Melbourne tram route 3

Melbourne University - East Malvern

Route Information
Route Number	3 / 3a (weekend variation)
Number of stops	57 as 3 / 62 as 3a (weekend variation)
Timetables	Link
Route Map	Link
Zone Location
Zone 1
Entire route

Tram route 3 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the University of Melbourne north of the city centre to Malvern East in the eastern suburbs.

Like most tram routes in Melbourne, it is entirely within Metcard/myki ticketing Zone 1.

On weekends route 3 operates as route 3a and diverts through St Kilda.

In response to the State Government's 2001 Melbourne 2030 planning policy, the Public Transport Users Association lobbied to extend route 3 to East Malvern railway station or Chadstone Shopping Centre.^[1]

History

The origins of route 3 lie in separate tram lines, an electric line from Melbourne University to Queensberry Street, a cable tram from Queensberry Street to Milton Street and an electric line from Acland Street to Darling Road.

Cable trams first travelled from Queensberry Street, Carlton to Milton Street, Balaclava (just south of Carlisle Street), on 11 October 1888, with the line opened by the Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company.^[2]

The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust opened a line from Alcand Street, St Kilda to Hawthorn Road, Caulfield North along Carlisle Street/Balaclava Road on 12 April 1913.^[3] This line was extended east by the Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust from Hawthorn Road to Darling Road, Malvern East on 13 November 1913.^[3]

The Melbourne, Brunswick and Coburg Tramways Trust opened its line from Park Street, North Carlton to Queensberry Street, Carlton along Lygon Street, Elgin Street and Madeline Street - as the section of Swanston Street north of Victoria Street was originally known - on 31 October 1916.^[3]

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board converted the Swanston Street/St Kilda Road cable line to electric traction between 1924 and 1926, with electric trams able to run the entire length on 29 August 1926.^[4]

Large sections of these lines make up what is today's route 3.

During the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games the route was through routed to West Coburg, from Domain Interchange, along route 55 to alleviate congestion along St Kilda Road.^[5] The temporary through routing was useful in helping daily commuters utilise other connection train stations at the city's west end. At Domain Interchange, a junction was instated. This set of switches has since been disabled after the demerger.

On 31 January 2009 route 3 was altered on the weekends to form route 3a, diverting from the regular route at St Kilda Junction and travels through St Kilda on Fitzroy Street, The Esplanade and Carlisle Street to rejoin the regular route at the corner of St Kilda Road and Carlisle Street.^[6]

Route

Route 3/3a
Melbourne University Routes 1, 8 Stop 1 City La Trobe St Melbourne Central Station Routes 24, 30, City Circle 8 Lonsdale St 9 Bourke St Routes 86,		Collins St Routes 11, 42, 48, 109, 112	11
		Federation Square Flinders St Station Routes 70,

Arts Precinct Route 1 14 St Kilda Rd Coventry St 18 Domain Interchange Routes 8, 55 20 Toorak Rd 22 Commercial Rd Route 72 25 High St Route 6 27 St Kilda Junction Routes 5, 16, 64, 67 30 St Kilda

		3a Weekend Variation
		St Kilda Station Route 96	132
		Park St Route 112	134
		Acland St Route 96	138

Carlisle St Routes 16, 67, 79 35 St Kilda Town Hall 36 Chapel St Routes 78, 79 37 Balaclava Station Balaclava Station 38 Orrong Rd 43 Kooyong Rd 46 Hawthorn Rd Routes 16, 64 51 Caulfield Caulfield Racecourse 56 Caulfield Station Caulfield Station 56 Burke Rd 60 East Malvern 64

Not all stops are shown, refer to timetable for full list of stops.

Z3 class tram at East Malvern terminus

Route 3 runs from Melbourne University travelling south on Swanston Street, through the CBD, passing Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne Central railway station, State Library of Victoria, Melbourne Town Hall, City Square, St Paul's Cathedral, Flinders Street railway station, Federation Square and Birrarung Marr.

Crossing the Yarra River into Southbank along St Kilda Road, traversing the suburbs of Melbourne and South Melbourne, Victoria, it passes The Arts Centre, National Gallery of Victoria, Victoria Barracks and Shrine of Remembrance. Passing through St Kilda Junction at St Kilda, it continues south on St Kilda Road, turning east into Carlisle Street, Balaclava travelling towards St Kilda East, where Carlisle Street becomes Balaclava Road, continuing east travelling through Caulfield North. At Caulfield it briefly travels on Normanby Road, Sir John Monash Drive and Dandenong Road - passing Caulfield station - and continues east into Waverley Road, Malvern East, terminating at Darling Road, Malvern East.

Route 3a Weekend Variation

On the weekends route 3 runs as route 3a, which diverts from the regular route at St Kilda Junction and travels through St Kilda on Fitzroy Street, The Esplanade and Carlisle Street, passing Luna Park and St Kilda Beach rejoining the regular route at the corner of St Kilda Road and Carlisle Street.^[6]

Operation

Route 3 and 3a are run from Glenhuntly depot^[7] and are predominantly run by Z3 class trams, and occasionally with air conditioned B2 class articulated trams.

Maps and timetables

• Official timetables
• Official route map
• Official tram network map
• Tram and train network map from railmaps.com.au

See also

• Trams in Melbourne
• Transportation in Australia

References

1. ^ "The Real Transport Challenges: A Call for a Vision" (PDF), Public Transport Users Association: p. 56, http://www.ptua.org.au/files/2006/The_Real_Transport_Challenges.pdf, retrieved 2011-11-03 
2. ^ "Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company Limited", TMSV Running Journal Vol 9 No 3, page 16, http://www.tramway.org.au/runningjournal/rj_vol9_no3.pdf, retrieved 2011-10-16 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Milestones, 1911 - 1920", Yarra Trams, http://www.yarratrams.com.au/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-155/173_read-883/, retrieved 2011-09-27 
4. ^ "Milestones, 1921 - 1930", Yarra Trams, http://www.yarratrams.com.au/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-155/173_read-882/, retrieved 2011-09-27 
5. ^ "Changes to your tram service during the Commonwealth Games - March 2006", Yarra Trams, http://web.archive.org/web/20060821200433/http://www.yarratrams.com.au/default.jsp?xcid=1272, retrieved 2011-09-27 
6. ^ ^{a b} "Your new weekend tram service to St Kilda - Route 3a", Yarra Trams, http://www.yarratrams.com.au/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-105/99_read-1718/, retrieved 2011-09-27 
7. ^ "Glenhuntly Depot", VICSIG, http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=trams&depot=glenhuntly, retrieved 2011-09-27