Melbourne tram route 1

Route 1
East Coburg - South Melbourne Beach
B2 class tram on Swanston Street in September 2012
Overview
System	Melbourne
Operator	Yarra Trams
Depot	Brunswick
Vehicle	Z3 class B2 class
Route
Locale	Melbourne, Australia
Start	East Coburg
Via	Brunswick East Carlton North Carlton Melbourne CBD (Swanston St) Southbank South Melbourne Albert Park
End	South Melbourne Beach
Length	13.2 km (8.2 mi)
Zone(s)	Free Zone: Stops 8-13 Myki Zone 1: Stops 135-112, 14-32
Annual patronage	7.8 million
Timetable	Route 1 timetable
Map	Route 1 map
Route map ←   {{{system_nav}}}  Route 3 →

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.^[1][2]

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 and Omnibus Company.^[3]

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 Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company.^[3]

The Melbourne, Brunswick and 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 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.^[4]

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 the entire length on 29 August 1926.^[4]

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 Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board, with the first service to South Melbourne Beach on 25 July 1937.^[4]

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.^[5]

Route

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.^[2]

Map

Route 1
East Coburg Stop 135 Rennie Street 131 Moreland Road Route 8 129 Brunswick Albion Street 127 Blyth Street 125 Glenlyon Road 122 Brunswick Road 120 Carlton Princes Street 114 Lytton Street 113 Elgin Street 112 Melbourne University 1 City RMIT University 7 La Trobe Street Melbourne Central station Routes 12, 30, City Circle 8 Bourke Street Routes 86, 96 10 City Square, Collins Street Routes 11, 12, 48, 109 11 Federation Square Flinders Street station Routes 70, 75, City Circle 13 Arts Precinct Routes 3/3a, 5, 6, 8, 16, 64, 67, 72 14 Kings Way Route 55 20 South Melbourne Clarendon Street Route 12 24 Ferrars Street 26 Bridport Street 28 Richardson Street 30 South Melbourne Beach 32
Not all stops are shown, refer to timetable for full list of stops Green denotes free tram zone

References

External links

• Media related to Melbourne tram route 1 at Wikimedia Commons
• Route 1 map
• Route 1 timetable