Melbourne tram route 59

Melbourne tram route 59 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from Airport West to Flinders Street station. The 14.7 kilometre route is operated by B2 class trams from Essendon depot.[1][2] There are also Z3 class trams running Route 59, although only when required.

Route 59
Airport West - Flinders Street station
B class tram on Mount Alexander Road
in May 2013
Overview
SystemMelbourne
OperatorYarra Trams
DepotEssendon
VehicleZ3 Class
B2 Class
Began service16 May 1943
Route
Length14.7 km (9.1 mi)
TimetableRoute 59 timetable
MapRoute 59 map
 Route 58  {{{system_nav}}}  Route 64 

History

Route 59 was first allocated to the line between Essendon Aerodrome and the Elizabeth Street terminus on 16 May 1943, when the Essendon line was extended to the Essendon Airport.[3] Prior to that, Route 59 had been allocated to the Williamstown Road line on the Footscray system, but numbers were never really used since the single-truck trams that ran the line didn't have route number boxes. Trams from Essendon had always terminated at Elizabeth Street, though before the Brunswick cable tram line was converted in 1936, they instead terminated on William Street.[3] During the years where Essendon airport was Melbourne's primary airport, airlines usually transported passengers to the airport for free, the tram to Essendon Aerodrome was usually only used by airport workers. Thus when Tullamarine Airport opened in 1970, the line became of little use, and along with the fact that the line dangerously crossed the Tullamarine Freeway at grade, it was decided to truncate the line to terminate at Hawker Street, Airport West on 7 October 1976.[4] On 22 December 1992, the line was extended by 1.2 kilometers to Airport West Shopping Centre.[4]

The origins of Route 59 lie in separate lines. The oldest section of the line is between Flinders Street (Stop 1) and Haymarket (Stop 9) was originally constructed as part of the Brunswick cable tram line, which opened on 1 October 1887.[3] This line was converted to electric traction on 29 December 1936. The section of track between Abbotsford Street (near Stop 20) and Flemington Bridge (Stop 22) was also originally part of the cable network as the North Melbourne line, which was converted to electric traction on 19 July 1925. The line between Abbotsford Street and Haymarket was constructed and opened by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board on the same day.[3] The section between Flemington Bridge and Keilor Road (near Stop 46) was originally opened by the North Melbourne Electric Tramway and Lighting Company on 11 October 1906. This line was extended to Gilles Street (near Stop 49) on 7 July 1923, and then again to Birdwood Street (near Stop 51) on 7 February 1937.[3] The line to Hawker Street (Stop 57) opened on 16 May 1943 as part of the Essendon Aerodrome line. The rest of the line to Airport West opened on 22 December 1992.

Melbourne tram route 59 evolution
Dates Route Notes
c. 1934 - 21 December 1940 Williamstown Road - Footscray Never used as single-truck trams on the
line had no number plates
22 December 1940 - 15 May 1943 Unallocated
16 May 1943 - 6 October 1976 Essendon Aerodrome - Flinders Street Station
7 October 1976 - 21 December 1992 Airport West (Hawker Street) - Flinders Street Station
22 December 1992 – Present Airport West Shopping Centre - Flinders Street Station

Route Description

The route starts at the corner of Matthews Avenue and Rodd Road, Airport West and operates via Niddrie, Essendon, Moonee Ponds Junction, Ascot Vale, Flemington, North Melbourne and Elizabeth Street to terminate at Flinders Street station.

Map

Route 59
Airport West - Flinders Street station
via Essendon, Flemington, Parkville & City
Free tram zone covers stops 7 to 1, fare zone 1 applies from stop 59 to 9
Suburb
Street
Stop
No.
Airport West
Connections
Airport West
Matthews Avenue
59
Airport West
58
Marshall Road
57
Hawker Street
56
Earl Street
55
Cameron Street
Niddrie
Matthews Avenue
54
Fullarton Street
53
Keilor Road
 
Keilor Road
53A
Matthews Avenue
475, 476, 483, 501
52
Hoffmans Road
51
Bradshaw Street
50
Cooper Street
49
Essendon North Primary School
48
Service Street
47
Mount Alexander Road
46
Lincoln Road
45
Leake Street
44
Thorn Street
43
Brewster Street
42
Shamrock Street
Essendon station
 
Napier Street
41
Essendon station
465, 468, 475, 476
477, 501, 503
 
Fletcher Street
40
Nicholson Street
39
Hoddle Street
38
Pascoe Vale Road
503, 510
37
Buckley Street
36
Salisbury Street
35
Queens Park
508
34
Mooney Valley Civic Centre
Moonee Ponds Siding
32
Moonee Ponds Junction
Ascot Vale Road
Tram 82
31
Montgomery Street
30
Ormond Road
504, 505
29
Warwick Street
28
Middle Street
Essendon tram depot
27
Essendon tram depot
26
Wellington Street
25
Mount Alexander College
24
Mooltan Street
23
Flemington Community Centre
Flemington Bridge station
22
Flemington Bridge station
Racecourse Road
Tram 57
20
Melrose Street
Abbotsford Street
Tram 57
Royal Park Light Rail
Tram 58
19
Royal Children's Hospital
57, 58
16
Hawker Street
15
Murphy Street
14
Royal Melbourne Hospital
401, 402, 403
Peel Street
Tram 58
 
  Toorak
Royal Parade
Tram 19
9
Haymarket
58, 59; 546
Victoria Street
Route 57
7
Queen Victoria Market
57; 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
11, 12, 48, 109
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

  1. "Facts & figures". Yarra Trams. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  2. "Route 59". Yarra Trams. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  3. "Gunzel". www.classicaustraliantv.com. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  4. "Route 59 tram to Airport West does not serve Melbourne Airport - Waking up in Geelong". Waking up in Geelong. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
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