City Circle tram

Route 35
City Circle
W6 class tram turning from Nicholson Street into Victoria Parade in April 2013
Overview
System	Melbourne tramway network
Operator	Yarra Trams
Depot	Southbank
Vehicle	W class
Began service	29 April 1994
Route
Locale	Melbourne, Australia
Service
Journey time	55 minutes
Operates	Daily
Zone(s)	Free Tram Zone
Timetable	City Circle timetable
Map	City Circle map
Route map ← Route 30  {{{system_nav}}}  Route 48 →

The City Circle (also known as City Circle tourist tram) is a zero-fare tram running around the Melbourne City Centre in Australia. Aimed mainly at tourists, the route passes many Melbourne attractions while running along the city centre's outermost thoroughfares, as well as the developing Docklands waterfront precinct. It operates in both clockwise and anti-clockwise direction.

History

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 Docklands.^[6][7] The travel time around the circle before this change was 40 minutes.^[8]

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.^[9]

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'.^[10]

Route

Interior of a W class tram in City Circle service

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 Docklands.

Operation

The City Circle route is operated by heritage W class trams liveried in burgundy with gold trim, however rolling stock shortages often see Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board liveried traditional green liveried W Class trams on the service. Trams display the route number 35.^[11][12] The City Circle operates at a headway of 12 minutes in both directions, with the service taking approximately 60 minutes to complete a loop.^[13] Ten trams are allocated to the service at any one time (five in each direction). An average of three million passengers uses the service every year, with each tram circling the city 9 times a day, or 12 times when the tram operates to 21:00.^[9]

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 Docklands Connections Docklands Docklands Drive D11 The District 70, 86 D10 NewQuay Footscray Road Siding   Harbour Esplanade D2 Central Pier 30, 75 Harbour Esplanade Tram 70, 75     Flinders Street   La Trobe Street D1 Etihad Stadium La Trobe Street Bridge Melbourne La Trobe Street 119 Spencer Street 86 Spencer Street Tram 86     Bourke Street 1 Spencer Street 86 2 King Street William Street Tram 58 West Coburg   Domain/Toorak Melbourne Central Station ●●●●●●●●●●●●●● 3 Flagstaff Station 58; Flagstaff station 4 Queen Street Elizabeth Street Tram 19, 57, 59 Haymarket   Flinders Street 5 Melbourne Central Station 19, 57, 59 Flagstaff Station ●●●●●●●●●●●●●● Swanston Street Tram 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72 Melbourne University   Arts Centre/Domain 6 Melbourne Central Station 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72 7 Russell Street 8 Exhibition Street 9 Victoria Street 30 La Trobe Street Nicholson Street Tram 30 Tram 86, 96   Nicholson Street 11 Victoria Parade Victoria Pde 10 Parliament Station Parliament Station ●●●●●●●●●●●●●● Bourke Street Tram 86, 96    Bourke Street Mall   Spring Street CC Bourke Street 86, 96 Collins Street Tram 11, 12, 48, 109 St Vincents Plaza   Southern Cross Station Wellington Parade Tram 48, 75    North Balwyn/Vermont South   Flinders Street 8 Spring Street 75 Batman Avenue Tram 70    Wattle Park 6 Russell Street 70 605 Swanston Street Tram 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72 Domain/St. Kilda Road   Melbourne University 5 Flinders Street Station 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72 Flinders Street Station ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● Elizabeth Street Tram 19, 57, 59     Haymarket/North Melbourne 4 Flinders Street Station 19, 57, 59 3 Market Street 58; Queens St Buses Market Street Tram 58 Southbank/Domain   Royal Park/West Coburg 2 King Street 1 Spencer Street 12, 96, 109 Spencer Street Tram 12, 96, 109 Clarendon St Junction   Collins/Bourke Street Flinders Street Viaduct Docklands Flinders Street D6 Flinders Street West 232, 235, 237   McCrae Street D5 The Goods Shed   Harbour Esplanade D4 Docklands Park Collins Street Tram 11, 48 St Vincents Plaza   Victoria Harbour D3 Etihad Stadium/Bourke Street Docklands La Trobe Street Tram 30, 86     La Trobe/Bourke Street D2 Central Pier 30, 86 Footscray Road Siding   Docklands Drive D10 NewQuay D11 The District 70, 86 Suburb Street Stop No. Waterfront City Docklands Connections

References

External links

• Media related to City Circle Tram at Wikimedia Commons
• Route 35 map
• Route 35 timetable