System Melbourne Depot Kew Predecessors Route 42 | Operator Yarra Trams Vehicle A class
C class Night-time Friday & Saturday | |
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Melbourne tram route 109 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from Box Hill to Port Melbourne. The 13.9 kilometre route is operated by A and C class trams from Kew depot.
Contents
The route runs along a light rail track between Southbank and Port Melbourne, using the right-of-way of the former Port Melbourne railway line, the first railway in Australia, which was converted to light rail in 1987. It is the most patronised route in Melbourne, with over 15.6 million trips per year.
History
The origins of route 109 lie in separate tram lines, a cable tram from Spencer Street to the Yarra River, a horse tram from the Yarra River to Kew Cemetery, an electric line from Kew Junction to Box Hill (extended over the years), and the Port Melbourne railway line.
A cable line was opened by the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company from Spencer Street to Brunswick Street along Collins Street, MacArthur Street, Gisborne Street and Victoria Parade on 2 October 1886, and extended to the west side of the Yarra River along Victoria Parade and Victoria Street on 22 November 1886. A connecting horse tram was built from the east side of the Yarra River to Kew Cemetery, along Barkers Road, High Street South and High Street, opening on 28 December 1887.
The Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust (PMTT) opened a line from High Street to Burke Road along Cotham Road on 30 May 1913. On 1 November 1914 the PMTT received permission to convert the horse tram line to electric traction, and the new electric line was opened on 24 February 1915. The PMTT extended the Cotham Road line to Union Road, Mont Albert along Whitehorse Road, on 30 September 1916.
In 1929 the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) started converting the Collins Street cable lines to electric traction, with the last cable tram running down Collins Street on 14 September 1929, and the first electric tram on 8 December 1929. At the same time the MMTB built a new electric line down the centre of Victoria Parade to replace the cable line, which opened on 15 September 1929. For the next six decades the Melbourne to Mont Albert tram was numbered 42, celebrated by a 1982 theatrical production, Storming Mont Albert by Tram, which was performed on a specially-chartered Route 42 tram from the Mont Albert terminus to the city and return.
The line was extended south-west to Port Melbourne along Spencer Street and the former Port Melbourne railway line on 21 December 1987 following the conversion of the railway (along with the St Kilda line) to light rail. The broad gauge 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) track was re-gauged to standard gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) and the overhead voltage was reduced from 1500V DC to 600V DC with light rail platforms built adjacent to or near the former stations platforms. Initially services operated as route 111 between Carlton Gardens and Port Melbourne. On 19 December 1993, routes 42 and 111 were combined as route 109.
The line was extended from its original terminus at Mont Albert to Box Hill along Whitehorse Road, about 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi), at the cost of $28 million, on 2 June 2003. In January 2016, route 109 began operating through the night on Fridays and Saturdays as part of the Night Network.
Description
Route 109 runs from Box Hill, travelling west on Whitehorse Road through the suburbs of Mont Albert, Surrey Hills, Balwyn and Deepdene. Entering Kew at Burke Road, Whitehorse Road becomes Cotham Road. It continues west, through Kew Junction and then south west along High Street, High Street South and turns west into Barkers Road.
It crosses the Yarra River into Victoria Street, Richmond and continues west, at Hoddle Street Victoria Street becomes Victoria Parade, it passes through St Vincent's Plaza, passing St Vincent's Hospital, the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and turns south onto Gisborne Street, continues south west along MacArthur Street and turns west into Collins Street, entering the CBD, passing Melbourne Town Hall and City Square.
It turns south into Spencer Street, passing Southern Cross station, then crosses the Yarra River and enters Southbank on Clarendon Street before traversing the suburbs of South Melbourne and Port Melbourne on a right-of-way using the former Port Melbourne railway line and terminates at Port Melbourne railway station, near Station Pier.
Operation
Route 109 is run from Kew depot and is predominantly run with C class trams.
Bus route
When cruise ships are berthed at Station Pier, Sita Buslines operate a parallel bus service as route 109 between Station Pier and the Arts Centre.