Melbourne tram route 1

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Route 1
B class tram crosses the Swanston Street and Collins Street intersection, August 2022
Overview
System	Melbourne
Operator	Yarra Trams
Depot	Brunswick
Vehicle	Z class B class
Began service	13 September 1953
Route
Start	East Coburg
Via	Nicholson Street Lygon Street Swanston Street South Melbourne
End	South Melbourne Beach
Length	13.2 kilometres
Timetable	Route 1 timetable
Map	Route 1 map
Route map {{{map}}} ← {{{previous_line}}}  {{{system_nav}}}  Route 3 →

Melbourne tram route 1 is a tram route on the Melbourne tramway network serving the city of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Operated by Yarra Trams, the route is coloured light green and extends from East Coburg to South Melbourne Beach over 13.2-kilometre (8.2 mi) of double track via Nicholson Street, Lygon Street, Swanston Street and South Melbourne. It is serviced out of Brunswick depot utilising Z and B class trams.^[1][2]

The line between East East Coburg and South Melbourne Beach via Sturt Street was allocated Route 1 on 13 September 1953. However, route 1 had been used on a few different routes prior to this date. When route numbers were introduced into Melbourne's electric tramways as a trial on 19 December 1928, route 1 was allocated to the service between East Coburg and Elsternwick. Following this successful trial, route numbers were permanently allocated to all Swanston Street tram services, route 1 still being allocated to this service. Following the conversion of the Brunswick Street cable tram to electric traction on 26 October 1930, route 1 was reallocated to run between East Coburg and St Kilda Beach via South Melbourne. Trams from East Coburg initially turned left at Clarendon Street to terminate at St Kilda Beach, while trams from Collins Street terminated at South Melbourne Beach. On 13 September 1953, this was amended so that both tram services ran through the junction, resulting in South Melbourne Beach becoming the terminus of route 1.^[3]

The origins of route 1 lie in separate tram lines. The section of track between Queensberry Street (Stop 4) and the junction to St Kilda Road (near Stop 14) is the oldest section of this route, dating back to the Brighton Road cable tram line which opened on 11 October 1888 by the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company. This track was converted to electric traction 3 August 1926. The section between Clarendon Street (Stop 24) and Beaconsfield Parade (Stop 32) also dates from the cable era as the South Melbourne line, which opened on 17 June 1890. This section was converted on 25 July 1937. The section north of Queensberry Street until East Coburg was constructed by the Melbourne, Brunswick & Coburg Tramways Trust (MBCTT). Construction of the electric tramway began in June 1914, and on 31 October 1916, East Coburg was connected to Melbourne at Queensberry Street, where the terminus of the Swanston Street cable trams were at the time. On 31 October 1925, the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board constructed a tram line from St Kilda Beach via South Melbourne to St Kilda Road at City Road. Route 1 traverses the section of this line between Clarendon Street and St Kilda Road. As part of the City Road and St Kilda Road separation project, the northernmost section of track along Sturt Street was relocated to Nolan Street (now Southbank Boulevard) on 16 March 1970.^[3]

For a long time, the section between Moreland Road (Stop 129) and East Coburg was built by the MBCTT with a single track and crossing loops. The section between Moreland Road and Crozier Street (Stop 132) was eventually duplicated on 2 May 1927. A siding was constructed at the Bell Street terminus on 3 July 1928. The section of track north of Crozier Street was finally duplicated on 12 December 1966.^[3]

Prior to short-working route rationalisation by Yarra Trams in 2014, Route 1 had many short-working routes. From route 1's inception, route 2 and route 2A were used for services from South Melbourne Beach that terminated in the city (usually at Victoria Street). Route 21 meanwhile was used for services from East Coburg terminating in the city (Flinders Street or Arts Centre). From 1970 until 1997, route 4 was used for services from both directions terminating at South Melbourne depot. These short-workings have been replaced by either 1a or 1d (for short-workings and depot workings respectively).

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 Street. 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.

Route 1 is operated out of Brunswick depot with Z and B class trams.^[4][5][6] Brunswick shared operation of the route with South Melbourne depot until 2 April 1995.^[7][8]

v t e Route 1
East Coburg - South Melbourne Beach via Brunswick, City & South Melbourne Free tram zone covers stops 8 to 13, fare zone 1 applies from stop 135 to 112, 14 to 32
Suburb Street Stop No. East Coburg Connections Coburg Nicholson Street 135 Bell Street 513, 527, 903 134 Merribell Avenue 133 Harding Street 132 Crozier Street 131 Rennie Street 512 130 The Avenue Moreland Road Tram 6   Moreland Brunswick East Nicholson Street 129 Moreland Road 6; 510   Holmes Street 128 Mitchell Street 127 Albion Street 503 126 Stewart Street   Lygon Street 125 Blyth Street 508 124 Victoria Street 123 Albert Street 122 Glenlyon Road 506 121 Weston Street Junction to former Brunswick Road/Holden Street line 120 Brunswick Road 504 Carlton North Lygon Street 118 Pigdon Street 117 Richardson Street 116 Fenwick Street 115 Melbourne Cemetery 114 Princes Street 546 Carlton Lygon Street 113 Lytton Street   Elgin Street 112 Lygon Street 200, 207   Swanston Street 1 Melbourne University 3, 5, 6, 16 64, 67, 72 ; 401, 402 403, 546 3 Lincoln Square 4 Queensberry Street Victoria Street No Service Melbourne CBD Swanston Street 7 RMIT University La Trobe Street Tram 30, City Circle Exhibition Street   Harbour Esplanade Melbourne Central station ●●●●●●●●●●●●●● 8 Melbourne Central station 30, City Circle 10 Bourke Street Mall 86, 96; Lonsdale Street buses Bourke Street Tram 86, 96 Melbourne Museum   Southern Cross station Collins Street Tram 11, 12, 48, 109 St Vincent's Plaza   Southern Cross station 11 Collins Street 11, 12, 48, 109 Flinders Street Tram 70, 75, City Circle Russell Street   Docklands Flinders Street station ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● 13 Federation Square 70, 75, City Circle Southbank St Kilda Road 14 Arts Precinct 3, 5, 6, 16 64, 67, 72 ; 216, 219 220 St Kilda Road Tram 3/3a, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72  St Kilda Road     Southbank Boulevard 17 Sturt Street 216, 219, 220   Sturt Street 18 Grant Street 19 Miles Street South Melbourne Sturt Street 20 Kings Way 58 Kings Way Tram 58 Toorak   West Coburg   Eastern Road 22 Dorcas Street   Park Street 23 Moray Street 24 Clarendon Street 12 Clarendon Street Tram 12 St Kilda   Victoria Gardens 25 Cecil Street St Kilda Light Rail Tram 96 (No connecting stop) 26 Ferrars Street Albert Park Park Street 27 Montague Street   Montague Street 28 Bridport Street   Victoria Avenue 29 Cardigan Street 30 Richardson Street 606 31 Graham Street 32 Beaconsfield Parade Suburb Street Stop No. South Melbourne Beach Connections
Green denotes free tram zone

Media related to Melbourne tram route 1 at Wikimedia Commons