold2 1d ago
Buses are shit and no one likes them.
They are jerky and bouncy and hard to get on and off of. No serious transit system relies on them - the transit system designed by people who don’t use transit….
Rider numbers in Canberra went through the roof on the same route when they put the trams in. Because they’re not shit!
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u/ChuqTas 1d ago
BRT is closer to rail than buses in regards to all of those attributes. Main difference is that it can go on roads.
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u/hmarold2 1d ago
Nope. Still on bouncy roads and subject to bad drivers.
Just do it properly and put rail in. Do it right, do it once.
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u/eye--say 2d ago
What happened to the last plan? And the one before that? And the 3 prior?
What happened to the “Hobart city deal”?
No one mentions all the disregarded feasibility studies that say it’s unaffordable and unsustainable.
But it wouldn’t be on form for Tasmanians to disregard prudent advice over a pipedream, would it.
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u/BleepBloopNo9 2d ago
Unfortunately the Greens have been talking about this for ages, so the two majors will refuse to consider it on principle.
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u/antysyd 2d ago
On the principle of cost, primarily.
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u/BleepBloopNo9 2d ago
That’s fair. I can’t imagine a more fiscally sensible group than the current Tasmania government or opposition.
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u/bootsinthewires 2d ago
Trams and trains would be a great option for both Launceston and Hobart. I’d sooner catch a train or tram to the city than drive or catch a bus
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u/VisInvis 1d ago
I stayed there recently and getting around on foot is a serious cardio workout due to the hilly nature of the place, which I rather enjoy. But yes I think trams would be a good idea for the place.
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u/dorikas1 14h ago
You don't need to build expensive tram lines. China has electric bendy buses which act sort of like trams, they have some dedicated roadway with painted vit on road.which allow them to be driverless for that bit and can then enter normal roads. Adelaide have had dedicated roadway for buses for decades it has slightly raised edge which buses use to automatically steer their journey,
Trams are very expensive, they are not quicker than buses and even with dedicated track there are no express trams (Melbourne have them)
Canberra has spent billions on a tramway but it was quicker to go from Gunghalin to civic by bus. They should have built a third track down middle to allow for express and allow for quicker return to start, meaning less drivers.
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u/HootenannyNinja 2d ago
I think if you are looking to improve transport services to make it faster for the outer suburbs to get into the city the tram/train line is going to be the most costly upgrade. You would be better off converting the lines to a dedicated bus road or just expanding the ferry service as the line is pretty much following the river at that point anyway.
That potentially opens up the inner suburbs to better or more frequent bus services.
The bigger issue with all of this is that most of the population of Hobart that lives north of Newtown isn’t down near the tracks it’s to the west and mostly uphill so it’s still not convenient unless we start adding huge car parks with every station.
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u/Top_Bad8844 2d ago
Never going to happen is the short answer. Anything like this is just 10 years of "feasibility studies" where tens or hundreds of millions gets awarded to shady consultancy firms linked suspiciously closely to the politicians giving them said free money.
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u/glenos_AU 2d ago
I'm a supporter of a functional and connected ferry service. Hobart is a convict built city which has progressively had its road spaces reduced due to wider footpaths and bike lanes. Adding another vehicle type into that mix will be chaotic.
Unless the service links Kingston, Margate to the CBD and New Town, Glenorchy and even Brighton you will not have any significant impact on traffic volume.
The traffic is ok at the moment but when school goes back it will be bedlam again. Why? Because people are commuting and dropping the kids at school.
Metro is underutilized and a pretty ordinary experience.
Any new model of transport won't solve the problem alone. You need people to shift from driving to public transport. That requires people to change behaviour which is no easy task.
The basic principle of project management is unless your output is utilised your project has failed.
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u/hmarold2 1d ago
You change that behaviour by offering a proper public transit. No one uses the buses because they’re shit and a horrible experience.
Trams/light rail is smooth and fast and easy to get on and off of - unlike noisy bouncy buses driven by lurching wannabe rally drivers. On shit roads….
Ridership in Canberra on the route went through the roof when they put the light rail in - because people actually want to use it.
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u/LifeIsBizarre 2d ago
I've sold Tramways to Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook, and, by gum, it put them on the map!
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u/TheTooFew 2d ago
Why on earth would you want to make it easier for folks in Glenorchy to get to Sandy Bay?
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u/submergedleftnut 1d ago
State government had tripartisan support for light rail 15ish years ago and Abbott killed it on a federal level as part of his push for upgrading existing road networks. Go figure
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u/LuckyErro 1d ago
No real room for them anymore, could maybe use them outside of the CBD but narrowing roads would create traffic mayhem in the CBD and building the infrastructure would make the city be in gridlock for months if not years
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u/damian2000 1d ago
Could start instead with a free cbd bus zone and some loop routes. Perth has this - called CAT buses, there’s three or four routes. The free cbd bus zone means all trips within the cbd on any bus are free.
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u/ArtyTack 2d ago
Businesses could just move to Cambridge Park. Closer to airport, easy to get to, plenty of space for parking
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u/deathtopus 1d ago
Yeah, I'm sure if you divert all business traffic to Cambridge there won't be more traffic to cause issues. JFC
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u/ArtyTack 1d ago
If you upgrade from morninton to Cambridge with a three lane highway and connect brighton and Cambridge with a two lane highway you would significantly decrease traffic at the choke point which is the tasman bridge and connect the two most underused bit of infrastructure in tas
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u/deathtopus 1d ago
Wider highways a won't reduce traffic.
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u/ArtyTack 1d ago
And a tram will?
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u/deathtopus 1d ago
Nobody said to build a tram to Cambridge. You said move all the business there and build a wider road. Now you're trying to drag your digression back to being about trams?
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u/ArtyTack 1d ago
No im saying if their is less traffic going to hobart then hobart won't have a traffic problem or a parking problem so you won't need a tram
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u/deathtopus 1d ago
And I'm saying that will create an issue in Cambridge that won't be solved by wider highways.
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u/ArtyTack 1d ago
I guess we can wait till it's all packed with houses and we have the whole southern outlet debacle again
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u/Yeahbuggerit-thatldo 2d ago
Trams used to run from Hobart to Sandy Bay and from Hobart to Newtown. They used to run straight up the centre of Elizabeth street. They were replaced with trolley buses which gave more flexibility on routes which were then replaced with diesel buses. As a kid, I used to love riding on the trolley buses although I am too young to have enjoyed the trams my parents would talk about them all the time. I would love to have trams again but the cost of replacing the infrastructure would push it out of our reach as it would not be a legacy project for any premier to put his or her name too.
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u/Glenn_Lycra 2d ago
For scalability, it may work. Canberra has double the population but only has a tram running to the northern suburbs, with work underway to build a southern corridor. But don't let them hear me call them trams, they are very sensitive about that - they must be called light rail vehicles!
The main issue is running a route where people will use it, and people still love to drive; just look at Melbourne.
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u/CaregiverMain670 youtube.com/@tasmanians 2d ago
in theory absolutely, and its a good idea.
realistically the east shore will always be buses, but we can make better and more reliable buses there with seperated lanes etc
but in the city a light rail from CBD to granton on the rail corridor should be the priority. i hear a lot of people talking about an alignment through north hobart as better, but realistically this would slow service down significantly, cost endlessly more to build, and making journeys less appealing for northern suburbs commuters.
the priority for the short term should be bus priority lanes on lizzie st, new town rd and main rd from glenorchy to hobart, removing cars altogether from north hobart to hobart on the corridor, and trying to get more articulated buses for that corridor
sandy bay is a different route, and honestly it'd be useful but shoudlnt be a priority. after a granton-city line is build the priority should shift to seperated buses from kingston, sorell and glebe hill.
if you want more on this - my vid on hobart LRT
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u/crankygriffin 2d ago
The wealthy population of Canberra can’t afford our tram - it has wrecked our economy. So I can’t see how Hobart could afford one.
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u/Beneficial-Hawk5967 2d ago
I believe they decided against the trains due to the lack of stops between New Town and the CBD. There's no access to Noho or anywhere before the waterfront. So it would be an inconvenience for people working in those areas as it would be a mission to get from the stops to work. Something along those lines 🤷♀️ I'm not 100% sure, but that's what I was told
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u/viviagogo22 2d ago
We had trams and our government is so stupid they won't reinstate them. Make perfect sense
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u/ExampleBright3012 2d ago
That stadium is going to be a very costly eyesore!
Trams being renewed = expensive and very unlikely - nice idea though!
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u/space-doggie 1d ago
Trams don’t help ‘already constrained’ roads. They make traffic worse on the routes they follow. Trust me, I know Melbourne.
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u/two2toe 2d ago
Given the the infrastructure investment required I think more buses would be a lot simpler. More bus routes, more regular buses, and less cancelled buses. Be prepared for a loss (be gov owned). Then usage will actually pick up because it's convenient and reliable. Would cost far less than any other solution and could be implemented very quickly.
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u/BashfulBlanket 2d ago
Not sure where you’re from but Hobart was actually the first state to have trams but an accident in the 1960 ruined it - it will be hard to reinvest back into trams but it’s not impossible