City Circle tram

Last updated

Route 35 (City Circle)
Melbourne tram route 35 icon.svg
W8 class tram -961 operating a route 35 City Circle service on Spring Street crossing Collins Street, Melbourne.jpg
W class tram W8.961 crosses the Spring Street, Collins Street and MacArthur Street intersection, September 2024
Overview
System Melbourne tramway network
Operator Yarra Trams
Depot Southbank
Vehicle W class
Began service29 April 1994
Route
Start Waterfront City
Via Harbour Esplanade
La Trobe Street
Nicholson Street
Spring Street
Flinders Street
Harbour Esplanade
EndWaterfront City
Zone(s)Free Tram Zone
Timetable City Circle timetable
Map City Circle map
  Route 30  {{{system_nav}}}  Route 48  

The City Circle (Melbourne tram route 35) is a zero-fare tram running around the Melbourne central business district in Australia. Running along the city centre's outermost thoroughfares the route passes many Melbourne attractions including Parliament House, the Old Treasury Building and the developing Docklands waterfront precinct. Since October 2023, it operates in a clockwise direction only.

Contents

History

City Circle trams on La Trobe Street in August 2007 City-circle-trams-melbourne.jpg
City Circle trams on La Trobe Street in August 2007

The tram route was introduced on 29 April 1994, [1] [2] requiring a small track extension along Spring Street, between Collins and Flinders Streets, to enable a complete CBD loop to be formed. [3] [4] The Federal Government's Building Better Cities program funded the $6.4 million capital cost of the track expansion, while the State Government funded the running costs. [5]

Until January 2003, the western leg of the original route of the tram was down Spencer Street, but the route was then extended west to run through Harbour Esplanade, Docklands. [6] [7] [8] [9] The travel time around the circle before this change was 40 minutes. [10]

Between May and November 2005, the route temporarily ran between Flinders Street / Spencer Street and Victoria Parade / Nicholson Street due to the closure and removal of the Flinders Street Overpass over King Street. [11] [12]

During early 2006, new Passenger Information Displays were installed along with Digital Voice Announcements.

In April 2008, the service adopted the daylight saving timetable on a permanent basis, operating from 10:00 to 21:00 every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The end of service at other times is 18:00. [13]

On 30 May 2009, the route was altered for a second time, being extended from Harbour Esplanade to the NewQuay and Waterfront City precincts via Docklands Drive. This made the route an elongated 'q'. [14] [15]

Services after 18:00 between Thursday and Sunday were removed in November 2020. [16]

Due to driver shortages, the route's operator, Yarra Trams, has found it hard to run all City Circle tram services. Due to this, since 30 October 2023, the route only runs in a clockwise direction between 9:30 and 17:30 daily. [17] [18]

Route

City Circle tram
Interactive map of Melbourne tram route 35.
Interior of a W class tram in City Circle service W Tram Interior.JPG
Interior of a W class tram in City Circle service
W class tram on Flinders Street in August 2008 City-Circle-Tram,-cnr-Flinders&Elizabeth,-Melb,-12.08.2008.jpg
W class tram on Flinders Street in August 2008

The route of the City Circle trams roughly follows the outer edges of the Hoddle Grid, with three diversions. It takes in all of La Trobe Street, Harbour Esplanade and Flinders Street. It follows Spring Street between Flinders and Bourke Streets, but travels along Nicholson Street and Victoria Street before turning into La Trobe Street. At the junction of Harbour Esplanade and Latrobe Street trams turn off the loop to run to and from a terminus towards the end of Docklands Drive, Waterfront City.

Operation

The City Circle route is operated with heritage W class trams, restored to original condition as part of the W8 upgrade. As of 2020, these are the only W-class trams on the system, and there are no plans to retire them. The City Circle trams originally sported a unique maroon livery promoting the service, however as part of the W8 upgrade the trams were restored back to their original green and cream livery. Until 2014, the City Circle was one of several routes to run W-class trams (30, 78 and 79) but the remaining routes controversially had their W-class trams removed, mostly replaced by A class. Trams display the route number 35. [19] [20] The City Circle operates at a headway of 12 minutes in the clockwise direction, with the service taking approximately 60 minutes to complete a loop. An average of three million passengers use the service every year, with each tram circling the city 9 times a day, or 12 times when the tram operates to 21:00. [13]

Route map

City Circle Tram
City Circle
via Docklands, La Trobe Street & Flinders Street
Free tram zone covers entire route
Suburb
Street
Stop
No.
Waterfront City
Connections
Docklands
Docklands Drive
D11
BSicon exBLq.svg
BSicon uKACCa.svg
BSicon exBLq.svg
The District Docklands
BSicon TRAM.svg 70, 86
D10
BSicon uACC.svg
NewQuay
BSicon uABZg+l.svg
BSicon uENDEeq.svg
Footscray Road Siding
D2
BSicon uACC.svg
Central Pier
BSicon TRAM.svg 30, 75
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon uABZgr+r.svg
Harbour Esplanade
Tram 70, 75
D1
BSicon uACC.svg
Docklands Stadium
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon umKRZo.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
La Trobe Street Bridge
119
BSicon exBLq.svg
BSicon uBHF(L)f.svg
BSicon exBLq.svg
Spencer Street
BSicon TRAM.svg 86
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon uKRZr+r.svg
BSicon uENDEeq.svg
Spencer Street
Tram 86
1
BSicon uACC.svg
Spencer Street
BSicon TRAM.svg 86
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon uKRZ+r.svg
BSicon uCONTfq.svg
William Street
Tram 58
BSicon uSTR.svg
Aiga railtransportation 25.svg Flagstaff station
3
BSicon uACC.svg
Flagstaff station
5
BSicon uACC.svg
Melbourne Central station
BSicon TRAM.svg 19, 57, 59
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon uKRZ.svg
BSicon uCONTfq.svg
Elizabeth Street
Tram 19, 57, 59
BSicon uSTR.svg
Aiga railtransportation 25.svg Melbourne Central station
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon uKRZl.svg
BSicon uCONTfq.svg
Swanston Street
Tram 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72
6
BSicon uACC.svg
Melbourne Central & State Library stations
BSicon TRAM.svg 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72
8
BSicon uACC.svg
Exhibition Street
9
BSicon uBHF.svg
Victoria Street
BSicon TRAM.svg 30
BSicon uABZgl+l.svg
BSicon ulCONTf2.svg
BSicon ulCONTf1.svg
BSicon uABZr+12.svg
La Trobe Street
Nicholson Street
Tram 30
Tram 86, 96
11
BSicon uACC.svg
Victoria Parade
10
BSicon uACC.svg
Parliament station
BSicon lv-ACC.svg
BSicon tCONTg@Gq.svg
BSicon umKRZt.svg
BSicon tCONTf@Fq.svg
Aiga railtransportation 25.svg Parliament station
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon uABZgr.svg
Bourke Street
Tram 86, 96
 
 Arrow Blue Left 001.svgBourke Street Mall
0
BSicon uBHF.svg
Bourke Street
BSicon TRAM.svg 86, 96
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon uKRZ+r.svg
BSicon uCONTfq.svg
Collins Street
Tram 11, 12, 48, 109
BSicon uABZgl+l.svg
BSicon uCONTfq.svg
Wellington Parade
Tram 48, 75
8
BSicon uACC.svg
Spring Street
BSicon TRAM.svg 75
BSicon uABZg+l.svg
BSicon uCONTfq.svg
Batman Avenue
Tram 70
6
BSicon uACC.svg
Russell Street
BSicon TRAM.svg 70 Bus-logo.svg 605
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon uKRZ.svg
BSicon uCONTfq.svg
Swanston Street
Tram 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72
5
BSicon uACC.svg
Flinders Street station
BSicon TRAM.svg 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72
BSicon uSTR.svg
Aiga railtransportation 25.svg Flinders Street station
BSicon lENDE@Fq.svg
BSicon uCONTg@Gq.svg
BSicon uSTR.svg
Elizabeth Street
Tram 19, 57, 59
4
BSicon uACC.svg
Flinders Street station
BSicon TRAM.svg 19, 57, 59
3
BSicon uACC.svg
Market Street
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon uKRZ.svg
BSicon uCONTfq.svg
Market Street
Tram 58
2
BSicon uACC.svg
King Street
1
BSicon uACC.svg
Spencer Street
BSicon TRAM.svg 12, 96, 109
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon uKRZr.svg
BSicon uCONTfq.svg
Spencer Street
Tram 12, 96, 109
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon umKRZu.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
Flinders Street Viaduct
D6
BSicon exBLq.svg
BSicon uACC.svg
BSicon exBLq.svg
Flinders Street West
Bus-logo.svg 232, 235, 237
 
McCrae Street
D5
BSicon uACC.svg
The Goods Shed
D4
BSicon uACC.svg
Docklands Park
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon uKRZ.svg
BSicon uCONTfq.svg
Collins Street
Tram 11, 48
D3
BSicon uACC.svg
Docklands Stadium
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon uABZgr+r.svg
La Trobe Street
Tram 30, 86
D2
BSicon uACC.svg
Central Pier
BSicon TRAM.svg 30, 86
BSicon uENDEaq.svg
BSicon uABZgr.svg
Footscray Road Siding
 
Docklands Drive
D10
BSicon uACC.svg
NewQuay
D11
BSicon uKACCe.svg
The District Docklands
BSicon TRAM.svg 70, 86
Suburb
Street
Stop
No.
Waterfront City
Connections

References

  1. City Circle Opens Trolley Wire issue 258 August 1994 pages 16–22
  2. Public transport – City Loop history [ dead link ]
  3. Melbourne Track and Overhead Work Trolley Wire issue 256 February 1994 page 26
  4. Lyndsay Neilson (2008). Butcher, John (ed.). Getting implementation going. epress.anu.edu.au. doi: 10.22459/AUC.04.2008 . ISBN   9781921313776 . Retrieved 1 November 2010.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  5. Lyndsay Neilson (2008). Butcher, John (ed.). Appendix 1: Funding Allocation, Victorian Area Strategies. epress.anu.edu.au. doi: 10.22459/AUC.04.2008 . ISBN   9781921313776 . Retrieved 1 November 2010.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  6. City Circle trams route change Trolley Wire issue 292 February 2003 page 27
  7. "New Docklands Tram Line". Newsrail . Vol. 31, no. 3. Vic: ARHS (Victorian Division). March 2003. p. 94. ISSN   0310-7477. OCLC   19676396.
  8. "City Circle Tram now extends to the Docklands Precinct". Victrip. 26 January 2003. Archived from the original on 15 April 2003.
  9. History of Melbourne Trams Routes from 1950 to 2009 Yarra Trams
  10. "City Circle Tram Extended to Melbourne's Waterfront at Docklands". Minister for Major Projects, Minister for Public Transport. 23 January 2003. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
  11. "Flinders Street Overpass Removal". Yara Trams. 20 May 2005. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006.
  12. "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.
  13. 1 2 "City Circle Tram to Run When the Sun goes Down". Premier of Victoria. 6 April 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
  14. Yarra Trams (1 May 2009). "Media Release: Popular City Circle tram extended to Docklands Drive". www.yarratrams.com.au. Archived from the original on 25 September 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  15. Tram changes Railway Digest August 2009 page 14
  16. "Changes to Routes 12, 30, 35, 86, 96 and 109". Public Transport Victoria. Archived from the original on 18 December 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  17. "Tram timetable changes". PTV. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  18. Hatch, Patrick (21 September 2023). "St Kilda, City Circle heritage trams cut in timetable overhaul". The Age. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  19. Melbourne – Trams Trolley Wire issue 257 May 1994 page 8
  20. "35 City Circle (Free Tourist Tram)". Public Transport Victoria. Archived from the original on 27 April 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.

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