Melbourne tram route 75

Tram route in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Route 75

B class tram on Flinders Street,
October 2019

Overview
System| Melbourne
Operator| Yarra Trams
Depot| Camberwell
Vehicle| A class
B class
Night-time| Friday & Saturday
Route
Start| Vermont South
Via| Burwood Highway
Camberwell Road
Riversdale Road
Bridge Road
Flinders Street
End| Central Pier
Length| 22.8 kilometres
Zone(s)| Free Zone: Stops D2-D6, 1-8
Myki Zone 1: Stops 9-40
Zone 1/2 overlap: Stops 41-75
Timetable| Route 75 timetable
Map| Route 75 map
| Route map

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← Route 72 |  {{{system_nav}}} | Route 78 →

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Melbourne tram route 75 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network from Vermont South to Central Pier. The 22.8 kilometre route is operated out of Camberwell depot with A and B class trams. It is the longest route on the network.

## History

[edit]

B class tram at Vermont South, August 2005

The origins of route 75 lie in separate tram lines, Australia's first cable tram from Bourke Street to Hawthorn Bridge and a horse tram from Hawthorn Bridge to Auburn Road, which was converted to an electric line and extended over many years to its current terminus at Vermont South.

The first cable tram line opened by the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company was from Bourke Street to Hawthorn Bridge along Spencer Street, Flinders Street, Wellington Parade and Bridge Road opened on 11 November 1885.[1][2] On 27 January 1889 a horse tram from Hawthorn Bridge to Auburn Road, travelling via Burwood Road, Power Street and Riversdale Road was opened. The Hawthorn Tramways Trust (HTT) closed the horse tramway for conversion to electric traction on 31 January 1916, with the electric line opening in two stages; Power Street to Auburn Road along Riversdale Road opening on 7 May 1916, and from Hawthorn Bridge to Riversdale Road along Burwood Road and Power Street on 21 June 1916.

The Riversdale Road line was extended by the HTT on 31 May 1916 to Bowen Street in Camberwell, along Riversdale Road and Camberwell Road and passing through Camberwell Junction. It was extended a week later on 10 June 1916 to Boundary Road (now Warrigal Road) in Burwood, along Camberwell Road and Norwood Road (now Toorak Road).[3] The Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) converted the Bourke Street to Hawthorn Bridge cable line to electric traction in three stages, closing the line on 29 June 1927. Reopening with electric trams running from Lonsdale Street, a short electric extension to the previous cable terminus of Bourke Street, to Swanston Street on 14 July 1927, from Swanston Street to Simpson Street on 17 September 1927, and Simpson Street to Hawthorn Bridge on 4 December 1927.[4]

Throughout 1934, Hawthorn and Camberwell depot services were allocated route numbers. Route 74 was allocated the service between the Batman Avenue tram terminus in the City (route 70's long-time terminus until 1999) and the Burwood terminus via Swan Street on 9 December, while route 27 was allocated the service between Spencer Street and Hawthorn tram depot via Bridge Road on 6 June.[5][6][7] Route 75 was a short-working service of route 74 between the Batman Avenue terminus and Smith Road at Hartwell. Route 27's terminus in the City was extended slightly north to terminate at La Trobe Street, when the MMTB opened the La Trobe Street line on 15 January 1951.[8] Initially, services on weekday daytime and Saturday mornings were also extended to Brunswick Street but the through-routing ceased just a month later on 26 February, due to congestion on Flinders Street hampering on-time running of the Hawthorn service.[5]

In February 1965, Hawthorn tram depot closed, and routes 74 and 75 were re-routed via Bridge Road towards the Spencer Street terminus, replacing route 27.[5][9][10][11] Operation of the routes along Bridge Road was also passed to Camberwell tram depot.[6] From 1 August 1977, Z-class trams were attached to Camberwell depot and commenced operating route 74 in readiness for an East Burwood extension. The MMTB viewed the new trams as desirable for the proposed line addition. On 12 July 1978, the terminus of the Burwood line and route 74 were slightly shifted east to Somers Street. Just a week later, on 19 July 1978, the Burwood line was extended a further 3.4 kilometres to Middleborough Road in Burwood East, and the entire line ran as route 75 while route 74 (City to Somers Street) became the short-working of route 75. The line was now exclusively operated by Z-class trams.[5][12][13][14][15]

Beginning 16 March 1981, Z3-class trams were allocated to Camberwell depot for route 75. Entering service on 19 December 1984, B1-class 2001 was allotted to Camberwell depot and began operating route 75; it was joined at the depot with B1-class 2002 from 17 December 1985. The two B1s were reallocated on 20 November 1987 to route 96 after the St Kilda Beach "light rail" extension opened. From 19 December 1993, B2-class trams were assigned to Camberwell depot and began operating route 75. Due to a Camberwell depot Z3 shortage, A-class trams were allocated there and started operating the route from 28 March 1994. All Z-class trams assigned to Camberwell depot besides two Z3s--because of an A2-class shortage--were reallocated by January 1996 for the eventual network privatisation. The two Z3s would leave the depot by 1997, ending Z-class running on route 75.[5]

On 8 July 1993, the line was extended to Blackburn Road.[16][17] In December that year, at the Spencer Street end, the route was amended to terminate at a new siding north of La Trobe Street (along with route 48) so that terminating trams were out of the way of through trams on La Trobe and Spencer Streets.[18] During the 1999 election campaign, the Labor State Opposition committed to extend route 75 to Knox City Shopping Centre. Labor won the election, but the line was only extended to its current terminus at Vermont South on 23 July 2005,[19][20][21] with a connecting route 732 bus operated by Ventura Bus Lines. At 22.8 kilometres, it became the longest line on the network.[22][23] The Public Transport Users Association has campaigned for the line to be extended to its originally proposed terminus.[24]

On 4 May 2003, the route was changed at the City end to terminate at Flinders Street, west of Spencer Street, swapping route termini with route 70, and it no longer ran along Spencer Street.[25][26] Between May and November 2005, the route temporarily terminated at Market Street due to the closure and demolition of the King Street Overpass in Flinders Street.[27] After the works were completed, on 21 November 2005, the route was reinstated along Flinders Street and Spencer Street, and terminated at La Trobe Street one more.[28] On 26 January 2014, the route was changed to terminate at Central Pier and no longer served Spencer Street.[29][30]

In January 2016, route 75 began operating through the night on Fridays and Saturdays as part of the Night Network.[31]

Melbourne tram route 75 evolution  Dates  | Route  | Notes

|
|

9 December 1934 – 12 February 1965  | Hartwell to City (Batman Avenue)  | Short-working of route 74
via Swan Street
12 February 1965 – 18 July 1978  | Hartwell to City (Spencer / La Trobe Streets)  | Short-working of route 74
via Bridge Road, Flinders Street and Spencer Street
19 July 1978 – 7 July 1993  | Burwood East (Middleborough Road) to City (Spencer / La Trobe Streets)  | via Bridge Road, Flinders Street and Spencer Street
8 July 1993 – 3 May 2003  | Burwood East (Blackburn Road) to City (Spencer / La Trobe Streets)  | via Bridge Road, Flinders Street and Spencer Street
4 May 2003 – 21 May 2005  | Burwood East (Blackburn Road) to City (Flinders / Spencer Streets)  | via Bridge Road and Flinders Street
22 May 2005 – 24 July 2005  | Burwood East (Blackburn Road) to City (Flinders / Market Streets)  | Temporary arrangement due to the closure and removal of the Flinders Street Overpass
25 July 2005 – 20 November 2005  | Vermont South to City (Flinders / Market Streets)  | Temporary arrangement due to the closure and removal of the Flinders Street Overpass
21 November 2005 – 25 January 2014  | Vermont South to City (Spencer / La Trobe Streets)  | via Bridge Road, Flinders Street and Spencer Street
26 January 2014 – onwards  | Vermont South to Central Pier | via Bridge Road, Flinders Street and Harbour Esplanade

## Route

[edit]

Route 75 runs Central Pier along Flinders Street and continues past Flinders Street station, St Paul's Cathedral, and Federation Square, entering East Melbourne east along Wellington Parade and into Richmond continuing east on Bridge Road.

At Hawthorn Bridge it crosses the Yarra River into Hawthorn and continues east on Burwood Road, it briefly travels south on Power Street before turning east into Riversdale Road, traversing Hawthorn and Hawthorn East. At Camberwell Junction it crosses Burke Road and travels south east along Camberwell Road.

It enters Toorak Road and heads east, at Warrigal Road Toorak Road becomes the Burwood Highway, it continues east, past Deakin University and through Burwood East, to its terminus in Vermont South.[32][33]

## Operation

[edit]

Route 75 is operated out of Camberwell depot with B-class trams, although A-class trams are occasionally used.[34][35][36]

## Controversy over accessibility

[edit]

A new accessible stop at Stanley Road, August 2005

During the extension of the route from Burwood to Vermont South, all new stops were constructed as wheelchair accessible, low-floor platforms, with many other stops along the route converted to accessible platforms.

There has been controversy in the local newspaper, as even though the platforms are wheelchair accessible, the route is operated with high floor trams with steps.[37] The upgrade has been criticised as a waste of money, because passengers using wheelchairs and other mobility-impaired passengers are still limited from accessing trams on the route.

## Route map

[edit]

* v
* t
* e

Route 75

Vermont South \- Central Pier
via Burwood, Hawthorn, Richmond & City
Free tram zone covers stops D2 to 8, fare zone 1
applies from stop 9 to 75, fare zone 2 applies from stop 41 to 75

Legend

| Suburb

Street

| Stop

No.

|  | Vermont South |

Connections

| Vermont South

Burwood Highway

|  | Vermont South Shopping Centre  |

| 732, 736, 742

Knox Transit Link

|  | Stanley Road

| Burwood East

Burwood Highway

|  | Springvale Road |

902

|  | Lakeside Drive

|  | Sevenoaks Road

|  | Blackburn Road

|  | Keats Street  |

703, 735, 736

|  | Benwerrin Drive  |

735

| Burwood

Burwood Highway

|  | Old Burwood Road

|  | Middleborough Road  |

733

|  | Starling Street

|  | Station Street  |

732

|  | Deakin University |

676

|  | Elgar Road  |

| 201, 281

767, 768

|  | Presbyterian Ladies College

|  | Roslyn Street

|  | Somers Street

|  | Warrigal Road |

766, 903

| Camberwell

Toorak Road

|  | Fairview Avenue

|  | Barkly Street

|  | Through Road

|  | Oberwyl Road

|  | Highfield Road
|  |

|  |  Burwood station ●

|  | Summerhill Road

Camberwell Road

|  | Toorak Road

|  | Fordham Gardens
|  |

|  |  Hartwell station ●

|  | Tyrone Road

|  | Orrong Crescent

|  | Maple Crescent

|  | Christowel Street

|  | Bowen Street

|  | Trafalgar Road

|  | Camberwell Civic Centre  |

612

|  | Camberwell Primary School

|  | Riversdale Road
| Zone 1+2

Zone 1

|  |
|  |

|  |  | Riversdale Road

Tram 70

| Wattle Park

|  |

|  |  | Burke Road

Tram 72

| Melbourne University

Camberwell

Riversdale Road

|  | Camberwell Junction |

70, 72

|  |

|  | Camberwell tram depot

| Hawthorn East

Riversdale Road

|  | Camberwell tram depot |

302, 304, 624

|  | Hastings Road

|  | Tooranga Road

| Hawthorn

Riversdale Road

|  | Auburn Road  |

624

|  | Robinson Road

|  | Kooyongkoot Road

|  | Berkeley Street
|  |

|  |  | Glenferrie Road

Tram 16

| Melbourne University

Kew

|  | Glenferrie Road |

|  | Fordholm Street

|  | Through Street

|  | Riversdale Junction  |

|  |

|  |  | Swan Street

Tram 70

| Melbourne Park

Power Street

|  | Wattle Road

Burwood Road

|  | Power Street
|  |

|  |  Hawthorn station ●●●

|  | Hawthorn station |

609

|  | St James Park
|  |

|  |  | Church Street

Tram 48

Balwyn North

Bridge Road

|  | Hawthorn Bridge |

| Richmond

Bridge Road

|  | Yarra Boulevard

|  | Burnley Street

|  | Coppin Street

|  | Richmond Town Hall
|  |

|  |  | Church Street

Tram 78

| Balaclava

North Richmond

|  | Church Street  |

|  | Bosisto Street

|  | Epworth Hospital

| East Melbourne

Wellington Parade

|  | Punt Road  |

246, 605

|  |

|  | Wellington Parade Siding

|  | Simpson Street

|  | Jolimont station/MCG
|  |

|  |  Jolimont station ●●

|  | Jolimont Road

|  | Lansdowne Street  |

| Zone 1

Free Tram Zone

|  |
|  |

|  |  | Spring Street

Tram City Circle, 48

Collins Street/Parliament

| Melbourne CBD

Flinders Street

|  | Spring Street |

City Circle

|  |

|  |  | Flinders Street

Tram 70

|  | Russell Street |

70,  605

|  |

|  |  | Swanston Street

Tram 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72

| St Kilda Road

Melbourne University

|  | Flinders Street station |

1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72

|  |

|  |  Flinders Street station ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
|  |

|  |  | Elizabeth Street

Tram 19, 57, 59

North Melbourne

|  | Flinders Street station |

19, 57, 59

|  | Market Street |

58;  | Queen Street

buses

|  |

|  |  | Market Street

Tram 58

| Toorak

West Coburg

|  | King Street

|  | Spencer Street |

12, 96, 109

|  |

|  |  | Spencer Street

Tram 12, 96, 109

| Casino/MCEC

Collins/Bourke Street

| Docklands

Flinders Street

|  | Flinders Street West  |

232, 235, 237

McCrae Street

|  | The Goods Shed

Harbour Esplanade

|  | Docklands Park
|  |

|  |  | Collins Street

Tram 11, 48

| St Vincent's Plaza

Victoria Harbour

|  | Docklands Stadium/Bourke Street
|  |

|  |  | La Trobe Street

Tram 30, 86, City Circle

St Vincent's Plaza

|  | Central Pier |

30, 70, 86, City Circle

| Suburb

Street

| Stop

No.

|  | Central Pier |

Connections

|  |  |  |  |  |
Note: Green denotes free tram zone

## References

[edit]

1. ^ History of Trams in Melbourne Yarra Trams
2. ^ Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company Limited Running Journal volume 9 no 3 page 16
3. ^ Milestones, 1911 – 1920 Yarra Trams
4. ^ Milestones, 1921 – 1930 Yarra Trams
5. ^ a b c d e "Gunzel". classicaustraliantv.com. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
6. ^ a b Melbourne's Two Batman Avenue Tramways 1916 and 1999 Trolley Wire issue 278 August 1999 pages 3–15
7. ^ "History of Melbourne Tram Routes from 1950 to 2009" (PDF). Yarra Trams. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2012.
8. ^ Milestones, 1951 – 1960 Yarra Trams
9. ^ Hawthorn Depot Closed Trolley Wire issue 97 April 1965 page 11
10. ^ Camberwell Tramways Trolley Wire issue 147 August 1973 pages 11/12
11. ^ "Hawthorn Tram Depot". Melbourne Tram Museum. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
12. ^ East Burwood Extension Opening Electric Traction August 1978 pages 127-132
13. ^ East Burwood opened Trolley Wire issue 177 August 1978 page 25-26
14. ^ In Brief Railway Gazette International September 1978 page 637
15. ^ "What tram do I catch? An incomplete history of Melbourne tram route numbers". Melbourne Tram Museum. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
16. ^ East Burwood Extension Trolley Wire issue 254 August 1993 page 26
17. ^ Annual Report for year ended 30 June 1993] VicRoads page 42
18. ^ "Melbourne Track and Overhead Work" (PDF). Trolley Wire. February 1994. p. 26.
19. ^ Trams reach Vermont South Railway Digest September 2005 page 5
20. ^ Vermont South Extension Opens Transit Australia October 2005 page 302
21. ^ Vermount South extension opens Trolley Wire issue 304 February 2006 pages 18/19
22. ^ Jump aboard the tram routes that define Melbourne The Weekly Review
23. ^ Election 2016: Track the views of voters along the 75 tram ABC Radio Melbourne 3 June 2016
24. ^ Submission to Infrastructure Australia on Victoria's transport infrastructure priorities Public Transport Users Association October 2008 page 8
25. ^ "Timetable & Route Alterations 30/04/2003". Yarra Trams. 30 April 2003. Archived from the original on 25 June 2003.
26. ^ "Melbourne Tram Network". Metlink. 2004. Archived from the original on 6 September 2004.
27. ^ "Flinders Street Overpass Removal". Yara Trams. 20 May 2005. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006.
28. ^ "Routes 13, 24, 30, 48, 70, 75, 86, 109, 112 & City Circle - From Monday 21 November 05". 14 November 2005. Archived from the original on 20 August 2006.
29. ^ New timetable delivers more than 1,200 extra trams to Docklands effective from Sunday 26 January Public Transport Victoria 10 January 2014
30. ^ Route 75 is on the move Yarra Trams 21 January 2014
31. ^ Night Tram Public Transport Victoria
32. ^ Knox Transit Link Australian Bus Panorama issue 21/1 July 2005 pages 14-17
33. ^ Route 732 Public Transport Victoria
34. ^ Camberwell Depot Vicsig
35. ^ Facts & figures Yarra Trams
36. ^ Route 70 Yarra Trams
37. ^ Bridge Road trams still stop disabled Melbourne Times Weekly 27 September 2011

## External links

[edit]

Media related to Melbourne tram route 75 at Wikimedia Commons

* v
* t
* e

Trams in Melbourne

Current routes|

* 1
* 3
* 5
* 6
* 11
* 12
* 16
* 19
* 30
* 35
* 48
* 57
* 58
* 59
* 64
* 67
* 70
* 72
* 75
* 78
* 82
* 86
* 96
* 109

Former routes|

* 3a
* 8
* 24
* 31
* 55
* 68
* 79
* 95
* 112

Current trams|

* W
* Z
* A
* B
* C
* D
* C2
* E

Future trams|

* G

Former trams|

* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* O
* P
* Q
* R
* S
* T
* U
* V
* X
* X1
* X2
* Y
* Y1

Current operator|

* Yarra Trams
* Yarra Journey Makers (Transdev (51%), John Holland (49%))

Former operators|

| Tramway trusts|

* Fitzroy, Northcote & Preston
* Footscray
* Hawthorn
* Melbourne, Brunswick & Coburg
* Prahran & Malvern

|

Private operators|

* North Melbourne Electric Tramway & Lighting Company

Government owned|

* Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board
* Metropolitan Transit Authority
* Public Transport Corporation
* Victorian Railways

Franchises|

* Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company
* M>Tram
* TransdevTSL
* Keolis Downer

Tourist services|

* City Circle tram
* Colonial Tramcar Restaurant

Current depots|

* Brunswick
* Camberwell
* Essendon
* Glenhuntly
* Kew
* Malvern
* Preston
* Southbank

Former depots|

* East Preston
* Hawthorn
* North Fitzroy
* South Melbourne

Future depots|

* Maidstone

Stops|

* Albert Park
* Anzac Station
* Beacon Cove
* Clarendon Street Junction
* Graham Street
* Melbourne University
* Middle Park
* Montague Street
* Moonee Ponds Junction
* North Port
* South Melbourne
* St Kilda Station
* St Vincent's Plaza

Miscellaneous|

* Classification system
* Balaclava Junction
* Domain Interchange
* Haymarket roundabout
* Hook turn
* Karachi Tram
* Melbourne Art Trams
* Melbourne Cable Trams
* Proposed extensions
* St Kilda Junction
* Timeline
* Think Tram project
* VicTrack

Museums|

* Friends of Hawthorn Tram Depot
* Melbourne Tramcar Preservation Association
* Tramway Museum Society of Victoria

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