Fwd: [TramsDownUnder] Re: Gold Coast tram - almost 14 million riders 2024-25

From:	'Richard Youl' via TramsDownUnder <tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com>

 You may find the charts below of interest, taken from the Queensland Transport annual reports. 

Patronage certainly did drop to the low 6 millions during Covid but as you can see it was just short of pre-Covid figures soon afterwards, and I believe was the first public transport in Australia to exceed pre-Covid ridership. It has only leapt ahead year by year since then. The 50 Cent fares started August last year so that was not initially a factor in the increases.

The image below was taken inside tram 6 near the hospital around 9 am this morning. Similar loads are carried approximately 7am when I normally travel and no doubt on many trips in the intervening two hours. Note the wheelchair. These can board and alight from trams without driver assistance at any stop.

There were at least 20 people at Parkwood waiting for this trip, and that is basically the story with every tram arriving, 8 per hour.  It is cheaper for hospital workers and university students to leave their cars at the free car park adjacent to Parkwood tram stop and travel to the university or hospital by tram as there is no free parking within walking  distance of either,  and paid parking in the area is exorbitant.

Nevertheless healthy numbers of people continue riding past the hospital with people getting on and off at many stops along the route.

What gives healthy ridership numbers is that there are many important focal points along the route, unlike most public transport which mainly consists of suburban riders travelling to or from the city.

Cavill Avenue (Surfers Paradise Beach) nevertheless is the busiest stop even with no bus interchanges at all.

Richard

On 19 Aug 2025, at 3:10 pm, 'TP' via TramsDownUnder <tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com> wrote:



6 million sounds like the patronage during covid. Earlier this year, it was reported that patronage had risen 27.5% since the 50 cent fares were introduced, so I believe the 14 million figure. That's encouraging.

Tony P

On Tuesday, 19 August 2025 at 07:42:42 UTC+10 Richard Youl wrote:

I don't know how somebody recently stated here that there were only 6 million passengers riding this tramway per annum. In 2014 or so, yes, but not since. Personal observations from riding early morning and around lunchtime twice weekly since 2018 indicate obvious passenger growth for quite some time and continuing. The 50 Cent fares no doubt are a factor in this. 

Also on the local radio station, there is a program in which an experienced used car salesman gives valuations of cars owned by people who phone in.

What caught my ear last week was his observation that residents living along the tram line are often reducing their two cars to just one, or one to none because the tram suits their needs. That is what reliable public transport is all about. And they don't have to stand crammed in like cattle although some trips have standees at any time of day. 

Gold Coast light rail: Tram patronage figures reveal how popular it is with passengers ahead of Stage 3 opening

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