More tram services mooted

By Chan Khai Ling

Commuters travelling to Docklands may soon have more transport options under Yarra Trams’ proposed plan to redirect some CBD services towards Melbourne’s west.

Presented during the Metropolitan Transport Forum, Yarra Trams said the plan was meant to spark discussion on two subjects – increasing the efficiency of tram services along the St Kilda Rd corridor and catering for the western end of the CBD.

While still purely in its concept stages, the proposed changes would reduce the number of tram services along the Swanston St – St Kilda Road corridor, which is Melbourne’s busiest tram route, and redirect them to the western side of the city.

Certain routes would be diverted from St Kilda Rd to either Kings Way or along a new route that would run through South Melbourne.

Services that originated from Malvern would no longer travel to Melbourne University, but would run to Docklands instead.

Route 112, which covers Preston – St Kilda, would be split and Preston trams would also be redirected to Docklands.

If approved, the proposal would be an extension of Yarra Trams’ earlier alterations to tram services, designed to keep up with the rapid growth of Docklands and the western areas of the CBD.

Some 125 trips were added to Routes 11 and 112 in 2008 to cope with the increased load along Collins St and, in 2009, Route 48 was switched from Flinders St to Collins St to service the tram extension to Victoria Harbour.

Between 2009 and 2010 there has been a 119 per cent growth in passenger numbers on Route 48, reflecting the continued expansion of Docklands.

Since the addition of Route 31 in October 2010, a tram has run between Victoria Harbour, Docklands and the city along Collins St every five minutes between the hours of 11am and 2.30pm.