Melbourne tram route 12
Route 12 | |||
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Victoria Gardens - St Kilda | |||
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Overview | |||
System | Melbourne | ||
Operator | Yarra Trams | ||
Depot | Southbank | ||
Vehicle | A Class | ||
Began service | 27 January 2014 | ||
Route | |||
Length | 16.2 km | ||
Timetable | Route 12 timetable | ||
Map | Route 12 map | ||
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Melbourne tram route 12 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from Victoria Gardens Richmond via Collins Street and Clarendon Street South Melbourne to St Kilda. The 16.2 kilometer is operated by A class trams from Southbank depot.[1][2]
History
The current iteration of Route 12 (Victoria Gardens – St Kilda) began operation on 27 July 2014 following the cessation of Route 112 (and to an extent Route 24), and commencement of full-time running for Route 11.
The origins of route 12 lie in several separate tram lines, including electrified 19th century cable tram lines and new track through South Melbourne constructed in the 1930.
The oldest section of track along Spencer Street between Collins and Flinders Street was part of Richmond cable tram line (Melbourne's first ever cable tram line), which opened on 11 November 1885 (and was electrified on 14 July 1927). The following year, Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company (MTOC) opened the North Fitzroy Line along Collins Street between Spencer Street (Stop 1) and St Vincent's Plaza (Stop 12) on 2 October 1886. It was electrified on 8 December 1929.[3] The line east of St Vincents Plaza along Victoria Street Richmond opened later that year as the Victoria Bridge line on 22 November 1886. This section was electrified on 15 September 1929.
Meanwhile, the southern section was created in many stages. It began with the South Melbourne cable tram line to South Melbourne beach that came from Queensbridge Street and City Road, then ran along the Clarendon Street section of today's Route 12 between City Road (Stop 126) and Park Street (South Melbourne, Stop 129), and then followed today's Route 1 to South Melbourne beach, which was first opened on 17 June 1890. Next, an electric line between Park Street (South Melbourne) and St Kilda Beach (Fitzroy Street) was constructed by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board, opening on 31 October 1925, with services running from Swanston Street to St Kilda Beach (Fitzroy Street) as routes 1 & 2.[3] When the South Melbourne cable tram line was electrified on 25 July 1937, the section along Clarendon Street was electrified, and a new section extending along Clarendon up to Spencer Street was built, connecting Collins Street services which could now run through to South Melbourne or St Kilda. Route 12 was allocated to the line between South Melbourne Beach and a crossover on Collins Street at Gisborne Street, East Melbourne. Trams heading southwards from the city from Collins Street along Clarendon initially turned right at Park Street to terminate at South Melbourne Beach, while trams from Swanston St turned left and terminated at St Kilda Beach. On 13 September 1953, this was amended so that both tram services ran through the intersection of Park and Clarendon Street instead of both turning, resulting in St Kilda Beach becoming the terminus of route 12.
The original terminus of the St Kilda Beach service along Park Street diverted at Mary Street (Stop 142) and turned left at Beaconsfield Parade to meet the tracks at Fitzroy Street one block south of the current terminus. The junction was double-tracked so that some services would run further towards Luna Park. However, this rarely eventuated. The Mary Street tracks were replaced by the current day terminus at Park Street on 13 November 1959.[3]
The first ever use of the route number 12 was for a about a year for the West Preston to St Kilda Beach service from 21 November 1929. At the time the North Fitzroy cable tram was yet to be electrified, and so all Preston services ran west via Holden and then via Lygon Street to Swanston Street, rather than Collins Street, and then to the southern suburbs. Then, when the cable line from St Georges Road to Collins Street was electrified on 27 October 1930, and services used Collins Street, Route 12 was left unallocated for several years. For a long time, some Route 12 services would continue northwards towards West Preston via Brunswick Street under Route 10. Eventually, the elimination of shared depot routes on 30 April 1995 led to Route 10 becoming discontinued.[3]
On 3 July 1973, a siding was constructed at Brunswick Street (later St Vincents Plaza), which enabled Route 12 to terminate there instead of the busy crossover at Gisborne Street.[3] Following the creation of Route 112 in April 2000, Route 12 became a peak hour only service. However, the peak-hour service was deemed unnecessary for the low-density and affluent suburbs in which it ran and on 18 November 2002, Route 12 was discontinued. It was then allocated as a short working for Route 16 trams terminating at Malvern Depot from 2004.[4] On 27 July 2014, Yarra Tram's desire to discontinue all peak-hour services led to Route 24 and Route 112 to be discontinued, and Route 12 taking its place between Victoria Gardens and St Kilda.[2]
Dates | Route | Notes |
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During PMTT operation | Camberwell - St Kilda Road | via Burke/Malvern Roads |
21 November 1929 - 26 October 1930 | West Preston to St Kilda Beach | via Holden Street and South Melbourne |
27 October 1930 - 24 July 1937 | Unallocated | |
25 July 1937 - 11 September 1953 | South Melbourne Beach to City (Gisborne Street) | |
12 September 1953 - 2 July 1973 | South Melbourne/St Kilda Beach to City (Gisborne Street) | |
3 July 1973 - 17 November 2002 | South Melbourne/St Kilda Beach to City (Brunswick Street) | Became peak-only following creation of Route 112 in April 2000 |
18 November 2002 - 17 October 2004 | Unallocated | |
18 October 2004 - 26 July 2014 | Kew (Cotham Road) to Malvern Depot | Rarely used short working of Route 16 |
27 July 2014 - onwards | Victoria Gardens to St Kilda (Fitzroy St) | Became full-time route following cessation of Route 112 from 27 July 2014 |
Operation
Route 12 trams are operated out of Southbank depot.[2]
Map
Route 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Victoria Gardens - St Kilda (Fitzroy Street) via Richmond, City & South Melbourne Free tram zone covers stops 124 to 8, fare zone 1 applies from stop 10 to 24, 143 to 124A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Note: Green denotes free tram zone |
References
External links
Media related to Melbourne tram route 12 at Wikimedia Commons
- Route 12 timetable and map