Transport in Hobart
Encyclopedia
The city of Hobart, Tasmania is served by a wide variety of transport. While the city's main form of transport is private transport on the road network, transport is also available by bus
, ferry
and aircraft
. A suburban train service operated between Hobart and Brighton from the 1870s until 31 December 1974. There has been, however, talk in recent years of reinstating a train service in the northern suburbs.
along an unused rail line of the Hobart–Bridgewater rail corridor
. Other bike routes travel through Mount Wellington
and the waterfront of the Derwent River
at various locations.
, the Tasman
and the Brooker Highway
. These highways connect at the city centre, and other smaller highways connect to these as they travel out of the city.
Public transport is provided by Metro Tasmania
bus services.
Taxis and limousines operate with no ties to Metro
. Taxi Combined holds the largest fleet of taxicabs in Hobart. Yellow Cabs service the city to a lesser degree. Wrest Point Hotel Casino Limousines provide luxury transport in Hobart.
network was built in 1893 and was the first completely electric network in Australia. In 1960, the tram service was decommissioned in favor of the trolleybus
, although this service only lasted eight years and was replaced in 1968 by a motorised bus service. There has been talk in recent years of re-introducing trams to Hobart, however this has never eventuated.
Hobart has a narrow gauge railway corridor
which starts at the city centre and travels north towards Bridgewater
. This line is currently only used for freight train
s, however a $400,000 feasibility study is currently underway for the possible introduction of commuter trains along the Hobart-Bridgewater
rail corridor. The rail corridor will be available for use when the Hobart freight yards are moved to Brighton
thus freeing the train lines of most freight trains, although rail freight access to the port at Hobart will be retained for container rail traffic. A state-of-the-art light rail
could then ride the rail corridor creating a new express route to Hobart.
Hobart has the second deepest natural port in the world, second to only Rio de Janeiro
in Brazil
. There are currently three operators that run ferries upon the Derwent River
. They are Hobart Cruises, Navigators, and Hobart Yellow Water Cab.
Ferry services operate twice-daily express river crossing services for commuters in morning and evening rush-hour slots from Bellerive Quay to Sullivans Cove, and return. The trip takes approximately seven minutes operated by Hobart Yellow Water Cab. The trip allows commuters from Clarence to arrive just a five minute walk from the CBD. Since the opening of the Museum of Old and New Art
in January 2011, a regular daily ferry operates from Sullivan's Cove to the museum's location in the northern suburb of Berriedale
.
Hobart serves as Australia's main sea link to Antarctica for the Australian Antarctic Division
located in Kingston
. Hobart is the home port to the Australian Icebreaker
the Aurora Australis
which serves the Australian Antarctic Territory
during the summer months. Hobart is also home to the French ship l'Astrolabe
, which makes regular supply runs to the French Southern Territories located around Antarctica.
in the city's east for regional, domestic and international flights and Cambridge Aerodrome
in the city's eastern suburbs for general aviation and charter flights.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
, ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
and aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
. A suburban train service operated between Hobart and Brighton from the 1870s until 31 December 1974. There has been, however, talk in recent years of reinstating a train service in the northern suburbs.
Cycling
There are many bike tracks in the greater Hobart area, one of the most notable being the intercity bike track which runs from Hobart 12 km north to GlenorchyCity of Glenorchy
The City of Glenorchy is a Local Government Area of Tasmania which covers several northern suburbs of Hobart including the suburb of Glenorchy by the same name. The city is managed by Glenorchy City Council. Current mayor is Stuart Slade.- History :...
along an unused rail line of the Hobart–Bridgewater rail corridor
Transport corridor
A transportation corridor is a tract of land in which at least one main line for transport, be it road, rail or canal, has been built...
. Other bike routes travel through Mount Wellington
Mount Wellington (Tasmania)
Mount Wellington is a mountain on whose foothills is built much of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is often referred to simply as 'the Mountain' by the residents of Hobart, and it rises to AHD over the city....
and the waterfront of the Derwent River
Derwent River (Tasmania)
The Derwent is a river in Tasmania, Australia. It was named after the River Derwent, Cumbria by British Commodore John Hayes who explored it in 1793. The name is Brythonic Celtic for "valley thick with oaks"....
at various locations.
Road
The car is the dominant mode of transport for Hobart residents. The three major highways servicing the greater Hobart area are the Souther OutletSouthern Outlet, Hobart
The Southern Outlet is a 13km dual-carriageway limited-access highway that connects Hobart to the southern parts of Tasmania, Australia...
, the Tasman
Tasman Highway
The Tasman Highway is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. Like the Midland Highway, it connects the major cities of Hobart and Launceston — however it takes a different route, via the north-eastern and eastern coasts of the state. The Highway also acts as a major commuter road to Hobart...
and the Brooker Highway
Brooker Highway
The Brooker Highway is a highway in the State of Tasmania, Australia. Also known as the Northern Outlet, the highway is the major arterial route through Hobart's northern suburbs and is Hobart's major road connection to the cities and towns of Northern Tasmania...
. These highways connect at the city centre, and other smaller highways connect to these as they travel out of the city.
Public transport is provided by Metro Tasmania
Metro Tasmania
Metro Tasmania is the primary provider of public transport in the Australian state of Tasmania. For bus timetable and route information see the...
bus services.
Taxis and limousines operate with no ties to Metro
Metro Tasmania
Metro Tasmania is the primary provider of public transport in the Australian state of Tasmania. For bus timetable and route information see the...
. Taxi Combined holds the largest fleet of taxicabs in Hobart. Yellow Cabs service the city to a lesser degree. Wrest Point Hotel Casino Limousines provide luxury transport in Hobart.
Rail
Hobart's tramTram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
network was built in 1893 and was the first completely electric network in Australia. In 1960, the tram service was decommissioned in favor of the trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
, although this service only lasted eight years and was replaced in 1968 by a motorised bus service. There has been talk in recent years of re-introducing trams to Hobart, however this has never eventuated.
Hobart has a narrow gauge railway corridor
Transport corridor
A transportation corridor is a tract of land in which at least one main line for transport, be it road, rail or canal, has been built...
which starts at the city centre and travels north towards Bridgewater
Bridgewater, Tasmania
Bridgewater, Tasmania, is one greater Hobart's northern-most suburbs, located 19 km from the city. It is situated on the eastern shore of the Derwent River. It is a suburb of the local government area of the Municipality of Brighton....
. This line is currently only used for freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
s, however a $400,000 feasibility study is currently underway for the possible introduction of commuter trains along the Hobart-Bridgewater
South Line, Tasmania
The South Line, also known as the Main Line and sometimes the North/South Line or the North–South Line, is a freight rail corridor connecting Hobart to the northern ports of Tasmania. The Railway Line was built by the Tasmanian Main Line Company...
rail corridor. The rail corridor will be available for use when the Hobart freight yards are moved to Brighton
Brighton Transport Hub
The Brighton Transport Hub is a $79 million Intermodal Transport hub currently under construction in conjunction with the Brighton Bypass on the northern fringes of Hobart, in southern Tasmania. The Bridgewater Industrial Estate was chosen as the preferred site of the Inland port because of its...
thus freeing the train lines of most freight trains, although rail freight access to the port at Hobart will be retained for container rail traffic. A state-of-the-art 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...
could then ride the rail corridor creating a new express route to Hobart.
Water
Hobart has the second deepest natural port in the world, second to only Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. There are currently three operators that run ferries upon the Derwent River
Derwent River (Tasmania)
The Derwent is a river in Tasmania, Australia. It was named after the River Derwent, Cumbria by British Commodore John Hayes who explored it in 1793. The name is Brythonic Celtic for "valley thick with oaks"....
. They are Hobart Cruises, Navigators, and Hobart Yellow Water Cab.
Ferry services operate twice-daily express river crossing services for commuters in morning and evening rush-hour slots from Bellerive Quay to Sullivans Cove, and return. The trip takes approximately seven minutes operated by Hobart Yellow Water Cab. The trip allows commuters from Clarence to arrive just a five minute walk from the CBD. Since the opening of the Museum of Old and New Art
Museum of Old and New Art
The Museum of Old and New Art is an art museum located within the Moorilla winery on the Berriedale peninsula in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is the largest privately funded museum in Australia. The museum presents antiquities, modern and contemporary art from the David Walsh collection...
in January 2011, a regular daily ferry operates from Sullivan's Cove to the museum's location in the northern suburb of Berriedale
Berriedale, Tasmania
Berriedale is a suburb in the northern suburbs of Hobart, capital of Tasmania, Australia. It is in the local government area of City of Glenorchy. The suburb is situated between the suburbs of Chigwell and Rosetta. There are no educational institutions within Berriedale, however there are primary...
.
Hobart serves as Australia's main sea link to Antarctica for the Australian Antarctic Division
Australian Antarctic Division
The Australian Antarctic Division is an agency of the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities . The division undertakes science programs and research projects to contribute to an understanding of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean...
located in Kingston
Kingston, Tasmania
Kingston is a township and region on the outskirts of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Nestled 15 km south of the city between and around several hills, Kingston is the council seat of its wider municipality, the Kingborough Council, and today serves as the gateway between Hobart and the...
. Hobart is the home port to the Australian Icebreaker
Icebreaker
An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller vessels .For a ship to be considered an icebreaker, it requires three traits most...
the Aurora Australis
Aurora Australis (icebreaker)
Aurora Australis is an Australian icebreaker. Built by Carrington Slipways and launched in 1989, the vessel is owned by P&O Polar, but is regularly chartered by the Australian Antarctic Division for research cruises in Antarctic waters and to support Australian bases in Antarctica.-Design and...
which serves the Australian Antarctic Territory
Australian Antarctic Territory
The Australian Antarctic Territory is a part of Antarctica. It was claimed by the United Kingdom and placed under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1933. It is the largest territory of Antarctica claimed by any nation...
during the summer months. Hobart is also home to the French ship l'Astrolabe
French icebreaker Astrolabe
The icebreaker Astrolabe is a French research vessel.Among its duties are bring personnel and supplies to the Dumont d'Urville research station in Antarctica....
, which makes regular supply runs to the French Southern Territories located around Antarctica.
Airports
Hobart is served by Hobart International AirportHobart International Airport
Hobart International Airport is an airport located in Cambridge, east of Hobart, Tasmania. The Federal government owned airport is currently being operated on a 99 year lease to the Tasmanian Gateway Consortium. The airport has seen strong passenger growth in the last few years, primarily due to...
in the city's east for regional, domestic and international flights and Cambridge Aerodrome
Cambridge Aerodrome
Cambridge Aerodrome , also known as Cambridge Airport, is a minor airport serving Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is located only a few kilometres from the primary airport, Hobart International Airport....
in the city's eastern suburbs for general aviation and charter flights.