Metropolitan Melbourne is divided into two zones. [28][29] To solve operational and maintenance problem the MMTB introduced in 1923 the iconic W-class tram and phased out the other models. 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 tram system in Melbourne. The system was approximately 7 mi (11.3 km) and was operated by 25 motor cars and 10 trailers.[26]. At some Melbourne intersections (most within the CBD), motor vehicles are required to perform a hook turn, a manoeuvre designed to give trams priority. If you start or finish a journey outside the Free Tram Zone, a valid myki card is still required. Hi, I’m interested in the P Class Sydney tram. [14], 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. One hundred Z1-class trams were built between 1975 and 1979, the first 80 or so entering service as Z-class before being modified. Using overhead wires to feed electricity to the trams, the network continued to expand greatly and profitably. [158] The trams can be found on the network throughout the year by entering the corresponding tram number in the myTRAM feature of the tramTRACKER app. Many were later sold at auctions, while others were donated to tram museums. Most of the traditional old trams have been replaced by sleek, light rail versions in all but the city circle route, where you can catch a heritage tram with commentary. Electricity is supplied to these substations in either 6,600, 11,000, or 22,000 volt AC and is then stepped down, and rectified to 600 volt DC. With the world's largest network, trams have become synonymous with the city of Melbourne in Australia. Reply. Following the privatisation of Melbourne's tram system in 1999, the private operators acquired new trams to replace the older Z-class trams. The Royal Tram was in regular service for a little over one year following the event. [34] Melbourne resisted the trend to shut down the network for three major reasons: 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. [3], Melbourne's tram system operates on 600 volt DC electricity, provided to the over head lines by a network of 50 substations spread across the network. 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. en In Australia, seven of the eight Birney cars imported there have survived in operating condition: five are at Bendigo Tramways including the two ex-Geelong cars and three from Adelaide, one G type at the Adelaide Tramway Museum, St Kilda, and one Melbourne X class housed at the Hawthorn tram depot in Melbourne … The tram now runs at the Danish tram museum of Sporvejsmuseet. [159], The prime rail related statute in Victoria is the Transport Integration Act, the Act was enacted to provide an overarching legislation for Victoria's transport system. [44], In the 1992 state election, the Liberals came to power under Premier Jeff Kennett, who planned to cut the costs of Melbourne's public transport network and remove conductors. By the 1970s Melbourne was the only Australian city with a major tram network. 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 from 1982, but suspended in 2005. [92][93], The development of new rolling stock to replace the W-class began in the early 1970s with a modern design, based on the Gothenburg, Sweden M28 design. Mr Morgan transferred the concession to the NMETL, which had been formed to build the system and provide electricity to the area. admin. Since then they have become a distinctive part of Melbourne's character and feature in tourism and travel advertising. [54][55][56], 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. Private Sightseeing Tours. [19] 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. Melbourne has the world's largest tram network, and trams have been an integral part of the city's transport system for many decades. Reply. 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. On 26 October 2011, a Z3-class tram, specially liveried as a Royal Tram was used to convey Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, from Federation Square to Government House, along St Kilda Road during their visit to Melbourne. The first were built during the cable tram systems operation, with much reluctance on behalf of the Victorian Railways. some have been given or loaned to various Museums. [55][104], Five C2-class trams, a five-section articulated variant of the Alstom Citadis, began running in Melbourne in 2008 after being leased from Mulhouse in France. [168], Ticketing requirements for trams in Melbourne are mainly contained in the Transport (Ticketing) Regulations 2006[169] and the Victorian Fares and Ticketing Manual. [37][38], 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. [108][109], The D1-class and D2-class trams are owned by CBA entity[who?] [117] Further extensions to this order have since been made, and as of 24 February 2020 a total of 35 E2-class trams have entered service, with another five on order. They have two equal-wheeled bogies, with all four axles powered by a separate motor; carbodies feature a distinctive "drop centre" section, allowing the passenger steps at the central doorways to be closer to the ground. How to travel on trams Councillor Alex Cameron of Malvern, who led the push for a municipal tramway service, was elected chairman of the trust by both Malvern and Prahran councils. B-class trams were the first articulated trams to serve on the Melbourne network. "They can't do it to the whole of Melbourne. [139], Historically many tram–train level crossings have operated in Melbourne, all but the aforementioned three have been grade-separated, or the tramway or railway has been abandoned. The last was introduced into service on 11 October 2013. Southern Cross Station is Melbourne's hub for regional and interstate trains. [98] All but one that were built remain in service at present. The $303 million contract was for supply of 50 trams with maintenance to 2017, and included an option for a further 100 trams. [30][85][86], 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 of Australia. Additionally, they are concurrently planning for the further segmentation of the supply network; further isolating disruptions caused by disturbance to the supply system. See a map of the Free Tram Zone on the Public Transport Victoria website. Hop on and off the historic trams as often as you like. It's a plastic smartcard with stored value which can be topped up and re-used again. Melbourne's Night Network offers all night public transport on weekends, with all night metropolitan trains and trams, late night buses, and a 2am coach service to key regional centres. [160][161], The Act establishes Transport Safety Victoria (TSV) as Victoria's safety regulator for bus, maritime and rail transport. The myki Explorer card includes a day's unlimited travel by train, bus and tram in metropolitan Melbourne, plus maps and a handful of discounts and offers. The most important thing for tram travel is a myki card. Once you have your ticket, you must validate it. Please enable JavaScript in order to get the best experience when using this site. All Trams; Public Holiday: Labour Day 2021. [50][51] 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. [79], 24 numbered routes operate with a regular schedule on Melbourne's tram network. It’s FREE as long as you’re traveling WITHIN the FREE TRAM ZONE. [18], The VR tram was called a "Street Railway" and was built using the Victorian Railways 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) broad gauge instead of the cable tramway standard gauge of 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm), and connected it with the St Kilda railway station, which would allow trams to be moved along the St Kilda railway line for servicing at Jolimont Yard. There's so much to see and do across Victoria and our handy list of the top attractions helps you work out where to begin, in city or country. Parkville tram power upgrade works. When the signal box adjacent to the crossing interlocks the gates for trains to pass through, 1500 volts is applied, while when the gates are up 600 volts is applied. Another nine are now part of the downtown Memphis tourist service, while several[which?] You can board trams at signposted stops showing maps, route numbers and a timetable. Melbourne is the only city in Australia with a network of trams. These huge wheels, weighing about fifty tons, form a most striking feature in a Melbourne tramway engine house. [46] VicTrack, a new statutory authority within the Victorian Government, was created in 1997 to hold the ownership of land and assets relating to Victoria's tram and rail systems. [66][67], In April 2012, Public Transport Victoria (PTV), a new statutory authority was formed after amendments to the Transport Integration Act 2010 and the passing of the Transport Legislation Amendment (Public Transport Development Authority) Act 2011. Book In Advance. After World War II other Australian cities began to replace their trams with buses. This is due to the increased amount of current required by newer trams such as the E-class and other low-floor trams scheduled for wider deployment across the system. [162], Rail operators in Victoria can also be the subject of no blame investigations conducted by the Chief Investigator, Transport Safety. [71] Yarra Trams, the Department of Transport, and later Public Transport Victoria, are introducing level boarding stops to improve accessibility and safety, and comply with the Disability Discrimination Act; as of January 2014 360 accessible stops have been constructed, all since 1999. Road-based transport accounts for most trips across many parts of the city, facilitated by Australia's largest freeway network. Operates overnight on Saturday and Sunday mornings. OneLink were contracted in 1995 to introduce an automatic ticketing system. Different motors and control equipment were fitted, resulting in smoother acceleration and braking compared to the Z1-class. Melbourne's trams run out of eight depots. Public Transport Victoria's journey planner. [53][54] Swanston Trams (M>Tram) introduced 59 new Siemens Combino (D-class) low-floor built trams by Siemens, at a cost of A$175 million, and invested approximately A$8 million in refurbishing their fleet, while Yarra Trams introduced 36 Alstom Citadis (C-class) low-floor trams, at a cost of A$100 million, and invested A$5.3 million refurbishing their fleet. [10][11], The Act established the Melbourne Tramways Trust (MTT), which was made up of the 12 municipalities that the MTOC system would serve. In 2006 a W-class tram 965 was gifted from the City of Melbourne to Australian Mary Donaldson and her fiancé, Danish Crown Prince Frederik, on the occasion of their marriage. Children under 4 travel for free and do not need a myki card. More information - … Route numbers show on the front of the tram. This story explores the history of Melbourne’s trams from the perspectives of Trammies (tram workers) and passengers. All stations will have a validator. [14][49] 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. I just found your comment among a whole lot of spam comments on the site. [45], 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). June 17, 2020. For timetables and route maps visit the Public Transport Victoria website. Melbourne's burgundy and gold City Circle Trams offer free travel to city sights and attractions, with audio commentary on points of interest along the route. If your starting or ending point is outside the zone, the A$4.40 rate will apply. The Glen Huntly Road crossing has been slated for removal and separation in an election commitment to expand the Level Crossing Removals project by Premier Daniel Andrews. [14], An Automatic Vehicle Monitoring system was introduced in 1985, improving communication with drivers and allowing tracking of trams throughout the network. 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. [83], The E-class are three-section, four-bogie articulated trams, based on the Bombardier Flexity Swift design and built at Bombardier Transportation's Dandenong factory. City Circle Tram. [3] Route numbers suffixed with the letter 'a' terminate before the usual destination, divert from the usual route, or both (due to major delays or disruptions), while services suffixed with the letter 'd' terminate or divert to their depots (at end of service). Although several lines were originally intended to be horse trams, and the MTOC did operate three horse tram lines on the edges of the system, the core of the system was built as cable trams. Both B1-class trams had been withdrawn by 17 December 1985. [134], In January 2017, the state government announced tenders to power Melbourne's tram network with solar power, to be supplied at Mildura with a new 75 MW solar power plant by the end of 2018 [135][136][137], There are currently three level crossings where trams and trains cross each other: Glenferrie Road, Kooyong; Glen Huntly Road, Glen Huntly; and Riversdale Road, Camberwell. Hi Tony, Sorry for the late reply. They were dubbed 'Bumble Bees' due to the distinctive yellow colour scheme they carried when first introduced, and run exclusively on route 96. Travel on trams in Melbourne's city centre is free. Visit the V/Line website for timetables, maps and other information. Patronage estimates use a different methodology from 2004–05, resulting in a "step-change" in patronage estimates from 2003–04 to 2004–05. [154][155][156][157], Melbourne Art Trams have continued to be refreshed and introduced annually since 2013, with over 48 artists featured. [14][46], On 25 June 2009, it was announced that Keolis Downer, a joint venture between Keolis and Downer EDI, would be the operator of the Melbourne tram network from 30 November 2009. They were similar – the major differences being the brakes, door operating mechanisms, and that the A1-class were built with trolley poles, while A2-class were the first trams for Melbourne that were equipped with pantographs only. add example. Metlink's role was 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. Buses replace Route 1 trams between Stop 14 Arts Precinct and South Melbourne Beach, diverting around the work zone. In 1906 electric tram systems were opened in St Kilda and Essendon, marking the start of continuous operation of Melbourne's electric trams. [146] The centrepiece of the Opening Ceremony was a flying W-class tram, specially built for the event, from original W-class plans and photos.[147]. 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. [52], 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. [38][43], By the late 1980s, the state government was under financial pressures brought on by an economic downturn. You don’t need to get any sort of pass or ticket to avail of this; just hop into the tram. Figures exclude additional patronage associated with the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The overhead system is further separated into 100 sections, this is done for two reasons, one is to maintain voltage and current across the network, and two is to isolate disruptions when issues relating to the electrical transmission system occur. [91] In 2011 the Victoria government committed $8 million over four years for the restoration of W-class trams, with options for new routes to be considered. Monday 8 March. It was written by Paul Davies and directed by Mark Shirrefs and was revived in 1992 and 1998. Travel on the City Circle Tram is also free. How to travel on trams You can board trams at signposted stops showing maps, route numbers and a timetable. If you start or finish a journey outside the Free Tram Zone, a … The W-class trams are a type of electric trams built by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) between 1923 and 1956 in Australia.There were a total of 752 trams built during that time and around 12 sub-classes of these trams were made. [89][90] 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. Tram stops in the Free Tram Zone are clearly marked. Infrastructure upgrades; Projects; eLearning Modules; Individuals. [164], 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. [33] 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. Joseph. [24][25], The Victorian Government of Sir Thomas Bent approved an application by Mr Morgan to build a tramway system in the Essendon area on 29 March 1904, with a poll of ratepayers overwhelming supporting the proposition on 29 July 1904 (2874 votes to 146). The Chief Investigator is charged by the Transport Integration Act with conducting investigations into rail safety matters including incidents and trends. Industrial action. In 2018 the program was extended for a further 3 years through to 2021, and featured the first interactive art tram (using augmented reality) designed by Dr Troy Innocent for Melbourne International Games Week. 1; Eastern Road renewal works . Cheers Tony. These trams sufficed until Newport Workshops built 14 new trams. Transportation, Tramways. Also, the infrastructure and vehicles were relatively new, having replaced Cable Tram equipment in only the 1920s–1940s. The propulsion systems and bogies were imported from Bombardier's Mannheim and Siegen factories in Germany. [110], E-class trams are 33 metres long and 2.65 metres wide, have anti-slip flooring, are air-conditioned, have automatic audio-visual announcements and a passenger capacity of 210. 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. Trams are a major form of public transport in Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria, Australia. It also provides information on fares, transport services and initiatives, and is responsible for overseeing and improving Victoria's public transport services. The Zoo line was Melbourne's last horse tram and the only line still in operation at the formation of the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB), however it was destroyed by fire during the 1923 police strike; the MMTB took the decision not to reopen it, thus ending Melbourne's horse tram era. [10][11], 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.