Melbourne tram route 6
| Route 6 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne University - Glen Iris | |||||
 | |||||
 D1 class tram outside Melbourne Town Hall in December 2009 | |||||
| Overview | |||||
| System | Melbourne | ||||
| Operator | Yarra Trams | ||||
| Depot | Malvern | ||||
| Vehicle | Z class D1 class | ||||
| Route | |||||
| Locale | Melbourne, Australia | ||||
| Start | Melbourne University | ||||
| Via | Carlton Melbourne CBD (Swanston St) Southbank Prahran Armadale Malvern | ||||
| End | Glen Iris | ||||
| Length | 12.7 km (7.9 mi) | ||||
| Zone(s) | Free Zone: Stops 8-13 Myki Zone 1: Stops 1-7, 14-53 | ||||
| Annual patronage | 5.4 million | ||||
| Timetable | Route 6 timetable | ||||
| Map | Route 6 map | ||||
| |||||
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.[1][2]
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 and Omnibus Company.[3]
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust opened a line from Charles Street, Prahran to Tooronga Road, Glen Iris along High Street on 30 May 1910.[4] 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 Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust. The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust extended the line again on 25 March 1914, this time east, to its current terminus at Malvern Road.[5]
The Melbourne, Brunswick and 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.[5]
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.[6]
Route
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.
Following public consultation, Public Transport Victoria decided to proceed with the route changes put forward by Keolis-Downer Victoria (the private company that runs Yarra Trams under a franchise agreement on behalf of the Victorian State Government) to amend routes 6, as well as separate (but concurrent) changes to Routes 1 and 8. Route 6 will continue to follow its existing route from Glen Iris, but instead terminate at East Coburg terminus (the current, existing northern terminus of Route 1, which will then change its northern terminus location to Moreland Station) instead of terminating at Melbourne University terminus. The changes were put forward by KDR Victoria to lessen delays at the Melbourne University terminus, where there are only three shunts available for tram routes that need to turn back, which led to constant, ongoing delays for through routes such as the current Routes 1 & 8. Further, it will also allow low-floor trams to be utilized for the very first time in the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Flemington Road precinct to assist customers with special needs and allow the state to meet its legal obligations to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act. These changes will be enacted to coincide with the next master timetable change occurring in April 2017.
Operation
Route 6 is operated out of Malvern depot by Z and D1 class trams.[2]
Map
References
- ^ Facts & figures Yarra Trams
- ^ a b Route 6 Yarra Trams
- ^ "Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company Limited" (PDF), Tramway Museum Society of Victoria Running Journal Vol 9 No 3, page 16
- ^ "Milestones, 1901 - 1910", Yarra Trams
- ^ a b "Milestones, 1911 - 1920", Yarra Trams
- ^ "Milestones, 1921 - 1930", Yarra Trams
External links
Media related to Melbourne tram route 6 at Wikimedia Commons- Route 6 map
- Route 6 timetable
