Trams in Melbourne
Encyclopedia
The Melbourne tramway network is a major form of public transport
in Melbourne
, the capital city
of the state of Victoria
, Australia
. , the network consisted of 250 km (155.3 mi) of track, 487 trams, 28 routes, and 1,773 tram stop
s. It was therefore the largest urban tramway network in the world, ahead of the networks in St. Petersburg
(240 km (149.1 mi)), Berlin (190 km (118.1 mi)), Moscow
(181 km (112.5 mi)) and Vienna
(172 km (106.9 mi)).
Trams are a distinctive part of Melbourne's character and feature in tourism and travel advertising. In terms of overall boardings, they are the second most used form of public transport in Melbourne after the commuter railway network
, with a total of 182.7 million passenger trips - a 4.1% year on year patronage growth - in the 2010-2011 year.
Melbourne's tramway network is based on standard gauge
tracks and powered by overhead wires
at 600 volts DC
.
The network is operated under contract, the current private operator being KDR Melbourne
, trading as Yarra Trams
. Ticketing, public information and patronage promotion are undertaken by Melbourne's multi-modal service provider, Metlink
. Metcard
and myki
multi-modal integrated ticketing systems currently operate over the tram network.
At some Melbourne intersections, motor vehicles are required to perform a hook turn
, a manoeuvre designed to give trams priority. To further improve tram speeds on congested Melbourne streets, trams also have priority in road usage, with specially fitted traffic lights and exclusive lanes being provided either at all times or in peak times, as well as other measures.
system in Melbourne. Although some lines were originally intended to be horse trams, and the MTOC did operated three horse tram lines on the edges of the system, the core of the system was built as cable trams.
The Act established the Melbourne Tramways Trust (MTT), which was made up of the 12 municipalities that the MTOC system would serve. The MTT was responsible for the construction of tracks and engine house, while the MTOC built the depots, offices and arranged for the delivery or construction of the rolling stock. The MTT granted a lease to operate the system until 1 July 1916 to the MTOC, with the MTOC paying 4.5% interest on the debts incurred by the MTT in building the system.
The first cable tram line opened on 11 November 1885, running from Bourke Street
to Hawthorn Bridge
, along Spencer Street, Flinders Street, Wellington Parade and Bridge Road, with the last line opening on 27 October 1891. At its height the cable system had 75 kilometres (46.6 mi) of double track, 1200 grips and trailers and 17 routes covering (103.2 route km or 64.12 route miles).
On 18 February 1890, the Northcote tramway was opened by the Clifton Hill to Northcote & Preston Tramway Company. This was Melbourne's only non-MTOC cable tram, built by local land speculators and was operated as an independent line, feeding the Clifton Hill line.
When the lease expired on 1 July 1916, all the assets of the MTT and MTOC cable network were taken over by the Melbourne Tramways Board (MTB). The Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) was formed on 1 November 1919, taking over the MTB cable tram network, with the Northcote tramway and the tramway trusts transferred to the MMTB on 20 February 1920.
From 1924 the cable tram lines were progressively converted to electric trams, or abandoned in favour of buses, with the last Melbourne cable tram operating on 26 October 1940.
along what is now Station Street and Tram Road to Doncaster
, using equipment left over from the Centennial International Exhibition of 1888 at the Royal Exhibition Building
. The venture was marred with disputes and operational problems, and ultimately failed, with the service ceasing in 1896.
After this failed experiment, electric trams returned on 5 May 1906, with the opening of the Victorian Railways'
'Electric Street Railway' from St Kilda
to Brighton
, and was followed on 11 October 1906 with the opening of the North Melbourne Electric Tramway and Lighting Company system, which opened two lines from the cable tram terminus at Flemington Bridge to Essendon
and Saltwater River (now Maribyrnong River).
The Victorian Railways line came about when Sir Thomas Bent
became Premier of the State. A corrupt politician and leading land boomer, he stood to benefit from construction of the line, through the increased value of his large land holdings in the area, and pushed through the legislation to enable to building of the line by the VR in 1904.
The VR tram was called a "Street Railway" and was built using the Victorian railway broad gauge
instead of the cable tramway standard gauge
of , and connected it with the St Kilda railway station, to allow trams to be moved along the St Kilda railway line for servicing at Jolimont Yard
. The line was opened in two stages, from St Kilda railway station to Middle Brighton on 5 May 1906 and to Brighton Beach terminus on 22 December 1906.
A fire at the Elwood tram depot on 7 March 1907 destroyed the depot and all the trams. Services resumed on 17 March 1907 using four C-class trams and three D-class trams from Sydney, which were altered to run on VR trucks salvaged from the fire. These trams sufficed until Newport Railway Workshops
built 14 new trams. The St Kilda to Brighton Beach Electric Street Railway closed on 28 February 1959 and was replaced by buses.
VR opened a second, standard gauge, electric tramway from Sandringham railway station to Black Rock
on 10 March 1919, it was extended to Beaumaris
on 2 September 1926. The service was withdrawn on 5 November 1956 and replaced with buses.
Due to demand for better public transport in Melbourne's inner suburbs of Prahran and Malvern the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust Act 1907 was enacted. Councillor Alex Cameron of Malvern, who led the push for a municipal tramway service, was elected chairman of the trust by both Malvern & Prahran councils. Construction began on its first tram line in 1909 with the first passenger service commencing in 30 May 1910. Using overhead wires to feed electricity to the trams, this network continued to expand so greatly & profitably that when the MMTB was established in July 1919 Alex Cameron was appointed its full-time chairman.
In the "golden era" of the 1920s and 1930s, loadings were heavy, a tram conductor earned more than a schoolteacher or a policeman, and the rolling stock was well maintained.
Alex Cameron, Chairman of the MMTB was in charge of a tramway network that had both cable and electric traction and had been constructed by different bodies without any uniform system. Under Cameron's guidance the Tramways Board was to bring these under a single control, extend the electric lines, and convert the existing cable-system to electric traction. To solve operational and maintenance problem the MMTB introduced in 1923 the iconic W-class tram and phased out the other models.
In March 1923 Alex Cameron went overseas to investigate traffic problems. He returned next year confirmed in his long-held opinions that electric trams were superior to buses and that overhead wires were preferable to the underground conduit (cable) system. Alex Cameron remained chairman there until 1935. He died a few years later in 1940, the same year the last of the cable tram services in Melbourne ended.
The MMTB generated further patronage by developing the enormous Wattle Park
in the 1920's and 1930's, it had inherited Wattle Park from the Hawthorn Tramways Trust with the HTTs takeover by the MMTB.
After World War II
other Australian cities began to replace their trams with buses. However, in Melbourne, the Bourke Street buses were replaced by trams in 1955,and new lines opened to East Preston and East Brunswick.
Melbourne's tram usage peaked at 260 million trips in 1949, before dropping sharply to 200 million the following year in 1950. However usage defied the trend and bounced back in 1951, but began a gradual decline in usage which would continue until 1970. During the same period bus use also went into decline and buses have never proved as popular with passengers as trams at any time in Melbourne's history.
By the 1970s Melbourne was the only Australian city with a major tram network. Melbourne resisted the trend to shut down the network partly because the city's wide streets and geometric street pattern made trams more practicable than in many other cities, partly because of resistance from the unions
, and partly because the Chairman of the MMTB, Sir Robert Risson
, successfully argued that the cost of ripping up the concrete-embedded tram tracks would be prohibitive. Also, the infrastructure and vehicles were relatively new, having only replaced Cable Tram equipment in the 1920s-1940s. This destroyed the argument used by many other cities, which was that renewal of the tram system would cost more than replacing it with buses.
By the mid 1970s, as other cities became increasingly choked in traffic and air pollution, Melbourne was convinced that its decision to retain its trams was the correct one, even though patronage had been declining since the 1950s in the face of increasing use of cars and the shift to the outer suburbs, beyond the tram network's limits.
The first tram line extension in over twenty years took place in 1978, along Burwood Highway. The W-class trams were gradually replaced by the new Z-class trams in the 1970s, and by the A-class trams and the larger, articulated B-class trams in the 1980s.
In 1980, the controversial Lonie Report
recommended the closure of seven tram lines. Public protests and union action resulted these closures not being carried out.
The MMTB, along with the metropolitan railway assets
of Vic Rail
, were absorbed into the newly formed Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) on 1 July 1983, while the regional assets of Vic Rail were absorbed by the State Transit Authority
(STA). The MTA was formed to co-ordinate and operate the Melbourne public transport system, during 1986-87 an integration of rail, tram and bus divisions took place, with the operations, maintenance and administration of these departments fully integrated by 11 April 1988.
The MTA introduced a new green and yellow livery and uniform design, with a new logo, showing the integration of Melbourne's public transport system, replacing the MMTB logo, and introduced a new time based integrated ticketing system, for all modes of Melbourne's public transport.
An Automatic Vehicle Monitoring system was introduced in 1985, improving communication with drivers and allowing tracking of trams throughout the network. This reduced tram bunching and improved reliability of tram services.
The St Kilda and Port Melbourne railway lines were converted to light rail lines in 1987, with the lines closed on 1 July 1987 and 11 October 1987 respectively. Trams first ran on the St Kilda line on 20 November 1987, with Port Melbourne following on 13 December 1987. The conversion consisted of the track being re-gauged from broad gauge
to standard gauge
, the overhead being converted to tramway voltage and light rail platforms built adjacent to the former stations platforms.
The MTA and STA were merged into the Public Transport Corporation (PTC) on 1 July 1989, bringing all rail services in Victoria under one body.
By the late 1980's, the state government was under financial pressures brought on by an economic downturn. In January 1990, the Labor
government of Premier
John Cain
tried to introduce economies into the running of the public transport system, including the removal of tram conductors
. This provoked a long and crippling strike by the tramways union in January 1990, resulting in a back-down by the government and the retention of conductors.
In the 1992 state election, the Liberals
came to power under Premier Jeff Kennett
, who planed to cut the costs of Melbourne's public transport network and remove conductors. OneLink were contracted in 1995 to introduce a automatic ticketing system, the tramway union, who opposed this, went on strike during the 1997 Grand Prix, one month later the government announced plans for privatisation of the PTC.
The tram conductors were replaced with ticketing machines between 1996 and 1998 - shortly before the system was privatised. This move led to the loss of millions of dollars in revenue through fare evasion.
On 1 July 1997, in preparation for privatisation of the Public Transport Corporation
, Melbourne's tram network was split into two businesses – Met Tram 1 (later renamed Swanston Trams) and Met Tram 2 (later renamed Yarra Trams). A new statutory authority was created within the Victorian Government in 1997, VicTrack
, to hold the ownership of land and assets relating to Victoria's tram and rail systems. In addition, a statutory office was established - the Director of Public Transport
- to procure rail and tram services and to enter into and manage contracts with transport operators.
After a tendering process the businesses were awarded as 12-year franchises, with Swanston Trams won by National Express Group
PLC, a European mass passenger transport company, and the Yarra Trams business by MetroLink Victoria Pty Ltd, joint venture between French company Transdev
and Australian company Transfield Services
. Following a transitional period, the right to operate the two tram businesses was officially transferred from the government to the private sector under franchise agreements on 29 August 1999.
National Express renamed Swanston Trams as M>Tram, similarly along with its M>Train suburban train business, on 1 October 2001. After several years of failing to make a profit, more than a year of negotiations over revised financing arrangements with the government, and grave concern over its future viability, National Express Group announced on 16 December 2002, its decision to walk away from all of their Victorian contracts and hand control back to the state government, with funding for its operations to stop on 23 December 2002. The government ran M>Tram until negotiations were completed with Yarra Trams for it to take-over responsibility of the whole tram network from 18 April 2004.
On 25 June 2009, it was announced that Keolis
/Downer EDI
will be the operator of the Melbourne tram network from 30 November 2009. Their contract is for 8 years with an option of a further 7 years.
Swanston Trams (M>Tram) introduced 59 new Combino
(D-class) low-floor
trams by Siemens AG
, at a cost of A$175 million, and invested approximately A$8 million in refurbishing their fleet, while the Yarra Trams consortium introduced 36 Citadis
(C-class) low-floor trams from Alstom
, at a cost of A$100 million, and invested A$5.3 million refurbishing their fleet.
In 2003 the marketing and umbrella brand Metlink
was introduced to co-ordinate the promotion of Melbourne's public transport and the communications from the separate privatised companies. Metlink's role is to provide timetables, passenger information about connecting services provided by several operators, fares and ticketing information and introduce uniform signage across the Melbourne public transport system.
Since privatisation extensions have been made to the tram system, with the $28 million extension of the 109 to Box Hill opening on 2 May 2003, a $7.5 million extension along Docklands Drive in Docklands opened on 4 January 2005, and a $42.6 million extension of the 75 to Vermont South opening on 23 July 2005.
It was announced on 29 September 2010 that Bombardier Transportation
had won a $303 million contract to supply and maintain 50 new E class
trams, with an option for a further 100 to be ordered. They will be built at Bombardier's Dandenong factory, with the propulsion systems and bogies coming from Bombardier’s factories in Mannheim
and Siegen
, Germany, respectively. The trams will be 33 meters long and have a capacity of 210 passengers and are due to be in service in 2012.
As of June 2011 Yarra Trams and the Department of Transport have introduced 330 level boarding platform stops
to the network since 1999.
All the rolling stock is leased to Yarra Trams, with the W, Z, A and B class trams owned by the Victorian Government, and the C class and D classes are subject to lease purchase agreements, while the C2 class trams leased from Mulhouse
, France
.
W-class trams were introduced to Melbourne in 1923 as a new standard design. They had a dual-bogie
layout with a distinctive 'drop centre' section, allowing the centrally placed doors to be lower to the ground. They are a simple rugged design, with a substantially timber frame, supplanted by a steel under-frame, characterised by fine craftsmanship. The W-class was the mainstay of Melbourne's tramways system for 60 years. A total of 752 trams of 12 variants were built, the last in 1956.
It was not until the 1980s that the W-class started to be replaced in large numbers, and by 1990 their status as an icon for the city was recognised, leading to a listing by the National Trust. Public outrage over their sale for tourist use overseas led to an embargo on further export out of the country in 1993, though recently some have been given or loaned to various Museums. Approximately 200 of the W-class trams retired since then remain stored, and the future use of these trams is unknown.
W-class trams have been sent overseas, five went to Seattle between 1978 and 1993, where they operated on Seattle's George Benson Waterfront Streetcar Line, starting in 1982 but suspended in 2005. Another nine are now part of the downtown Memphis tourist service, while several other US cities have one or two.
As of 2010, there are about 230 W-class trams, about 200 are in storage, 12 run on the City Circle - the oldest W-class tram in service runs on the City Circle - and 26 are used in revenue service. In January 2010, it was announced by the new transport minister that the 26 W-class trams running the two inner city routes, would be phased out by 2012, prompting a new campaign from the National Trust of Australia
. In 2010 it was proposed to better utilise the unused W-class trams by refurbishing and leasing them as "roving ambassadors" to other cities, generating revenue which could then be invested back into the public transport system.
The development of new rolling stock
to replace the W-class finally began in the early 1970's with a modern design, based on the Gothenburg
, Sweden
M28 design.
The Z-class trams, built by Comeng
, were introduced from 1975, starting with the Z1 class. Built from 1975 to 1979 100 trams were built, they had conductors consols that passengers would have to queue for, and only two doors, these two features hampered loading, and proved unpopular. Most of Z1's were withdrawn following the introduction of the C and D class trams, leaving 30 in service. Those withdrawn were usually sold at auction, with some being donated to tram museums.
In 1978 and 1979, fifteen Z2-class trams, having little difference from the Z1 class were built. As with the Z1 class, many Z2-class trams have been withdrawn from service, with three remaining in service.
From 1979 to 1984, Z3-class trams were introduced, being a significant improvement on the Z1- and Z2-class trams. They had an additional door each side, removed the conductors console and much smoother acceleration and braking. 115 were built, 114 of which are in service (Z3.149 was destroyed in a fire). All are re-liveried in either Yarra Trams
or all-over advertising livery
.
The A-class trams were built between 1984 and 1986 by Comeng
. They were built as two runs, the A1's - introduced into service between 1984 and 1885 - and A2's - introduced into service between 1985 and 1886 - they were both very similar, the major difference being the brakes and that A1's were built with trolley poles, while A2's were built with pantographs
. All 70 that were built are still in service today.
The B-class trams (also known as light rail
vehicles) were first introduced to Melbourne in 1984 with the first prototype B1-class trams, the second being built in 1985, both remain in service today. The B-class trams used the same traction equipment as the Z3 and A class trams, and were built for the light rail lines. They were originally built with movable steps to allow railway platform and street level boarding, but this concept was later abandoned, with low floor platform built at the converted light rail stations.
B2-class trams entered service from 1988–1994, by Comeng
, and later ABB Transportation, with 130 built, all of which remain in service today. The B2-class was the first Melbourne tram fitted with air-conditioning
.
All of the B-class trams, are either in Yarra Trams
livery or covered with all over advertising.
Following the privatisation of Melbourne's tram system the private operators acquired new trams to replace the older Z-class trams. In 2001 Yarra Trams introduced the Citadis or C-class, manufactured in France by Alstom
. They are three section articulated vehicles, with 36 in service.
Five low floor C2-class trams were introduced in 2008 after being leased from Mulhouse
in France
. They have been dubbed 'Bumblebees' due to their distinctive yellow colour, and exclusively run on route 96. It was announced in November 2010 that the State Government was in negotiations to purchase the 5 C2 trams.
The C class trams are owned by Allco entity and are subject to a lease purchase agreement, while the C2 class trams leased from Société Générale entity.
Following the privatisation of Melbourne's tram system the private operators acquired new trams to replace the older Z-class trams. The German made Siemens
Combino
trams were introduced by the now defunct M>Tram. M>Tram operations were transferred to Yarra Trams in 2004 following negotiations with the State Government after National Express walked away from its contract to operate M>Tram in 2002.
The Combino is a three-section (D1-class) or five-section (D2-class) articulated vehicle. Currently 38 D1-type and 21 D2-type vehicles are in service.
The D1 class and D2 class trams are owned by CBA entity and are subject to a lease purchase agreement.
Sources:
Melbourne's trams - especially the W class - are an icon of Melbourne and important part of its history and character. Trams have been featured across several media, and in tourism advertising since World War II
.
Trams are a heavily featured in the movie Malcolm
, one scene of the controversial film Alvin Purple
, and feature in the video clips for, the Beastie Boys
"The Rat Cage" and AC/DC's
"It's a Long Way to the Top". Among songs written about Melbourne's trams are, "Toorak Tram" by Bernard Bolan, "Taking the tram to Carnegie" by Oscar and many songs including "Man on a Tram" and "Northcote (So Hungover)
" by The Bedroom Philosopher
, from the ARIA-nominated album, Songs From The 86 Tram
.
For the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games
a Z class tram was decorated as a Karachi
bus by a team of Pakistani
decorators. Dubbed the Karachi tram
, it operated on the City Circle tourist route during the Commonwealth Games.
While the centrepiece of the Opening Ceremony
was a flying W class tram, specially built for the event, from original W class plans and photos.
On 26 October 2011, a Z class tram, specially liveried as a Royal Tram was used to convey Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
from Federation Square
to Government House
, along St Kilda Road
during their visit to Melbourne. The Royal Tram is intended to be in regular service for one year following the event.
, the Act was enacted to provide an overarching legislation for Victoria's transport system. It requires state agencies charged with providing transport services to work together towards an integrated transport system, and requires state planning bodies to consult the Act when making decisions that will affect the transport system.
The Act establishes Transport Safety Victoria (TSV) as Victoria's safety regulator for bus, maritime and rail transport. The Act also establishes the independent office of the Director, Transport Safety
, though who the regulatory function is carried out with the support of TSV.
Another important piece of legislation is the Rail Management Act 1996, whose purpose is to establish a management regime for Victoria's rail infrastructure.
is regulated by the Rail Safety Act 2006
which applies to all rail operations in Victoria.
The Act establishes a framework containing safety duties for all rail industry participants and requires operators who manage infrastructure and rolling stock to obtain accreditation prior to commencing operations. Accredited operators are also required to have a safety management system
to guide their operations. Sanctions applying to the safety scheme established under the Rail Safety Act
are contained in the Part 7 of the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983.
The safety regulator for the rail system in Victoria including trams is the Director, Transport Safety, whose office is established under the Transport Integration Act 2010
.
Rail operators in Victoria
can also be the subject of no blame investigations conducted by the Chief Investigator, Transport Safety
. The Chief Investigator is charged by the Transport Integration Act
with conducting investigations into rail safety matters including incidents and trends.
Rules about safe and fair conduct on trams in Melbourne are generally contained in the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983 and the Transport (Conduct) Regulations 2005.
Enthusiast
Transport in Melbourne
Transport in Melbourne consists of extensive networks and a wide variety of transport services in the city of Melbourne, Australia, including:* The world's largest tram network.* Bus and coach services...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, the capital city
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of the state of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. , the network consisted of 250 km (155.3 mi) of track, 487 trams, 28 routes, and 1,773 tram stop
Tram stop
A tram stop is a place designated for a tram to stop so passengers can board or alight it. Tram stops share most characteristics of bus stops, but because trams operate on rails, they often include railway platforms, especially if stepless entries are provided for accessibility...
s. It was therefore the largest urban tramway network in the world, ahead of the networks in St. Petersburg
Tramways in Saint Petersburg
The city of Saint Petersburg, Russia once had the largest tram network in the world, consisting of about 340 kilometres of unduplicated track in the late 1980s. However, since 1995 the tramway network has declined sharply in size as major portions of track were removed, particularly in the city...
(240 km (149.1 mi)), Berlin (190 km (118.1 mi)), Moscow
Trams in Moscow
The Moscow tramway network, which is presently divided into two sub-networks, is a key element of the public transport system in Moscow, the capital city of Russia...
(181 km (112.5 mi)) and Vienna
Trams in Vienna
The Vienna tramway network is a vital part of the public transport system in Vienna, capital city of Austria. In operation since 1865, the network reached its greatest extent during the interwar period . Today, it is still one of world's largest tram networks, at about in total length.The trams...
(172 km (106.9 mi)).
Trams are a distinctive part of Melbourne's character and feature in tourism and travel advertising. In terms of overall boardings, they are the second most used form of public transport in Melbourne after the commuter railway network
Railways in Melbourne
The Melbourne rail network is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne under franchise from the Government of Victoria. The network is based on a commuter rail model centred on the Melbourne Central Business District and Flinders Street Station, rather than a rapid transit model, with a focus on...
, with a total of 182.7 million passenger trips - a 4.1% year on year patronage growth - in the 2010-2011 year.
Melbourne's tramway network is based on standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
tracks and powered by overhead wires
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
at 600 volts DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
.
The network is operated under contract, the current private operator being KDR Melbourne
KDR Melbourne
KDR Melbourne is a consortium led by Keolis & Downer EDI Rail that was selected by the State Government of Victoria as the franchise operator of Melbourne's tram network. Taking over from previous operator Yarra Trams, the company was awarded an eight-year contract which commenced on 30 November...
, trading as Yarra Trams
Yarra Trams
Yarra Trams is the trading name of the Melbourne tram network, which is fully owned and registered by the Victorian State Government. The current franchise is operated by a consortium named KDR Melbourne which consists of a partnership between French company Keolis and Australian company Downer EDI...
. Ticketing, public information and patronage promotion are undertaken by Melbourne's multi-modal service provider, Metlink
Metlink
Metlink, formerly The Met, is the marketing body and umbrella brand for public train, tram and bus transport operators in Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-Responsibilities:Metlink is responsible for the promotion of travel by public transport...
. Metcard
Metcard
"OneLink" redirects here. For the computer/cable company, see OneLink Communications.Metcard is the brand name of an integrated ticketing system used to access public transport in Melbourne, Australia. It is a universal ticket which allows users to ride on the city's Metlink network, consisting of...
and myki
Myki
myki is the contactless smartcard ticketing system being introduced on public transport in Victoria, Australia. myki is designed to replace a number of ticket systems in Victoria, primarily the Metcard and V/Line ticketing systems...
multi-modal integrated ticketing systems currently operate over the tram network.
At some Melbourne intersections, motor vehicles are required to perform a hook turn
Hook turn
A hook turn is a traffic-control mechanism where cars that would normally have to turn across oncoming traffic are made to turn across all lanes of traffic instead....
, a manoeuvre designed to give trams priority. To further improve tram speeds on congested Melbourne streets, trams also have priority in road usage, with specially fitted traffic lights and exclusive lanes being provided either at all times or in peak times, as well as other measures.
Cable trams
Melbourne's cable tram system has its origins in the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company (MTOC), started by Francis Boardman Clapp in 1877, with a view to operate a Melbourne tram system. After some initial resistance, he successfully lobbied the government who passed the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company Act 1883 on 10 October 1883, granting the company the right to operate a cable tramCable car (railway)
A cable car or cable railway is a mass transit system using rail cars that are hauled by a continuously moving cable running at a constant speed. Individual cars stop and start by releasing and gripping this cable as required...
system in Melbourne. Although some lines were originally intended to be horse trams, and the MTOC did operated three horse tram lines on the edges of the system, the core of the system was built as cable trams.
The Act established the Melbourne Tramways Trust (MTT), which was made up of the 12 municipalities that the MTOC system would serve. The MTT was responsible for the construction of tracks and engine house, while the MTOC built the depots, offices and arranged for the delivery or construction of the rolling stock. The MTT granted a lease to operate the system until 1 July 1916 to the MTOC, with the MTOC paying 4.5% interest on the debts incurred by the MTT in building the system.
The first cable tram line opened on 11 November 1885, running from Bourke Street
Bourke Street, Melbourne
Bourke Street is one of Melbourne's best known streets. Historically been regarded as Melbourne's "second street", with the main street being Collins Street and "busier than Bourke Street" is a popular catchphrase. Bourke Street has traditionally been Melbourne's entertainment hub...
to Hawthorn Bridge
Hawthorn Bridge
Hawthorn Bridge crosses the Yarra River five kilometres east of Melbourne connecting Bridge Road and Burwood Road. It was designed by Francis Bell and is the oldest extant bridge over the Yarra River....
, along Spencer Street, Flinders Street, Wellington Parade and Bridge Road, with the last line opening on 27 October 1891. At its height the cable system had 75 kilometres (46.6 mi) of double track, 1200 grips and trailers and 17 routes covering (103.2 route km or 64.12 route miles).
On 18 February 1890, the Northcote tramway was opened by the Clifton Hill to Northcote & Preston Tramway Company. This was Melbourne's only non-MTOC cable tram, built by local land speculators and was operated as an independent line, feeding the Clifton Hill line.
When the lease expired on 1 July 1916, all the assets of the MTT and MTOC cable network were taken over by the Melbourne Tramways Board (MTB). The Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) was formed on 1 November 1919, taking over the MTB cable tram network, with the Northcote tramway and the tramway trusts transferred to the MMTB on 20 February 1920.
From 1924 the cable tram lines were progressively converted to electric trams, or abandoned in favour of buses, with the last Melbourne cable tram operating on 26 October 1940.
Electric trams
The first electric tram in Melbourne was built in 1889 by the Box Hill and Doncaster Tramway Company Limited - an enterprise formed by a group of land developers - and ran from Box Hill railway stationBox Hill railway station, Melbourne
Box Hill railway station is on the Belgrave and Lilydale railway lines in Melbourne, Australia. It is located under Centro Box Hill shopping centre near the corner of Whitehorse Road and Station Street in Box Hill. A major bus interchange is part of the same complex, and the 109 tram route...
along what is now Station Street and Tram Road to Doncaster
Doncaster, Victoria
Doncaster is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 15 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Manningham. At the 2006 Census, Doncaster had a population of 17,879....
, using equipment left over from the Centennial International Exhibition of 1888 at the Royal Exhibition Building
Royal Exhibition Building
The Royal Exhibition Building is a World Heritage Site-listed building in Melbourne, Australia, completed in 1880. It is located at 9 Nicholson Street in the Carlton Gardens, flanked by Victoria, Nicholson, Carlton and Rathdowne Streets, at the north-eastern edge of the central business district...
. The venture was marred with disputes and operational problems, and ultimately failed, with the service ceasing in 1896.
After this failed experiment, electric trams returned on 5 May 1906, with the opening of the Victorian Railways'
Victorian Railways
The Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations...
'Electric Street Railway' from St Kilda
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
to Brighton
Brighton, Victoria
Brighton is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton had a population of 20,651...
, and was followed on 11 October 1906 with the opening of the North Melbourne Electric Tramway and Lighting Company system, which opened two lines from the cable tram terminus at Flemington Bridge to Essendon
Essendon, Victoria
Essendon is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley...
and Saltwater River (now Maribyrnong River).
The Victorian Railways line came about when Sir Thomas Bent
Thomas Bent
Sir Thomas Bent KCMG , Australian politician, was the 22nd Premier of Victoria. He was one of the most colourful and corrupt politicians in Victorian history....
became Premier of the State. A corrupt politician and leading land boomer, he stood to benefit from construction of the line, through the increased value of his large land holdings in the area, and pushed through the legislation to enable to building of the line by the VR in 1904.
The VR tram was called a "Street Railway" and was built using the Victorian railway broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
instead of the cable tramway standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
of , and connected it with the St Kilda railway station, to allow trams to be moved along the St Kilda railway line for servicing at Jolimont Yard
Jolimont Yard
Jolimont Yard was an array of railway lines and carriage sidings on the edge of the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. Located between Flinders Street Station, Richmond Junction, the Yarra River and Flinders Street they were often criticised for cutting off the city from the river,...
. The line was opened in two stages, from St Kilda railway station to Middle Brighton on 5 May 1906 and to Brighton Beach terminus on 22 December 1906.
A fire at the Elwood tram depot on 7 March 1907 destroyed the depot and all the trams. Services resumed on 17 March 1907 using four C-class trams and three D-class trams from Sydney, which were altered to run on VR trucks salvaged from the fire. These trams sufficed until Newport Railway Workshops
Newport Railway Workshops
The Newport Railway Workshops is a facility in the Melbourne suburb of Newport, Victoria, Australia, that builds, maintains and refurbishes railway rollingstock. It is located between the Williamstown and Werribee railway lines.-History:...
built 14 new trams. The St Kilda to Brighton Beach Electric Street Railway closed on 28 February 1959 and was replaced by buses.
VR opened a second, standard gauge, electric tramway from Sandringham railway station to Black Rock
Black Rock, Victoria
Black Rock is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 18 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Black Rock had a population of 5796.-History:...
on 10 March 1919, it was extended to Beaumaris
Beaumaris, Victoria
Beaumaris is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Beaumaris had a population of 12,441....
on 2 September 1926. The service was withdrawn on 5 November 1956 and replaced with buses.
Due to demand for better public transport in Melbourne's inner suburbs of Prahran and Malvern the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust Act 1907 was enacted. Councillor Alex Cameron of Malvern, who led the push for a municipal tramway service, was elected chairman of the trust by both Malvern & Prahran councils. Construction began on its first tram line in 1909 with the first passenger service commencing in 30 May 1910. Using overhead wires to feed electricity to the trams, this network continued to expand so greatly & profitably that when the MMTB was established in July 1919 Alex Cameron was appointed its full-time chairman.
Network under MMTB
Alex Cameron, Chairman of the MMTB was in charge of a tramway network that had both cable and electric traction and had been constructed by different bodies without any uniform system. Under Cameron's guidance the Tramways Board was to bring these under a single control, extend the electric lines, and convert the existing cable-system to electric traction. To solve operational and maintenance problem the MMTB introduced in 1923 the iconic W-class tram and phased out the other models.
In March 1923 Alex Cameron went overseas to investigate traffic problems. He returned next year confirmed in his long-held opinions that electric trams were superior to buses and that overhead wires were preferable to the underground conduit (cable) system. Alex Cameron remained chairman there until 1935. He died a few years later in 1940, the same year the last of the cable tram services in Melbourne ended.
The MMTB generated further patronage by developing the enormous Wattle Park
Wattle Park, Melbourne
Wattle Park is a public park in Melbourne, Australia, located in the suburb of Burwood. It is known for its plantation of 12,000 wattle trees. It is currently maintained by Parks Victoria....
in the 1920's and 1930's, it had inherited Wattle Park from the Hawthorn Tramways Trust with the HTTs takeover by the MMTB.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
other Australian cities began to replace their trams with buses. However, in Melbourne, the Bourke Street buses were replaced by trams in 1955,and new lines opened to East Preston and East Brunswick.
Melbourne's tram usage peaked at 260 million trips in 1949, before dropping sharply to 200 million the following year in 1950. However usage defied the trend and bounced back in 1951, but began a gradual decline in usage which would continue until 1970. During the same period bus use also went into decline and buses have never proved as popular with passengers as trams at any time in Melbourne's history.
By the 1970s Melbourne was the only Australian city with a major tram network. Melbourne resisted the trend to shut down the network partly because the city's wide streets and geometric street pattern made trams more practicable than in many other cities, partly because of resistance from the unions
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
, and partly because the Chairman of the MMTB, Sir Robert Risson
Robert Risson
Major General Sir Robert Joseph Henry Risson CB, CBE, DSO, ED was a soldier and public administrator. He was chairman of the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board from 1949 to 1970....
, successfully argued that the cost of ripping up the concrete-embedded tram tracks would be prohibitive. Also, the infrastructure and vehicles were relatively new, having only replaced Cable Tram equipment in the 1920s-1940s. This destroyed the argument used by many other cities, which was that renewal of the tram system would cost more than replacing it with buses.
By the mid 1970s, as other cities became increasingly choked in traffic and air pollution, Melbourne was convinced that its decision to retain its trams was the correct one, even though patronage had been declining since the 1950s in the face of increasing use of cars and the shift to the outer suburbs, beyond the tram network's limits.
The first tram line extension in over twenty years took place in 1978, along Burwood Highway. The W-class trams were gradually replaced by the new Z-class trams in the 1970s, and by the A-class trams and the larger, articulated B-class trams in the 1980s.
In 1980, the controversial Lonie Report
Lonie Report
The Lonie Report, officially titled Victorian Transport Study, was a thoroughgoing study of freight and passenger transport within the state of Victoria, in Australia...
recommended the closure of seven tram lines. Public protests and union action resulted these closures not being carried out.
Metropolitan Transist Authority and Public Transport Corporation
The MMTB, along with the metropolitan railway assets
Railways in Melbourne
The Melbourne rail network is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne under franchise from the Government of Victoria. The network is based on a commuter rail model centred on the Melbourne Central Business District and Flinders Street Station, rather than a rapid transit model, with a focus on...
of Vic Rail
Victorian Railways
The Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations...
, were absorbed into the newly formed Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) on 1 July 1983, while the regional assets of Vic Rail were absorbed by the State Transit Authority
State Transport Authority (Victoria)
The State Transport Authority was a State Government of Victoria owned corporate body which operated country passenger and freight trains in Victoria, Australia. It was established under the Transport Act 1983, succeeding the Victorian Railways...
(STA). The MTA was formed to co-ordinate and operate the Melbourne public transport system, during 1986-87 an integration of rail, tram and bus divisions took place, with the operations, maintenance and administration of these departments fully integrated by 11 April 1988.
An Automatic Vehicle Monitoring system was introduced in 1985, improving communication with drivers and allowing tracking of trams throughout the network. This reduced tram bunching and improved reliability of tram services.
The St Kilda and Port Melbourne railway lines were converted to light rail lines in 1987, with the lines closed on 1 July 1987 and 11 October 1987 respectively. Trams first ran on the St Kilda line on 20 November 1987, with Port Melbourne following on 13 December 1987. The conversion consisted of the track being re-gauged from broad gauge
Irish gauge
Irish gauge railways use a track gauge of . It is used in* Ireland * Australia where it is also known as Victorian Broad Gauge* Brazil where it is also known as Bitola larga no Brasil....
to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, the overhead being converted to tramway voltage and light rail platforms built adjacent to the former stations platforms.
The MTA and STA were merged into the Public Transport Corporation (PTC) on 1 July 1989, bringing all rail services in Victoria under one body.
By the late 1980's, the state government was under financial pressures brought on by an economic downturn. In January 1990, the Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government of Premier
Premiers of Victoria
The Premier of Victoria is the leader of the government in the Australian state of Victoria. The Premier is appointed by the Governor of Victoria, and is the leader of the political party able to secure a majority in the Legislative Assembly....
John Cain
John Cain II
John Cain , Australian Labor Party politician, was the 41st Premier of Victoria, holding office from 1982 to 1990.-Biography:...
tried to introduce economies into the running of the public transport system, including the removal of tram conductors
Conductor (transportation)
A conductor is a member of a railway train's crew that is responsible for operational and safety duties that do not involve the actual operation of the train. The title of conductor is most associated with railway operations in North America, but the role of conductor is common to railways...
. This provoked a long and crippling strike by the tramways union in January 1990, resulting in a back-down by the government and the retention of conductors.
In the 1992 state election, the Liberals
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
came to power under Premier Jeff Kennett
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
, who planed to cut the costs of Melbourne's public transport network and remove conductors. OneLink were contracted in 1995 to introduce a automatic ticketing system, the tramway union, who opposed this, went on strike during the 1997 Grand Prix, one month later the government announced plans for privatisation of the PTC.
The tram conductors were replaced with ticketing machines between 1996 and 1998 - shortly before the system was privatised. This move led to the loss of millions of dollars in revenue through fare evasion.
Privatisation
Public Transport Corporation
The Public Transport Corporation was a State Government of Victoria owned corporate body formed under the Transport Act 1983 which operated passenger and freight trains, trams and bus services in Victoria, Australia....
, Melbourne's tram network was split into two businesses – Met Tram 1 (later renamed Swanston Trams) and Met Tram 2 (later renamed Yarra Trams). A new statutory authority was created within the Victorian Government in 1997, VicTrack
VicTrack
VicTrack is the Victorian Government agency which owns all railway and tram lines, associated rail lands and other related rail-related infrastructure in the state of Victoria, Australia....
, to hold the ownership of land and assets relating to Victoria's tram and rail systems. In addition, a statutory office was established - the Director of Public Transport
Director of Public Transport
The Director of Public Transport is the Government agency responsible for promoting, providing, coordinating and regulating public transport in the State of Victoria, Australia...
- to procure rail and tram services and to enter into and manage contracts with transport operators.
After a tendering process the businesses were awarded as 12-year franchises, with Swanston Trams won by National Express Group
National Express Group
National Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
PLC, a European mass passenger transport company, and the Yarra Trams business by MetroLink Victoria Pty Ltd, joint venture between French company Transdev
Transdev
Transdev was a major international public transport group based in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris, France and operating in several countries. Originally created as Société centrale pour l'équipement du territoire in 1955 and developing transportation activities since 1973, Transdev was a subsidiary...
and Australian company Transfield Services
Transfield Services
Transfield Services Limited is an Australian publicly listed corporation providing operations and maintenance, asset management, project and capital management outsourcing and infrastructure development services to the resources and industrial, infrastructure services and property and facilities...
. Following a transitional period, the right to operate the two tram businesses was officially transferred from the government to the private sector under franchise agreements on 29 August 1999.
National Express renamed Swanston Trams as M>Tram, similarly along with its M>Train suburban train business, on 1 October 2001. After several years of failing to make a profit, more than a year of negotiations over revised financing arrangements with the government, and grave concern over its future viability, National Express Group announced on 16 December 2002, its decision to walk away from all of their Victorian contracts and hand control back to the state government, with funding for its operations to stop on 23 December 2002. The government ran M>Tram until negotiations were completed with Yarra Trams for it to take-over responsibility of the whole tram network from 18 April 2004.
On 25 June 2009, it was announced that Keolis
Keolis
Keolis is the largest private sector French transport group. It runs passenger railways, tramways, bus networks, funiculars, trolley buses, and airport services. The company, based in Paris, is majority owned by SNCF, the French state rail operator. AXA Private Equity and Caisse de dépôt et...
/Downer EDI
Downer EDi
Downer EDI is an Australian Stock Exchange Top-100 company that provides comprehensive engineering and infrastructure management services to the public and private transport, energy, infrastructure, communications and resources sectors, across Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific...
will be the operator of the Melbourne tram network from 30 November 2009. Their contract is for 8 years with an option of a further 7 years.
Recent
As a part of the privatisation process, franchise contracts between the state government and both private operators included obligations to extend and modernise the Melbourne tram network. This included acquiring new tram rolling stock, in addition the existing tram fleet was refurbished.Swanston Trams (M>Tram) introduced 59 new Combino
Combino
The Combino is a low floor tram produced by Siemens Transportation Systems . The first prototype was produced in 1996 at the Duewag works in Düsseldorf; the trams are currently made in Krefeld-Uerdingen. Because of its modular design using standardised components, and the resulting reduced costs,...
(D-class) low-floor
Low-floor tram
A low-floor tram is a tram that has no stair steps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. The low-floor design improves the accessibility of the tram for the public, and also may provide larger windows and more airspace....
trams by Siemens AG
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
, at a cost of A$175 million, and invested approximately A$8 million in refurbishing their fleet, while the Yarra Trams consortium introduced 36 Citadis
Citadis
The Citadis is a low-floor tram built by Alstom in La Rochelle, France, and Barcelona, Spain. 1,140 Citadis are currently in use in 28 cities, among others: Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lyon, Montpellier, Orléans, the Paris area, and Barcelona, Dublin, Gdańsk, Katowice, Adelaide, Melbourne, Jerusalem and...
(C-class) low-floor trams from Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
, at a cost of A$100 million, and invested A$5.3 million refurbishing their fleet.
Metlink
Metlink, formerly The Met, is the marketing body and umbrella brand for public train, tram and bus transport operators in Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-Responsibilities:Metlink is responsible for the promotion of travel by public transport...
was introduced to co-ordinate the promotion of Melbourne's public transport and the communications from the separate privatised companies. Metlink's role is to provide timetables, passenger information about connecting services provided by several operators, fares and ticketing information and introduce uniform signage across the Melbourne public transport system.
Since privatisation extensions have been made to the tram system, with the $28 million extension of the 109 to Box Hill opening on 2 May 2003, a $7.5 million extension along Docklands Drive in Docklands opened on 4 January 2005, and a $42.6 million extension of the 75 to Vermont South opening on 23 July 2005.
It was announced on 29 September 2010 that Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
had won a $303 million contract to supply and maintain 50 new E class
E-class Melbourne tram
The E class are three-section, four-bogie articulated trams to be introduced to Melbourne, Victoria from 2012. They are to be built by Bombardier Transportation in their Dandenong factory, with the propulsion systems and bogies coming from Bombardier’s factories in Mannheim and Siegen, Germany,...
trams, with an option for a further 100 to be ordered. They will be built at Bombardier's Dandenong factory, with the propulsion systems and bogies coming from Bombardier’s factories in Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
and Siegen
Siegen
Siegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region...
, Germany, respectively. The trams will be 33 meters long and have a capacity of 210 passengers and are due to be in service in 2012.
As of June 2011 Yarra Trams and the Department of Transport have introduced 330 level boarding platform stops
Tram stop
A tram stop is a place designated for a tram to stop so passengers can board or alight it. Tram stops share most characteristics of bus stops, but because trams operate on rails, they often include railway platforms, especially if stepless entries are provided for accessibility...
to the network since 1999.
Routes
Melbourne's tram system comprises 27 regular revenue routes and the free city circle service, although there are a number of irregular routes and special services. From 28 August 2011 irregular route numbers started changing, aiming to simplify the numbering system, avoiding passenger confusion. Under theses changes route numbers suffixed with an "a" run an altered service, and route numbers suffixed with a "d" terminate at depots.| Route | Destinations | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Melbourne tram route 1 Tram route 1 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the terminus at Nicholson Street and Bell Street in East Coburg to the corner of Victoria Avenue and Beaconsfield Parade in Albert Park.... |
East Coburg Coburg, Victoria Coburg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland, although a handful of properties on Coburg's Eastern boundary are located in the City of Darebin... - South Melbourne Beach South Melbourne, Victoria South Melbourne is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Port Phillip and Melbourne... |
via Lygon Street Lygon Street, Melbourne Lygon Street is a street in inner northern Melbourne, Australia running through the suburbs of Carlton, Carlton North, Princes Hill and Brunswick East. Lygon Street's name has become synonymous with Italian restaurants and cafés located in the Carlton part of the street... & City Melbourne city centre Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne... |
| 3 Melbourne tram route 3 Tram route 3 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the University of Melbourne north of the city centre to Malvern East in the eastern suburbs.... |
Melbourne University University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria... - East Malvern Malvern East, Victoria Malvern East is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington... |
(Weekdays only) |
| 3a | Melbourne University University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria... - East Malvern Malvern East, Victoria Malvern East is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington... |
via St Kilda St Kilda, Victoria St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip... (Weekends and Public Holidays only) |
| 5 Melbourne tram route 5 Tram route 5 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the University of Melbourne north of the city centre to Malvern East in the eastern suburbs. The destination is, however, displayed as Malvern, although the route technically ends within Malvern East... |
Melbourne University University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria... - Malvern Malvern, Victoria Malvern is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Malvern had a population of 9,422.-History:... |
|
| 6 Melbourne tram route 6 Tram route 6 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the University of Melbourne in the city centre to Glen Iris in the eastern suburbs.... |
Melbourne University University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria... - Glen Iris Glen Iris, Victoria Glen Iris is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Boroondara and Stonnington... |
|
| 8 Melbourne tram route 8 Tram route 8 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from Toorak to Moreland through the suburbs of Carlton and South Yarra... |
Moreland - Toorak Toorak, Victoria Toorak is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district located on a rise on the south side of a bend in the Yarra River. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington... |
via Lygon Street Lygon Street, Melbourne Lygon Street is a street in inner northern Melbourne, Australia running through the suburbs of Carlton, Carlton North, Princes Hill and Brunswick East. Lygon Street's name has become synonymous with Italian restaurants and cafés located in the Carlton part of the street... & City Melbourne city centre Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne... |
| 11 | West Preston Preston, Victoria Preston is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin. At the 2006 Census, Preston had a population of 27,892.-Settlement:... - Victoria Harbour Docklands |
via Collins Street Collins Street, Melbourne Collins Street is a major street in the Melbourne central business district and runs approximately east to west.It is notable as Melbourne's traditional main street and best known street, is often regarded as Australia's premier street, with some of the country's finest Victorian era buildings.The... (Peak only) |
| 16 Melbourne tram route 16 Tram route 16 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the University of Melbourne in the city centre to Kew in the eastern suburbs. It runs through the suburbs of Melbourne, St Kilda, Balaclava, Malvern, and Kew... |
Melbourne University University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria... - Kew Kew, Victoria Kew is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Kew had a population of 22,516.... |
via St Kilda St Kilda, Victoria St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip... |
| 19 Melbourne tram route 19 Tram route 19 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from Flinders Street in the city centre to North Coburg in the northern suburbs. It runs through the suburbs of Melbourne, Parkville, Brunswick, Coburg, and Coburg North... |
North Coburg Coburg North, Victoria Coburg North is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland. At the 2006 Census, Coburg North had a population of 6064.... - City Melbourne city centre Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne... (Elizabeth Street Elizabeth Street, Melbourne Elizabeth Street is one of the main north-south streets in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia, part of the Hoddle Grid laid out in 1837.- Geography :... ) |
|
| 24 Melbourne tram route 24 Tram route 24 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, which runs from La Trobe Street in the city centre, to North Balwyn. Like most tram routes in Melbourne, it falls within Metcard ticketing Zone 1.... |
North Balwyn Balwyn North, Victoria Balwyn North is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara... - La Trobe Street West End La Trobe Street, Melbourne La Trobe Street is a major street in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs roughly from east to west and forms the northern boundary of the CBD .... |
via La Trobe Street La Trobe Street, Melbourne La Trobe Street is a major street in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs roughly from east to west and forms the northern boundary of the CBD .... (Peak only) |
| 30 Melbourne tram route 30 Tram route 30 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from St Vincents Plaza to Etihad Stadium. It only runs on weekdays, during daylight hours and is one of three fare paying routes to use heritage W class trams.... |
St Vincents Plaza East Melbourne, Victoria East Melbourne is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, adjacent to Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, East Melbourne had a population of 4,330.... - Etihad Stadium Docklands |
via La Trobe Street La Trobe Street, Melbourne La Trobe Street is a major street in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs roughly from east to west and forms the northern boundary of the CBD .... (Weekday, daytime service) |
| 31 Melbourne tram route 31 Tram route 31 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It currently runs from Victoria Harbour via Collins Street through the city to St Vincents Plaza, then down Victoria Parade to Hoddle Street. The route has previously run from the old Collins Street West End terminus via... |
Victoria Harbour Docklands - Hoddle Street | via Collins Street Collins Street, Melbourne Collins Street is a major street in the Melbourne central business district and runs approximately east to west.It is notable as Melbourne's traditional main street and best known street, is often regarded as Australia's premier street, with some of the country's finest Victorian era buildings.The... (Weekday morning and afternoon only) |
| 35 | City Circle City Circle (tram route) The City Circle is a zero-fare tram running around the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. Aimed towards tourists the route passes many Melbourne attractions while running along the CBD's outermost thoroughfares, as well as the developing Docklands waterfront precinct.- History :The... |
Free tourist service encircling the city Melbourne city centre Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne... |
| 48 Melbourne tram route 48 Tram route 48 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from Victoria Harbour, Docklands to North Balwyn via Collins Street, Spring Street, Wellington Parade and Bridge Road... |
Victoria Harbour Docklands - North Balwyn Balwyn North, Victoria Balwyn North is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara... |
via Collins Street Collins Street, Melbourne Collins Street is a major street in the Melbourne central business district and runs approximately east to west.It is notable as Melbourne's traditional main street and best known street, is often regarded as Australia's premier street, with some of the country's finest Victorian era buildings.The... |
| 55 Melbourne tram route 55 Tram route 55 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the corner of Bell Street and Melville Road in West Coburg to the Domain Road Interchange - Domain Road and St Kilda Road east of the city.... |
West Coburg Coburg, Victoria Coburg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland, although a handful of properties on Coburg's Eastern boundary are located in the City of Darebin... - Domain Interchange |
via William Street William Street, Melbourne William Street is a major street in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs roughly north-south from Flinders Street to Victoria Street, and is located in the western half of the Hoddle Grid.... & City Melbourne city centre Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne... |
| 57 Melbourne tram route 57 Tram route 57 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the corner of Flinders Street and Elizabeth Street in the city centre to West Maribyrnong in the inner Western suburbs.... |
West Maribyrnong Maribyrnong, Victoria Maribyrnong is a suburb 8 km north-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong, part of River Ward. At the 2006 Census, Maribyrnong had a population of 8242.... - City Melbourne city centre Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne... (Elizabeth Street Elizabeth Street, Melbourne Elizabeth Street is one of the main north-south streets in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia, part of the Hoddle Grid laid out in 1837.- Geography :... ) |
via North Melbourne North Melbourne, Victoria North Melbourne is a large inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. It is bounded by the CityLink freeway to the west, Victoria Street to the south, O'Connell and Peel Streets to the east and Flemington Road to the north. Its... |
| 59 Melbourne tram route 59 Tram route 59 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the intersection of Flinders Street and Elizabeth Street in the city centre to Airport West in the north western suburbs.... |
Airport West Airport West, Victoria Airport West is a suburb 14 km north-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley. At the 2006 Census, Airport West had a population of 6660.... - City Melbourne city centre Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne... (Elizabeth Street Elizabeth Street, Melbourne Elizabeth Street is one of the main north-south streets in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia, part of the Hoddle Grid laid out in 1837.- Geography :... ) |
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| 64 Melbourne tram route 64 Tram route 64 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the University of Melbourne in the city centre to East Brighton in the southern suburbs. It runs through the suburbs of Melbourne, Windsor, Caulfield, and Brighton East... |
Melbourne University University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria... - East Brighton Brighton East, Victoria Brighton East is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton East had a population of 15,167.... |
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| 67 Melbourne tram route 67 The Melbourne Tram Route 67 is an Australian tram route which runs back and forth from Carnegie to the University of Melbourne.The route starts at the Carnegie terminus, located in Trugininni Road at the corner of Koornang Road, and travels via Glen Huntly Road, Brighton Road, St Kilda Road and... |
Melbourne University University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria... - Carnegie Carnegie, Victoria Carnegie is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Glen Eira. At the 2006 Census, Carnegie had a population of 15,084... |
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| 70 Melbourne tram route 70 Tram route 70 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is operated by Camberwell Depot and runs from the Waterfront City Docklands to Wattle Park in Box Hill South... |
Waterfront City Docklands - Wattle Park Wattle Park, Melbourne Wattle Park is a public park in Melbourne, Australia, located in the suburb of Burwood. It is known for its plantation of 12,000 wattle trees. It is currently maintained by Parks Victoria.... |
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| 72 Melbourne tram route 72 Tram route 72 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the University of Melbourne in the city centre to Camberwell in the eastern suburbs. It runs through the suburbs of Melbourne, South Yarra, Toorak, Malvern, Glen Iris, and Camberwell... |
Melbourne University University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria... - Camberwell Camberwell, Victoria Camberwell is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Camberwell had a population of 19,637.... |
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| 75 Melbourne tram route 75 Tram route 75 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the corner of Spencer Street and La Trobe Street in the city centre to Vermont South in the eastern suburbs.... |
City Melbourne city centre Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne... (Spencer Street Spencer Street, Melbourne Spencer Street is a major street in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is named for John Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer, Chancellor of the Exchequer under Lord Melbourne, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.... ) - Vermont South Vermont South, Victoria Vermont South is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whitehorse. At the 2006 Census, Vermont South had a population of 11,485.... |
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| 78 Melbourne tram route 78 Tram route 78 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The route starts at the Victoria St terminus , then runs along Church St, Richmond, crossing Bridge Rd and Swan St . It continues over the Yarra River along Chapel St, crossing Toorak Rd at stop 49... |
North Richmond Richmond, Victoria Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra... - Prahran Prahran, Victoria Prahran , also known colloquially as "Pran", is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Prahran had a population of 10,651. It is a part of Melbourne with... |
(Daytime service) |
| 79 Melbourne tram route 79 Tram route 79 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from North Richmond to St Kilda Beach through the suburbs of South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, Balaclava, and St, Kilda. Like most tram routes in Melbourne, it is entirely within Metcard ticketing Zone 1... |
North Richmond Richmond, Victoria Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra... - St Kilda Beach St Kilda, Victoria St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip... |
(Evening service) |
| 82 Melbourne tram route 82 Tram route 82 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the corner of Leeds and Irving Streets near Footscray railway station in Footscray to the corner of Ascot Vale Road and Puckle Street in Moonee Ponds. It is one of Melbourne's very few tram routes which... |
Moonee Ponds Moonee Ponds, Victoria Moonee Ponds is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley.It is home to Queens Park and the Moonee Valley Racecourse... - Footscray Footscray, Victoria Footscray is a suburb 5 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2006 Census, Footscray had a population of 11,401.... |
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| 86 Melbourne tram route 86 Tram route 86 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from Bundoora in the northern suburbs to Waterfront City Docklands in the city. It is one of Melbourne's busiest tram routes carrying 44,200 passengers a day... |
Bundoora Bundoora, Victoria Bundoora is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 km north from the Melbourne central business district. Its Local Government Area are the cities of Banyule, Darebin and Whittlesea. At the 2006 Census, Bundoora had a population of 24,018.... RMIT - Waterfront City Docklands |
via Smith Street Smith Street, Melbourne Smith Street is a street in inner northern Melbourne.-Geography:Smith Street runs north-south from Victoria Parade at its southernmost end to Queens Parade. Between Victoria Parade and Alexandra Parade, it forms the boundary between Fitzroy and Collingwood; the short segment north of Alexandra... & Bourke Street Bourke Street, Melbourne Bourke Street is one of Melbourne's best known streets. Historically been regarded as Melbourne's "second street", with the main street being Collins Street and "busier than Bourke Street" is a popular catchphrase. Bourke Street has traditionally been Melbourne's entertainment hub... |
| 96 Melbourne tram route 96 Melbourne tram route 96 is a public transport tram and light rail route in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.It is one of Melbourne's busiest tram route carrying 39,700 passengers a day with a frequency of every 10 minutes or less during peak... |
East Brunswick Brunswick East, Victoria Brunswick East is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland. At the 2006 Census, Brunswick East had a population of 7,410.... - St Kilda Beach |
via Bourke Street Bourke Street, Melbourne Bourke Street is one of Melbourne's best known streets. Historically been regarded as Melbourne's "second street", with the main street being Collins Street and "busier than Bourke Street" is a popular catchphrase. Bourke Street has traditionally been Melbourne's entertainment hub... , City Melbourne city centre Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne... & St Kilda light rail Light rail Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems... |
| 109 Melbourne tram route 109 Tram route 109 or simply The 109 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs between a terminus in Box Hill and a terminus near Station Pier in Port Melbourne... |
Box Hill Box Hill, Victoria Box Hill is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 14 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whitehorse. At the 2006 Census, Box Hill had a population of 8,616.... - Port Melbourne Port Melbourne, Victoria Port Melbourne is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km southwest of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government areas are the cities of Port Phillip and Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, Port Melbourne had a population of 13,293.... |
via Collins Street Collins Street, Melbourne Collins Street is a major street in the Melbourne central business district and runs approximately east to west.It is notable as Melbourne's traditional main street and best known street, is often regarded as Australia's premier street, with some of the country's finest Victorian era buildings.The... , City Melbourne city centre Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne... & Port Melbourne light rail Light rail Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems... |
| 112 Melbourne tram route 112 Tram route 112 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from West Preston, in the northern suburbs to St Kilda.Like most tram routes in Melbourne, it falls within Metcard/myki ticketing Zone 1.... |
West Preston Preston, Victoria Preston is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin. At the 2006 Census, Preston had a population of 27,892.-Settlement:... - Fitzroy Street, St Kilda St Kilda, Victoria St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip... |
via Collins Street Collins Street, Melbourne Collins Street is a major street in the Melbourne central business district and runs approximately east to west.It is notable as Melbourne's traditional main street and best known street, is often regarded as Australia's premier street, with some of the country's finest Victorian era buildings.The... & City Melbourne city centre Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne... |
Fleet
The Melbourne tram fleet currently comprises 487 trams.All the rolling stock is leased to Yarra Trams, with the W, Z, A and B class trams owned by the Victorian Government, and the C class and D classes are subject to lease purchase agreements, while the C2 class trams leased from Mulhouse
Mulhouse
Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
W-class trams
- 752 trams built in total 1923-1956, in service 1923–present
- ~230 total currently, ~200 in storage, 26 in revenue service, 12 on city circle
W-class trams were introduced to Melbourne in 1923 as a new standard design. They had a dual-bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
layout with a distinctive 'drop centre' section, allowing the centrally placed doors to be lower to the ground. They are a simple rugged design, with a substantially timber frame, supplanted by a steel under-frame, characterised by fine craftsmanship. The W-class was the mainstay of Melbourne's tramways system for 60 years. A total of 752 trams of 12 variants were built, the last in 1956.
It was not until the 1980s that the W-class started to be replaced in large numbers, and by 1990 their status as an icon for the city was recognised, leading to a listing by the National Trust. Public outrage over their sale for tourist use overseas led to an embargo on further export out of the country in 1993, though recently some have been given or loaned to various Museums. Approximately 200 of the W-class trams retired since then remain stored, and the future use of these trams is unknown.
W-class trams have been sent overseas, five went to Seattle between 1978 and 1993, where they operated on Seattle's George Benson Waterfront Streetcar Line, starting in 1982 but suspended in 2005. Another nine are now part of the downtown Memphis tourist service, while several other US cities have one or two.
As of 2010, there are about 230 W-class trams, about 200 are in storage, 12 run on the City Circle - the oldest W-class tram in service runs on the City Circle - and 26 are used in revenue service. In January 2010, it was announced by the new transport minister that the 26 W-class trams running the two inner city routes, would be phased out by 2012, prompting a new campaign from the National Trust of Australia
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
. In 2010 it was proposed to better utilise the unused W-class trams by refurbishing and leasing them as "roving ambassadors" to other cities, generating revenue which could then be invested back into the public transport system.
Z-class trams
- Z1 - 100 built, made in Australia, 30 currently in service
- Z2 - 15 built, made in Australia, 3 currently in service
- Z3 - 115 built, made in Australia, 114 currently in service
The development of new rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
to replace the W-class finally began in the early 1970's with a modern design, based on the Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
M28 design.
The Z-class trams, built by Comeng
Commonwealth Engineering
The Commonwealth Engineering Company Limited is the brand name of a former Australian Engineering Company that designed Locomotives, Electrical Multiple Units , Diesel Multiple Units and Trams.-History:...
, were introduced from 1975, starting with the Z1 class. Built from 1975 to 1979 100 trams were built, they had conductors consols that passengers would have to queue for, and only two doors, these two features hampered loading, and proved unpopular. Most of Z1's were withdrawn following the introduction of the C and D class trams, leaving 30 in service. Those withdrawn were usually sold at auction, with some being donated to tram museums.
In 1978 and 1979, fifteen Z2-class trams, having little difference from the Z1 class were built. As with the Z1 class, many Z2-class trams have been withdrawn from service, with three remaining in service.
From 1979 to 1984, Z3-class trams were introduced, being a significant improvement on the Z1- and Z2-class trams. They had an additional door each side, removed the conductors console and much smoother acceleration and braking. 115 were built, 114 of which are in service (Z3.149 was destroyed in a fire). All are re-liveried in either Yarra Trams
Yarra Trams
Yarra Trams is the trading name of the Melbourne tram network, which is fully owned and registered by the Victorian State Government. The current franchise is operated by a consortium named KDR Melbourne which consists of a partnership between French company Keolis and Australian company Downer EDI...
or all-over advertising livery
Wrap advertising
Wrap advertising is the marketing practice of completely or partially covering a vehicle in an advertisement or livery, thus turning it into a mobile billboard. This can be achieved by simply painting the vehicle surface, but it is becoming more common today to use large vinyl sheets as decals...
.
A-class trams
- A1-class - 28 built, made in Australia, all still in service
- A2-class - 42 built, made in Australia, all still in service
The A-class trams were built between 1984 and 1986 by Comeng
Commonwealth Engineering
The Commonwealth Engineering Company Limited is the brand name of a former Australian Engineering Company that designed Locomotives, Electrical Multiple Units , Diesel Multiple Units and Trams.-History:...
. They were built as two runs, the A1's - introduced into service between 1984 and 1885 - and A2's - introduced into service between 1985 and 1886 - they were both very similar, the major difference being the brakes and that A1's were built with trolley poles, while A2's were built with pantographs
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
. All 70 that were built are still in service today.
B-class trams
- B1 - 2 built, made in Australia, both still in service
- B2 - 130 built, made in Australia, all currently in service, air conditioned
The B-class trams (also known as light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
vehicles) were first introduced to Melbourne in 1984 with the first prototype B1-class trams, the second being built in 1985, both remain in service today. The B-class trams used the same traction equipment as the Z3 and A class trams, and were built for the light rail lines. They were originally built with movable steps to allow railway platform and street level boarding, but this concept was later abandoned, with low floor platform built at the converted light rail stations.
B2-class trams entered service from 1988–1994, by Comeng
Commonwealth Engineering
The Commonwealth Engineering Company Limited is the brand name of a former Australian Engineering Company that designed Locomotives, Electrical Multiple Units , Diesel Multiple Units and Trams.-History:...
, and later ABB Transportation, with 130 built, all of which remain in service today. The B2-class was the first Melbourne tram fitted with air-conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
.
All of the B-class trams, are either in Yarra Trams
Yarra Trams
Yarra Trams is the trading name of the Melbourne tram network, which is fully owned and registered by the Victorian State Government. The current franchise is operated by a consortium named KDR Melbourne which consists of a partnership between French company Keolis and Australian company Downer EDI...
livery or covered with all over advertising.
C-class trams (Citadis)
- C1 - 36 in service, made in France
- C2 - 5 in service, leased from Mulhouse, France ("Bumblebees")
Following the privatisation of Melbourne's tram system the private operators acquired new trams to replace the older Z-class trams. In 2001 Yarra Trams introduced the Citadis or C-class, manufactured in France by Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
. They are three section articulated vehicles, with 36 in service.
Five low floor C2-class trams were introduced in 2008 after being leased from Mulhouse
Mulhouse
Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. They have been dubbed 'Bumblebees' due to their distinctive yellow colour, and exclusively run on route 96. It was announced in November 2010 that the State Government was in negotiations to purchase the 5 C2 trams.
The C class trams are owned by Allco entity and are subject to a lease purchase agreement, while the C2 class trams leased from Société Générale entity.
D-class trams (Combino)
- D1 - 38 in service, made in Germany
- D2 - 21 in service, made in Germany
Following the privatisation of Melbourne's tram system the private operators acquired new trams to replace the older Z-class trams. The German made Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
Combino
Combino
The Combino is a low floor tram produced by Siemens Transportation Systems . The first prototype was produced in 1996 at the Duewag works in Düsseldorf; the trams are currently made in Krefeld-Uerdingen. Because of its modular design using standardised components, and the resulting reduced costs,...
trams were introduced by the now defunct M>Tram. M>Tram operations were transferred to Yarra Trams in 2004 following negotiations with the State Government after National Express walked away from its contract to operate M>Tram in 2002.
The Combino is a three-section (D1-class) or five-section (D2-class) articulated vehicle. Currently 38 D1-type and 21 D2-type vehicles are in service.
The D1 class and D2 class trams are owned by CBA entity and are subject to a lease purchase agreement.
Depots
Melbourne's trams run out of eight depots.| Depot | Location | Routes | Trams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick | 807 Sydney Road, Brunswick | 1 Melbourne tram route 1 Tram route 1 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the terminus at Nicholson Street and Bell Street in East Coburg to the corner of Victoria Avenue and Beaconsfield Parade in Albert Park.... 8 Melbourne tram route 8 Tram route 8 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from Toorak to Moreland through the suburbs of Carlton and South Yarra... Shared with Malvern19 Melbourne tram route 19 Tram route 19 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from Flinders Street in the city centre to North Coburg in the northern suburbs. It runs through the suburbs of Melbourne, Parkville, Brunswick, Coburg, and Coburg North... |
25 Z3-Class Z class Melbourne tram The Z class are a single-unit, bogie tram that operates in Melbourne, Australia. They were built by Comeng, a manufacturing company in Dandenong, Victoria, Australia.-History:... 29 B2-Class B class Melbourne tram The B class are a two-section, three-bogie articulated tram that operates in Melbourne, Victoria. Following the introduction of two B1-class trams in 1984 and 1985, a total of 130 B2-class trams were ordered by the Victorian Government and built by Comeng in Dandenong, Victoria... |
| Camberwell | 8 Council Street, Hawthorn East | 24 Melbourne tram route 24 Tram route 24 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, which runs from La Trobe Street in the city centre, to North Balwyn. Like most tram routes in Melbourne, it falls within Metcard ticketing Zone 1.... 70 Melbourne tram route 70 Tram route 70 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is operated by Camberwell Depot and runs from the Waterfront City Docklands to Wattle Park in Box Hill South... 75 Melbourne tram route 75 Tram route 75 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the corner of Spencer Street and La Trobe Street in the city centre to Vermont South in the eastern suburbs.... |
9 A1-Class10 A2-Class22 B2-Class B class Melbourne tram The B class are a two-section, three-bogie articulated tram that operates in Melbourne, Victoria. Following the introduction of two B1-class trams in 1984 and 1985, a total of 130 B2-class trams were ordered by the Victorian Government and built by Comeng in Dandenong, Victoria... |
| East Preston | Plenty Road, East Preston | 86 Melbourne tram route 86 Tram route 86 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from Bundoora in the northern suburbs to Waterfront City Docklands in the city. It is one of Melbourne's busiest tram routes carrying 44,200 passengers a day... 112 Melbourne tram route 112 Tram route 112 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from West Preston, in the northern suburbs to St Kilda.Like most tram routes in Melbourne, it falls within Metcard/myki ticketing Zone 1.... Shared with Southbank |
12 A1-Class7 A2-Class2 B1-Class B class Melbourne tram The B class are a two-section, three-bogie articulated tram that operates in Melbourne, Victoria. Following the introduction of two B1-class trams in 1984 and 1985, a total of 130 B2-class trams were ordered by the Victorian Government and built by Comeng in Dandenong, Victoria... 41 B2-Class B class Melbourne tram The B class are a two-section, three-bogie articulated tram that operates in Melbourne, Victoria. Following the introduction of two B1-class trams in 1984 and 1985, a total of 130 B2-class trams were ordered by the Victorian Government and built by Comeng in Dandenong, Victoria... |
| Essendon | 318 Mount Alexander Road, Travancore | 55 Melbourne tram route 55 Tram route 55 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the corner of Bell Street and Melville Road in West Coburg to the Domain Road Interchange - Domain Road and St Kilda Road east of the city.... 57 Melbourne tram route 57 Tram route 57 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the corner of Flinders Street and Elizabeth Street in the city centre to West Maribyrnong in the inner Western suburbs.... 59 Melbourne tram route 59 Tram route 59 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the intersection of Flinders Street and Elizabeth Street in the city centre to Airport West in the north western suburbs.... 82 Melbourne tram route 82 Tram route 82 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the corner of Leeds and Irving Streets near Footscray railway station in Footscray to the corner of Ascot Vale Road and Puckle Street in Moonee Ponds. It is one of Melbourne's very few tram routes which... |
41 Z3-Class Z class Melbourne tram The Z class are a single-unit, bogie tram that operates in Melbourne, Australia. They were built by Comeng, a manufacturing company in Dandenong, Victoria, Australia.-History:... 30 B2-Class B class Melbourne tram The B class are a two-section, three-bogie articulated tram that operates in Melbourne, Victoria. Following the introduction of two B1-class trams in 1984 and 1985, a total of 130 B2-class trams were ordered by the Victorian Government and built by Comeng in Dandenong, Victoria... |
| Glenhuntly Glenhuntly Tram Depot Glenhuntly Tram Depot is located in South Caulfield, a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia.It is one of 8 depots operated in the Yarra Trams network. The depot was opened in 1923.- Yard layout :... |
893-901 Glen Huntly Rd, South Caulfield | 3 Melbourne tram route 3 Tram route 3 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the University of Melbourne north of the city centre to Malvern East in the eastern suburbs.... 64 Melbourne tram route 64 Tram route 64 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the University of Melbourne in the city centre to East Brighton in the southern suburbs. It runs through the suburbs of Melbourne, Windsor, Caulfield, and Brighton East... 67 Melbourne tram route 67 The Melbourne Tram Route 67 is an Australian tram route which runs back and forth from Carnegie to the University of Melbourne.The route starts at the Carnegie terminus, located in Trugininni Road at the corner of Koornang Road, and travels via Glen Huntly Road, Brighton Road, St Kilda Road and... 78 Melbourne tram route 78 Tram route 78 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The route starts at the Victoria St terminus , then runs along Church St, Richmond, crossing Bridge Rd and Swan St . It continues over the Yarra River along Chapel St, crossing Toorak Rd at stop 49... 79 Melbourne tram route 79 Tram route 79 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from North Richmond to St Kilda Beach through the suburbs of South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, Balaclava, and St, Kilda. Like most tram routes in Melbourne, it is entirely within Metcard ticketing Zone 1... |
9 SW5-Class W class Melbourne tram The W class is a class of electric trams that operates in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The tram model series is a cultural icon to Melbourne... 2 W6-Class W class Melbourne tram The W class is a class of electric trams that operates in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The tram model series is a cultural icon to Melbourne... 3 W7-Class W class Melbourne tram The W class is a class of electric trams that operates in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The tram model series is a cultural icon to Melbourne... 10 Z1-Class Z class Melbourne tram The Z class are a single-unit, bogie tram that operates in Melbourne, Australia. They were built by Comeng, a manufacturing company in Dandenong, Victoria, Australia.-History:... 2 Z2-Class Z class Melbourne tram The Z class are a single-unit, bogie tram that operates in Melbourne, Australia. They were built by Comeng, a manufacturing company in Dandenong, Victoria, Australia.-History:... 26 Z3-Class Z class Melbourne tram The Z class are a single-unit, bogie tram that operates in Melbourne, Australia. They were built by Comeng, a manufacturing company in Dandenong, Victoria, Australia.-History:... 1 A1-Class1 A2-Class6 B2-Class B class Melbourne tram The B class are a two-section, three-bogie articulated tram that operates in Melbourne, Victoria. Following the introduction of two B1-class trams in 1984 and 1985, a total of 130 B2-class trams were ordered by the Victorian Government and built by Comeng in Dandenong, Victoria... |
| Kew | 61 Barkers Road, Kew | 48 Melbourne tram route 48 Tram route 48 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from Victoria Harbour, Docklands to North Balwyn via Collins Street, Spring Street, Wellington Parade and Bridge Road... 109 Melbourne tram route 109 Tram route 109 or simply The 109 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs between a terminus in Box Hill and a terminus near Station Pier in Port Melbourne... |
1 A1-Class22 A2-Class36 C-Class C class Melbourne tram C class is the designation given to the type of Citadis trams used in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by Melbourne's tram operator Yarra Trams. These three-section low-floor electric trams were built by the transport company Alstom in La Rochelle, France... |
| Malvern | 21 Coldblo Road, Armadale | 5 Melbourne tram route 5 Tram route 5 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the University of Melbourne north of the city centre to Malvern East in the eastern suburbs. The destination is, however, displayed as Malvern, although the route technically ends within Malvern East... 6 Melbourne tram route 6 Tram route 6 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the University of Melbourne in the city centre to Glen Iris in the eastern suburbs.... 8 Melbourne tram route 8 Tram route 8 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from Toorak to Moreland through the suburbs of Carlton and South Yarra... Shared with Brunswick16 Melbourne tram route 16 Tram route 16 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the University of Melbourne in the city centre to Kew in the eastern suburbs. It runs through the suburbs of Melbourne, St Kilda, Balaclava, Malvern, and Kew... 6972 Melbourne tram route 72 Tram route 72 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the University of Melbourne in the city centre to Camberwell in the eastern suburbs. It runs through the suburbs of Melbourne, South Yarra, Toorak, Malvern, Glen Iris, and Camberwell... |
1 SW6-Class W class Melbourne tram The W class is a class of electric trams that operates in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The tram model series is a cultural icon to Melbourne... 19 Z1-Class Z class Melbourne tram The Z class are a single-unit, bogie tram that operates in Melbourne, Australia. They were built by Comeng, a manufacturing company in Dandenong, Victoria, Australia.-History:... 1 Z2-Class Z class Melbourne tram The Z class are a single-unit, bogie tram that operates in Melbourne, Australia. They were built by Comeng, a manufacturing company in Dandenong, Victoria, Australia.-History:... 24 Z3-Class Z class Melbourne tram The Z class are a single-unit, bogie tram that operates in Melbourne, Australia. They were built by Comeng, a manufacturing company in Dandenong, Victoria, Australia.-History:... 38 D1-Class1 D2-Class |
| Southbank Southbank Tram Depot Southbank Tram Depot is located in Southbank, a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is one of 8 depots operated in the Yarra Trams network. The depot was opened in March 1997 on the site of the former Montague shipping shed, and replaced the now-demolished South Melbourne tram depot.-... |
167 Normanby Rd, Southbank | 30 Melbourne tram route 30 Tram route 30 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from St Vincents Plaza to Etihad Stadium. It only runs on weekdays, during daylight hours and is one of three fare paying routes to use heritage W class trams.... 96 Melbourne tram route 96 Melbourne tram route 96 is a public transport tram and light rail route in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.It is one of Melbourne's busiest tram route carrying 39,700 passengers a day with a frequency of every 10 minutes or less during peak... 112 Melbourne tram route 112 Tram route 112 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from West Preston, in the northern suburbs to St Kilda.Like most tram routes in Melbourne, it falls within Metcard/myki ticketing Zone 1.... Shared with East PrestonCity Circle (35) City Circle (tram route) The City Circle is a zero-fare tram running around the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. Aimed towards tourists the route passes many Melbourne attractions while running along the CBD's outermost thoroughfares, as well as the developing Docklands waterfront precinct.- History :The... |
3 SW5-Class W class Melbourne tram The W class is a class of electric trams that operates in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The tram model series is a cultural icon to Melbourne... 15 SW6-Class W class Melbourne tram The W class is a class of electric trams that operates in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The tram model series is a cultural icon to Melbourne... 5 W6-Class W class Melbourne tram The W class is a class of electric trams that operates in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The tram model series is a cultural icon to Melbourne... 6 W7-Class W class Melbourne tram The W class is a class of electric trams that operates in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The tram model series is a cultural icon to Melbourne... 5 A1-Class2 A2-Class5 C2-Class C2 class Melbourne tram The C2 class are a group of Citadis trams built by Alstom for the Mulhouse, France tram network but leased by Yarra Trams in Melbourne, Australia... 20 D2-Class |
Sources:
Popular culture
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Trams are a heavily featured in the movie Malcolm
Malcolm (film)
Malcolm is a 1986 Australian cult film, written by David Parker and directed by Nadia Tass. The film stars Colin Friels as the titular tram enthusiast who becomes involved with petty crime. The film won the 1986 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Film.At the start of the film Malcolm is...
, one scene of the controversial film Alvin Purple
Alvin Purple
Alvin Purple was a 1973 Australian comedy film starring Graeme Blundell, written by Alan Hopgood and directed by Tim Burstall.It received largely negative reviews from local film critics. Despite this it was a major hit with Australian audiences...
, and feature in the video clips for, the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
"The Rat Cage" and AC/DC's
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
"It's a Long Way to the Top". Among songs written about Melbourne's trams are, "Toorak Tram" by Bernard Bolan, "Taking the tram to Carnegie" by Oscar and many songs including "Man on a Tram" and "Northcote (So Hungover)
Northcote (so Hungover)
"Northcote " is a song by Australian musical comedian The Bedroom Philosopher released in February 2010 and is taken from the ARIA-nominated album Songs From The 86 Tram...
" by The Bedroom Philosopher
The Bedroom Philosopher
The Bedroom Philosopher is the performance persona of Australian comedian, author, actor and songwriter Justin Heazlewood. Most known for his musical comedy works, The Bedroom Philosopher has released several albums, performed at many arts festivals, been nominated for an ARIA Award and is a...
, from the ARIA-nominated album, Songs From The 86 Tram
Songs from the 86 Tram
Songs from the 86 Tram is the ARIA-nominated third full-length album by Australian musical comedian The Bedroom Philosopher, the performing persona of Justin Heazlewood and acts as a soundtrack to his award-winning live comedy show...
.
For the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
a Z class tram was decorated as a Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
bus by a team of Pakistani
Pakistani
Pakistani may refer to:Person associated with Pakistan* Demographics of Pakistan* List of PakistanisPakistani as a language:* Urdu, national language of Pakistan* Languages of PakistanOther:* Pakistani cuisine- See also :...
decorators. Dubbed the Karachi tram
Karachi To Melbourne Tram
The Melbourne to Karachi tram or the W-11 tram was a Z class tram decorated by a team of professional Pakistani vehicle decorators, commissioned by the City of Melbourne for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.-Origin of the name:...
, it operated on the City Circle tourist route during the Commonwealth Games.
While the centrepiece of the Opening Ceremony
2006 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games was held on 15 March 2006 at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The ceremony was conceived and produced by Jack Morton Worldwide, which also produced the ceremonies for the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth...
was a flying W class tram, specially built for the event, from original W class plans and photos.
On 26 October 2011, a Z class tram, specially liveried as a Royal Tram was used to convey Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
from Federation Square
Federation Square
Federation Square is a civic centre and cultural precinct in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
to Government House
Government House, Melbourne
Government House, Melbourne is the office and official residence of the Governor of Victoria. It is set next to the Royal Botanic Gardens and surrounded by Kings Domain in Melbourne. It was the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia from 1901 to 1930...
, along St Kilda Road
St Kilda Road, Melbourne
St Kilda Road is a street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is part of the locality of Melbourne which has the postcode of 3004 and along with Swanston Street forms a major spine of the city....
during their visit to Melbourne. The Royal Tram is intended to be in regular service for one year following the event.
Transport Integration Act
The prime rail related statute in Victoria is the Transport Integration ActTransport Integration Act
The Transport Integration Act 2010 is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia. The Act is the prime transport statute in Victoria, having replaced major parts of the former Transport Act 1983....
, the Act was enacted to provide an overarching legislation for Victoria's transport system. It requires state agencies charged with providing transport services to work together towards an integrated transport system, and requires state planning bodies to consult the Act when making decisions that will affect the transport system.
The Act establishes Transport Safety Victoria (TSV) as Victoria's safety regulator for bus, maritime and rail transport. The Act also establishes the independent office of the Director, Transport Safety
Director, Transport Safety
The Director, Transport Safety is the independent Government agency responsible for rail, bus and marine safety in the State of Victoria, Australia. The position was created as a statutory office by the Transport Integration Act 2010...
, though who the regulatory function is carried out with the support of TSV.
Another important piece of legislation is the Rail Management Act 1996, whose purpose is to establish a management regime for Victoria's rail infrastructure.
Safety
The safety of tram operations in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
is regulated by the Rail Safety Act 2006
Rail Safety Act
The Rail Safety Act 2006 is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia and is the prime statute regulating the safety of rail operations in the State...
which applies to all rail operations in Victoria.
The Act establishes a framework containing safety duties for all rail industry participants and requires operators who manage infrastructure and rolling stock to obtain accreditation prior to commencing operations. Accredited operators are also required to have a safety management system
Safety Management Systems
Safety Management System is a term used to refer to a comprehensive business management system designed to manage occupational safety and health elements in the workplace.-Description of SMS:...
to guide their operations. Sanctions applying to the safety scheme established under the Rail Safety Act
Rail Safety Act
The Rail Safety Act 2006 is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia and is the prime statute regulating the safety of rail operations in the State...
are contained in the Part 7 of the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983.
The safety regulator for the rail system in Victoria including trams is the Director, Transport Safety, whose office is established under the Transport Integration Act 2010
Transport Integration Act
The Transport Integration Act 2010 is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia. The Act is the prime transport statute in Victoria, having replaced major parts of the former Transport Act 1983....
.
Rail operators in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
can also be the subject of no blame investigations conducted by the Chief Investigator, Transport Safety
Chief Investigator, Transport Safety
The Chief Investigator, Transport Safety is the independent Government agency responsible for investigation of safety-related trends and incidents in the rail, bus and marine industries in the State of Victoria, Australia. The position was created as a statutory office by the Transport...
. The Chief Investigator is charged by the Transport Integration Act
Transport Integration Act
The Transport Integration Act 2010 is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia. The Act is the prime transport statute in Victoria, having replaced major parts of the former Transport Act 1983....
with conducting investigations into rail safety matters including incidents and trends.
Ticketing and conduct
Ticketing requirements for trams in Melbourne are mainly contained in the Transport (Ticketing) Regulations 2006, and the Victorian Fares and Ticketing Manual.Rules about safe and fair conduct on trams in Melbourne are generally contained in the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983 and the Transport (Conduct) Regulations 2005.
See also
- Buses in MelbourneBuses in MelbourneBuses in Melbourne, Australia, are a major form of public transport in Melbourne, with an extensive bus network. The network of 323 bus routes is operated by a number of privately owned bus companies....
- List of Melbourne tram routes
- List of tram and light-rail transit systems
- Railways in MelbourneRailways in MelbourneThe Melbourne rail network is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne under franchise from the Government of Victoria. The network is based on a commuter rail model centred on the Melbourne Central Business District and Flinders Street Station, rather than a rapid transit model, with a focus on...
- Tram controlsTram controlsThe following article describes the controls on electric, rather than steam trams.-Overview:The operation of trams is relatively simple. As trams run on rails, they do not require steering controls. However they do require controls for the smooth application of power and for braking and to control...
- Trams in AustraliaTrams in AustraliaTrams in Australia are now used extensively as public transport only in Melbourne, and to a lesser extent, Adelaide and Bendigo while Sydney operates a modern light rail system. Several other major cities had tram networks however these networks were largely dismantled during the 1950s and some as...
- Tramway Museum Society Of VictoriaTramway Museum Society Of VictoriaThe Tramway Museum Society of Victoria was founded in 1963 in Victoria, Australia. Its aim is the preservation, restoration and operation of trams...
- Transport Integration ActTransport Integration ActThe Transport Integration Act 2010 is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia. The Act is the prime transport statute in Victoria, having replaced major parts of the former Transport Act 1983....
- Rail Safety ActRail Safety ActThe Rail Safety Act 2006 is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia and is the prime statute regulating the safety of rail operations in the State...
- VicTrackVicTrackVicTrack is the Victorian Government agency which owns all railway and tram lines, associated rail lands and other related rail-related infrastructure in the state of Victoria, Australia....
- Director of Public TransportDirector of Public TransportThe Director of Public Transport is the Government agency responsible for promoting, providing, coordinating and regulating public transport in the State of Victoria, Australia...
External links
Official- Official map of Melbourne's tram network
- Metlink - official website of Melbourne's public transport
- Yarra Trams
- 100 Years of Electric Trams in Melbourne (archive)
Enthusiast
- VICSIG - Victorian tramway infrastructure and rollingstock information
- Friends of Hawthorn Tram Depot - Articles
- Tramway Museum Society of Victoria - Reflections
- Melbourne's Trams To The Millennium
- Trams of Australia : history and current
- Unofficial Public Transport Guide to Melbourne
- Tram People Down Under: DVD Video Documentary
- Prince of Rails The IET. 2009-01-19.
- Geographically accurate map on Google Maps