System Melbourne Depot Brunswick Locale Melbourne, Australia | Operator Yarra Trams Vehicle Z3 class
B2 class Start East Coburg | |
 | ||
Melbourne tram route 1 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from the corner of Nicholson and Bell Streets in East Coburg to the corner of Victoria Avenue and Beaconsfield Parade at South Melbourne Beach. The 13.2 kilometre route is operated by Z3 and B2 class trams from Brunswick depot.
Contents
History
The origins of route 1 lie in separate tram lines, a cable tram from Collins Street to South Melbourne Beach, a cable tram along Swanston Street and St Kilda Road, an electric line from Queensberry Street to East Coburg and a section of track between Clarendon Street and St Kilda Road.
Cable trams first travelled from Queensberry Street, Carlton to Milton Street, Balaclava, on 11 October 1888, with the line opened by the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company (MTOC).
A cable tram between Collins Street and South Melbourne Beach, travelling via Market Street, Queens Bridge Street, City Road, Clarendon Street, Park Street, Montague Street, Bridport Street and Victoria Avenue was opened on 17 June 1890 by the MTOC.
The Melbourne, Brunswick & Coburg Tramways Trust commenced building its tramway system in June 1914. On 31 October 1916, East Coburg was connected to Melbourne at Queensberry Street along Nicholson Street, Holmes Street, Lygon Street, Elgin Street and Madeline Street – as the section of Swanston Street north of Victoria Street was originally known.
The Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) constructed a track connecting Clarendon Street and St Kilda Road along Sturt Street, Eastern Road, Heather Street and Park Street, which opened on 31 October 1925.
The MMTB converted the Swanston Street/St Kilda Road cable line to electric traction between 1924 and 1926, with electric trams able to run the entire length on 29 August 1926.
The Market Street cable lines were mainly converted, the Port Melbourne cable tram line, including the Hanna Street (now Kings Way) to Clarendon Street section of City Road was abandoned in favour of buses, to electric traction by the MMTB, with the first service to South Melbourne beach on 25 July 1937.
As part of the City Road and St Kilda Road separation project, the northern most section of track along Sturt Street was relocated to Nolan Street (now Southbank Boulevard) on 16 March 1970.
Description
Route 1 commences at the corner of Nicholson and Bell Streets at Coburg, travelling south via Nicholson Street to Brunswick East where Nicholson Street becomes Holmes Road. It continues south to Albion Street where it doglegs into Lygon Street, continuing south through Carlton North and Carlton, turning west into Elgin Street and south into Swanston Street at Melbourne University.
It passes south through the CBD on Swanston Street, via Melbourne Central station and Flinders Street stations. After crossing the Yarra River it continues south along St Kilda Road, passing The Arts Centre and National Gallery of Victoria before turning west into Southbank Boulevard, quickly turning south onto Sturt Street, passing the Melbourne Recital Hall and Victorian College of the Arts. It briefly travels south on Eastern Road and Heather Street to Park Street, South Melbourne where it travels west to Montague Street Albert Park, and travels south, turning west into Bridport Street and continuing to its terminus in Victoria Avenue at Beaconsfield Parade.
Operation
Route 1 is operated out of Brunswick depot by Z3 and B2 class trams. Brunswick shared operation of the route with South Melbourne depot until 2 April 1995.