System Melbourne Depot Malvern Locale Melbourne, Australia | Operator Yarra Trams Vehicle Z3 class
D1 class Start Melbourne University | |
 | ||
Melbourne tram route 6 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from Melbourne University to Glen Iris. The 12.7 kilometre route is operated by Z and D1 class trams from Malvern depot.
Contents
History
The origins of route 6 lie in separate tram lines, namely an electric line from Melbourne University to Queensberry Street, a cable tram from Queensberry Street to High Street and a number of electric lines from St Kilda Junction to Burke Road.
Cable trams first travelled from Queensberry Street, Carlton to Milton Street, Balaclava (just south of Carlisle Street), on 11 October 1888, with the line opened by the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company.
The Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust (PMTT) opened a line from Charles Street, Prahran to Tooronga Road, Glen Iris along High Street on 30 May 1910. This line was extended west to Punt Road on 14 March 1911 and again, to St Kilda Road on 14 September 1912, connecting with the St Kilda Road cable tram to the city, both extensions were built by the PMTT who extended the line again on 25 March 1914, this time east, to its current terminus at Malvern Road.
The Melbourne, Brunswick & Coburg Tramways Trust opened its line from Park Street, North Carlton to Queensberry Street, Carlton along Lygon Street, Elgin Street and Madeline Street, as the section of Swanston Street north of Victoria Street was originally known, on 31 October 1916.
The Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board converted the Swanston Street/St Kilda Road cable line to electric traction between 1924 and 1926, with electric trams able to run to High Street on 28 March 1926 and able to travel the entire length on 29 August 1926.
In October 2016, it was announced that as part of works associated with the Melbourne Metro Rail Project, route 6 will be extended from Melbourne University to Moreland to partly replace route 8.
Description
Route 6 operates from Melbourne University travelling south via Swanston Street, through the CBD, passing Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne Central station, State Library of Victoria, Melbourne Town Hall, City Square, St Paul's Cathedral, Flinders Street station, Federation Square and Birrarung Marr.
Crossing the Yarra River onto the Southbank, it continues along St Kilda Road, passing The Arts Centre, National Gallery of Victoria, Victoria Barracks and the Shrine of Remembrance.
It turns east into High Street, traversing via Prahran, Windsor, Armadale and Malvern to its terminus at Malvern Road, Glen Iris.
Operation
Route 6 is operated out of Malvern depot by Z and D1 class trams. On 30 November 2002, the first D class trams entered service on the route.