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Melbourne tram route 5

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Route 5
Overview
SystemMelbourne
OperatorYarra Trams
DepotMalvern
VehicleZ3 class
D1 class
Began service21 November 1929
Route
StartMelbourne University
ViaSwanston Street
St Kilda Road
Dandenong Road
Malvern East
EndMalvern
Length12.6 kilometres (7.8 mi)
TimetableRoute 5 timetable
MapRoute 5 map
← Route 3/3a  {{{system_nav}}}  Route 6 →

Melbourne tram route 5 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network from Melbourne University to Malvern. The 12.6-kilometre (7.8 mi) route is operated out of Malvern depot with Z and D1 class trams.

History

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Route 5 was allocated to the line between Malvern (Burke Road) and City (Swanston Street) on 21 November 1929, the same day that numbers were allocated to the rest of the Swanston Street trams. Trams traditionally terminated at the Victoria Street terminus, but following an accident in 1991, trams instead terminated at the Queensberry Street crossover. Due to congestion during peak hours at the crossover, some trams continued north to Melbourne University. Finally on 17 January 1996, a permanent shunt was built at Melbourne University. From then on, route 5 trams were altered run full-time to Melbourne University.[1]

The origins of route 5 lie in separate tram lines. The section of track between Queensberry Street (Stop 4) and St Kilda Junction (Stop 30) is the oldest section of this route, dating back to the Brighton Road cable tram which opened on 11 October 1888 by the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company. This cable tram line was electrified in stages by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB). The section between Domain Interchange (Stop 20) and St Kilda Junction (Stop 30) was electrified on 27 December 1925. The section between Queensberry Street and City Road (near Stop 14) was electrified on the same day. The line between City Road and Domain Interchange was electrified on 24 January 1926. The section between St Kilda Junction and Chapel Street (Stop 32) also dates back to the cable era, as the Windsor to St Kilda Esplanade cable tramway which opened on 17 October 1891. This section was one of the first cable trams to be converted to electric traction on 27 December 1925.[1]

The line east of Hawthorn Road (Stop 45) until the Malvern (Burke Road) terminus was one of the original lines constructed by the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust (PMTT), which opened on 30 May 1910. The PMTT also built the section between the Sandringham railway line (near Stop 33) and Wattletree Road (Stop 40), opening on 16 December 1911. This line was extended to Chapel Street (Stop 32) on 31 March 1912.

On 24 June 1928, the MMTB constructed a small section of track between Wattletree Road and Glenferrie Road, giving a more direct route from Burke Road to St Kilda Junction.[2]

As part of the St Kilda Junction separation works, the Wellington Street section was abandoned for a new section of track along the newly built Queens Way on 4 November 1968.[3]

During the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the route was merged with route 55 to West Coburg at Domain Interchange to alleviate congestion along St Kilda Road.[4][5]

Until 29 October 2023, the entire route only operated until 19:00, after which the route ran shuttle between Dandenong Road and Malvern. From 30 October 2023, route 5 was converted to full day operations along the entire route.[6]

Melbourne tram route 5 evolution
Dates Route Notes
During PMTT operation Victoria Bridge to Riversdale Road
21 November 1929 - 15 April 1991 City (Victoria Street) to Malvern (Burke Road) Rerouted via Queens Way on 11 April 1968
15 April 1991 - 17 January 1996 City (Queensberry Street / Swanston Street) to Malvern (Burke Road) Some services terminated at Melbourne University
17 January 1996 - present Melbourne University to Malvern (Burke Road)

Route

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Route 5 operates from Melbourne University travelling 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 to St Kilda Junction, where it descends to Queens Way, Windsor and heads east, at Chapel Street, Queens Way becomes Dandenong Road. It continues east passing through Prahran, Armadale, Malvern and Malvern East to its terminus at Burke Road.

Operation

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Timetable of route 5 at the Flinders Street station tram stop, instructing passengers to take route 64 and connect with route 5 services after 19:00
B-class tram on route 64 displaying the 64/5 route number and "& Malvern" in an evening of October 2023

Route 5 is operated out of Malvern depot with Z and D1 class trams.[7][8][9] It is occasionally operated by D2 class trams.

Until 29 October 2023, from 19:00 the service only operated between Dandenong Road / Wattletree Road and Malvern, with services timetabled to connect with route 64 services, displayed as Route 64/5.

Since 30 October 2023, the evening operations swapped with route 64, with route 5 running low-floor trams along the entire route throughout the evening, and route 64 running shuttle between Dandenong Road / Wattle Tree Road and East Brighton after 18:30.[6]

Route map

[edit]
Melbourne Tram Route 5
Melbourne University - Malvern
via City, Windsor & Armadale
Free tram zone covers stops 8 to 13, fare zone 1 applies from stop 1 to 7, 14 to 52
Suburb
Street
Stop
No.
Melbourne University
Connections
continues as Tram 1 & 6
towards East Coburg & Moreland
1
Melbourne University
Tram interchange
1, 3, 6, 16
64, 67, 72
; Bus interchange
401, 402
403, 546
3
Lincoln Square
4
Queensberry Street
Victoria Street
No Service
7
RMIT University
La Trobe Street
Tram 30, City Circle
Mainline rail interchange
Melbourne Central station
8
Melbourne Central station
10
Bourke Street Mall
Bourke Street
Tram 86, 96
Collins Street
Tram 11, 12, 48, 109
11
Collins Street
Tram interchange 11, 12, 48, 109
Flinders Street
Tram 70, 75, City Circle
Mainline rail interchange
Flinders Street station
13
Flinders Street station
14
Arts Precinct
Tram interchange 1; Bus interchange
216, 219
220
Southbank Boulevard
Tram 1
17
Grant Street - Police Memorial
19
Shrine of Remembrance
Park Street
Tram 58
20
Anzac Station
Domain Road
No Service (Temporary Closure)
21
Bowen Crescent
22
Toorak Road
Toorak Road
Tram 58
Toorak Right arrow
 
23
Arthur Street
24
Leopold Street
25
Commercial Road
Tram interchange 72; Bus interchange 216, 219, 220
Commercial Road
Tram 72
26
Moubray Street
27
High Street
High Street
Tram 6
29
Union Street
30
St Kilda Junction
Tram interchange 3, 16, 67
St Kilda Road
Tram 3, 16, 67
Windsor
Upton Road
31
Queens Way
32
Chapel Street
Mainline rail interchange Windsor station
Chapel Street
Tram 78
33
Hornby Street
34
The Avenue
35
Williams Road
36
Closeburn Avenue
37
Lansdowne Road
38
Orrong Road
40
Wattletree Road
Dandenong Road
Tram 64
 
Wattletree Road
41
Armadale Street
42
Kooyong Road
43
Egerton Road
44
Duncraig Avenue
Malvern
Wattletree Road
45
Glenferrie Road
Glenferrie Road
Tram 16
Mainline rail interchange Malvern station
46
Nicholls Street
47
Cabrini Hospital
48
Dixon Street
Malvern East
Wattletree Road
49
Tooranga Road
50
Vincent Road
51
Erica Avenue
52
Burke Road
Suburb
Street
Stop
No.
Malvern
Connections

References

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  1. ^ a b "Gunzel". www.classicaustraliantv.com. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  2. ^ Between the Wars Yarra Trams
  3. ^ Our Golden Years Yarra Trams
  4. ^ Changes to your tram service during the Commonwealth Games - March 2006 Yarra Trams
  5. ^ History of Melbourne Trams Routes from 1950 to 2009 Yarra Trams
  6. ^ a b "Tram timetable changes". PTV. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  7. ^ Malvern Depot Vicsig
  8. ^ Facts & figures Yarra Trams
  9. ^ Route 5 Yarra Trams
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Media related to Melbourne tram route 5 at Wikimedia Commons