About 100 people departed the Entertainment Centre stop on Citadis 205, the first tram to carry public passengers along the extension, at 11:50am as part of a special community open day of the tram extension and the Entertainment Centre refurbishment.

Packed trams shuttled at 10-minute intervals from the Entertainment Centre to Rundle Mall stops for free during the early afternoon.

The extension officially opens to the public on Monday, March 22.

New tram timetables were handed out by government officials to the public at tram stops including the Entertainment Centre and Railway Station.

The free shuttle services will be extended to the Entertainment Centre for the first six months at this stage, spokesperson for the Department of Transport Ross Stargatt said.

Members of the public enjoyed the community ride and many also saw the Entertainment Centre Open Day.

Passengers Bev and Rob Miles, of North Adelaide, took their grand-daughter Scarlett, of Walkerville, along to the activities.

“It’s something new, it’s a new experience, a free ride and a chance to see the Entertainment Centre,” Mrs Miles said.

Mr Miles said “the trams are fabulous.”

Tram fan Terry Bourke, from Modbury Heights, thought the extension provided greater access to the area.

“I can catch a bus and a tram to see things like the Brewery Lights at Christmas,” he said.

Passengers Megan Bennett, from Clarence Park, and Dee Bluett, from Highbury said they’d definitely use the line to go to the Entertainment Centre.

Passengers thought the ride was comfortable and smooth on the Citadis and Flexity Classic trams.

Mr and Mrs Miles said the ride was very comfortable and smooth, whilst Miss Bennett said the new section of track was “better than the Glenelg to City West section of track.”

The first tram departed about 9:45am with Premier Mike Rann, State Minister for Transport Patrick Conlon, Adelaide Lord Mayor Michael Harbison, Mayor of Charles Sturt Council Harold Anderson and media on board.

Scones with jam and cream and a sausage sizzle were available for the public to celebrate the event.

By Anthony Caggiano for RailSA

The tram was last in a fleet of seven as tests of the voltage supply at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre took place.

A tram spotter walked on the concrete barricade at the Entertainment Centre stop to take photos of the 367.

Overnight tram testing of the power supply along the new track started at 3:23am when Citadis 203 tram departed the City West stop.

Flexity Classic 103, 105 and 108 and Citadis 203, 204 and 205 trams ran along the new section of track simultaneously between 3:20 and 5:30am.

The Flexity Classic and Citadis trams travelled up and down the track twice with each test faster than the last.

A return trip at full speed took about 20 minutes.

At least three trams were tested for acceleration from the Entertainment Centre stop.

No obvious faults were evident during the tests.

By Anthony Caggiano for RailSA

Running from Glenelg this morning and then as the city shuttle, the first of the new trams impressed passengers with the use of space and the working airconditioning, but they say the real test will come with weekday peak-hour trips when the festive season is over.

Commuters who spoke to The Advertiser said increased peak-hour trips would be better served by the increased standing space.

More doors allowed faster entry and exit and ticket machines were situated in the middle of the floor in front of doors.

One of the drawbacks was steps up to seats which some felt could cause issues for elderly and when school children were on board crowded services.

As for a smooth ride, most felt it was improved, although some felt the new tram was noisier than the old.

On the whole, the reaction was positive and people could actually see out the windows without looking through graffiti. The verdicts:

PATRICK KENNY, Seacliff Park.

It’s fantastic, longer and wider. They were made in France so the real test will be how they cope with the air conditioning when it’s 40 degrees. I didn’t notice much noise at all.

ENRICO VARRICCHIO, Glandore.

Too much noise. It is nice inside and looks like it has the same seating, it is smoother than the old ones but it is noisy, more noisy.

BRODIE PAPARELLA, Eden Hills.

It’s really nice, spacious, you don’t feel so cramped up inside and I’m really happy because when you sit down, you’re not touching everyone anymore. It’s a lot better than the old ones where you could barely move inside.

JAZ PUNGERCAR, Melbourne

It’s quite nice, very much like the trams in Melbourne and definitely better than some of the old rattlers. It is pretty good for room, it’s nicely laid out and there’s enough standing room.

PENNY BAKER, Lyndoch.

One thing I have noticed is that there’s too many steps, when it’s crowded with school children it could be a problem with someone falling and hurting themselves. It’s very comfortable, but I do kind of miss the old trams and the noise.

JALPA GANDHI, Kurralta Park

It’s fabulous compared to the old trams, the air conditioner is circulating better, there are more doors so people can get on and off easier without pushing and taking a long time. It is very smooth. The seating is less, but the standing room is more.

IDA ZURAIDAH, Wayville.

It looks very modern. There seems less seating and maybe they will need to adjust the airconditioning for very hot days. I noticed a little noise. The windows are very large.

The French-built Alstom Citadis tram – one of six bought from Spanish capital Madrid’s transport authority MINTRA for $36 million – took tram enthusiasts on a jaunt from Moseley Square to the Glengowrie depot on Monday night, and morning commuters from Glenelg to the city yesterday.

But today’s hot weather and large numbers of commuters returning home after work or post-Christmas-sales shopping will give the best indication yet whether the new trams will avoid the problems that plagued the German-made Bombardier Flexity Classic trams when they replaced the old H-Class fleet in January, 2006.

Within days of their introduction, the Bombardier trams drew strong criticism for having fewer seats than the historic trams, and many passengers thought the airconditioning units were unable to cope with Adelaide’s extreme summer.

The new trams have 54 seats – 10 fewer than the Bombardiers – but have a capacity of 186, compared to 173 for the Bombardiers.

Acting Premier Paul Holloway said the Government did not expect problems similar to those experienced with the Bombardier fleet.

“These models were built in Madrid, which has a climate similar to Adelaide,” he said.

The new trams will initially be used as peak-hour sweepers – immediately following regular Bombardiers operating on the current timetable – to provide additional capacity.

They will be incorporated into a new timetable introduced once the tramline extension to the Entertainment Centre is opened in February or March.

Two of the new trams are undergoing final commissioning works at the Glengowrie depot. The other three are getting minor modifications in Melbourne and will arrive from January.

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