Melbourne tram route 57

Melbourne tram route 57 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network from West Maribyrnong to Flinders Street station. The 11.6 kilometre route is operated out of Essendon depot with Z class trams.

Route 57
Z class tram at the West Maribyrnong terminus, September 2023
Overview
SystemMelbourne tramway network
OperatorYarra Trams
DepotEssendon
VehicleZ class
Began service22 December 1940
Route
StartWest Maribyrnong
ViaMoonee Ponds
Ascot Vale
Flemington
Kensington
North Melbourne
Elizabeth Street
EndFlinders Street station
Length11.6 kilometres
TimetableRoute 57 timetable
MapRoute 57 map
← Route 48  {{{system_nav}}}  Route 58 →
Z class tram on Victoria Street, May 2011

History

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Route 57 was first allocated to the line between West Maribyrnong and the City via North Melbourne on 22 December 1940 when the Maribyrnong line was extended from the Maribyrnong River to West Maribyrnong. Prior to that, the number was officially listed for the Ballarat Road line on the Footscray system, but was never used in practice since the single-truck trams used on that line didn't have route number boxes.[1] Before the West Maribyrnong extension, services on the Maribyrnong line were provided by Route 54, which ran from the Maribyrnong River terminus to the City via North Melbourne.[1] Trams would terminate in William Street prior to the conversion of the Elizabeth Street line in 1935. On 12 November 1961 trams on Sunday were replaced on route 57 by buses. Sunday trams were reinstated on 8 August 1993.[2][3]

The origins of Route 57 lie in separate lines. The section between Flinders Street (Stop 1) and Victoria Street (Stop 7) is the oldest section of track, dating back to the Brunswick cable tram line, which opened on 1 October 1887.[1] This section was converted to electric traction on 17 November 1935. The section between Flemington Bridge station (near Stop 22) and Victoria Street dates back to the North Melbourne cable tram line, which opened on 3 March 1890, and was fully electrified on 24 September 1935.[1] The section between the Maribyrnong River (near Stop 41) and Flemington Bridge was constructed by the North Melbourne Electric Tramway & Lighting Company as part of its original electric tramway system on 11 October 1906. The section from the Maribyrnong River to West Maribyrnong was opened by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board on 22 December 1940.[1] In 2000, the West Maribyrnong terminus was concreted with the former munitions siding removed.[4]

G-class trams will roll out on the route in 2025.[5]

Proposed extensions

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There have been proposals, supported by the Public Transport Users Association and local politicians, to extend route 57 north-west along Milleara Road to Avondale Heights and Keilor East.[6] Variations of this proposal including building a park & ride facility near the terminus, or establishing a high frequency bus service between the terminus and Keilor East down Milleara Road.

The State Government in 2009 also proposed the tram be extended into the new suburb planned for the former Maribyrnong Defence Site.[7] The tram would head north from its current terminus into the heart of the new suburb.


Melbourne tram route 57 evolution
Dates Route Notes
c. 1934 - 21 December 1940 Ballarat Road to Williamstown Road Never used as single-truck trams on the line had no number plates
22 December 1940 - present West Maribyrnong to City (Elizabeth Street) via North Melbourne

Route

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The route runs from the corner of Cordite and Central Park Avenues adjacent to the Defence Explosive Factory, West Maribyrnong via Moonee Ponds, Ascot Vale, Flemington, Kensington and North Melbourne before proceeding along Elizabeth Street to terminate outside Flinders Street station.

Route 57 shares track with route 82 between the intersection of Raleigh and Wests Roads, Maribyrnong and Maribyrnong and Union Roads, Ascot Vale. A loop siding exists at the south end of Union Road in Ascot Vale and is used during special events at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds and Flemington Racecourse to handle the additional trams used to move the crowds of passengers.

Operation

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E class tram on shuttle route 57a at the Flinders Street terminus, September 2023

Routes 57 is operated out of Essendon depot with Z class trams.[8][9][10]

During special events at the Melbourne Showgrounds such as the Melbourne Royal Show, E-class trams operate on the route 57a shuttle between the Flinders Street terminus and the Showgrounds.[11]

Route 57
West Maribyrnong - Flinders Street station
via Flemington, North Melbourne & City
Free tram zone covers stops 1 to 8, fare zone 1 applies from stop 9 to 49
Suburb
Street
Stop
No.
West Maribyrnong
Connections
Maribyrnong
Cordite Avenue
49
 
 
 
Central Park Avenue
  406, 407
 
Raleigh Road
48
 
Wests Road
 
 
Wests Road Light Rail
Tram 82
46
 
Rosamond Road
  406, 407, 468
45
 
Randall Street
44
 
Barb Street
43
 
Van Ness Avenue
42
 
Clyde Street
41
 
 
 
Maribyrnong Park
  468
40
 
Epsom Road
39
 
Bowen Street
38
 
Hotham Road
37
 
Union Road
 
 
Maribyrnong Road
Tram 82
Ascot Vale
Union Road
36
 
 
 
St Leonards Road
35
 
Bloomfield Road
  472
34
 
Burrowes Street
33
 
Melbourne Showgrounds (No longer in use)
 
Epsom Road
32
 
Sandown Road
Flemington
Epsom Road
31
 
 
 
Racing Victoria
30
 
Flemington Racecourse
 
Racecourse Road
29
 
Ascot Vale Road
28
 
Smithfield Road
26
 
Newmarket station
 
 
 
 
  Newmarket
25
 
Wellington Street
24
 
Victoria Street
23
 
Stubbs Street
 
 
 
 
  Flemington Bridge station
North Melbourne
Racecourse Road
22
 
 
 
Boundary Road
 
 
Flemington Road
Tram 59
20
 
Melrose Square
 
 
 
 
Royal Park Light Rail
Tram 58
 
 
 
Flemington Road
Tram 58, 59
 
Abbotsford Road
19
 
Abbotsford Street Interchange
17
 
Molesworth Street
16
 
Haines Street
  402
15
 
Arden Street
14
 
Queensberry Street
12
 
North Melbourne Town Hall
11
 
Errol Street
10
 
 
 
Chetwynd Street
9
 
Howard Street
 
 
 
Peel Street
Tram 58
Coburg  
   Toorak
8
 
Peel Street
  58;   546
 
 
 
Elizabeth Street
Tram 19, 59
 
 
 
 
Victoria Street
No Service
 
Elizabeth Street
7
 
Queen Victoria Market
  19, 59;   546
 
 
 
La Trobe Street
Tram 30, City Circle
 
 
 
 
 
  Melbourne Central station
5
 
Melbourne Central station
3
 
Bourke Street Mall
 
 
 
Bourke Street
Tram 86, 96
2
 
Collins Street
 
 
 
Collins Street
Tram 11, 12, 48, 109
1
 
Flinders Street station
 
 
 
Flinders Street
Tram 70, 75, City Circle
 
 
 
  Flinders Street station
Suburb
Street
Stop
No.
Flinders Street station
Connections
Note: Green denotes free tram zone

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Gunzel". www.classicaustraliantv.com. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  2. ^ Trams replace buses Australian Bus Panorama issue 9/3 October 1993 page 30
  3. ^ Melbourne - Other Services Trolley Wire issue 255 November 1993 page 11
  4. ^ Infrastructure Transit Australia January 2001 page 20
  5. ^ "Designs for Maidstone's new tram facility released - Community update – April 2023". Department of Transport and Planning. April 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  6. ^ Policies: Extending Melbourne’s network Public Transport Users Association
  7. ^ New Melbourne suburb to be built in Maribyrnong Herald Sun 9 April 2009
  8. ^ Essendon Depot Vicsig
  9. ^ Facts & figures Yarra Trams
  10. ^ Route 57 Yarra Trams
  11. ^ "Royal Melbourne Show 2023". Yarra Trams. September 2023. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023.
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  Media related to Melbourne tram route 57 at Wikimedia Commons