City Circle tram: Difference between revisions

The '''City Circle''' ([[Melbourne tram]] route 35) is a [[zero-fare]] tram running around the [[Melbourne central business district]] in Australia. AimedRunning mainlyalong atthe tourists,city centre's outermost thoroughfares the route passes many Melbourne attractions whileincluding running[[Parliament alongHouse, theMelbourne|Parliament cityHouse]], centre'sthe outermost[[Old thoroughfaresTreasury Building, asMelbourne|Old wellTreasury asBuilding]] and the developing [[Docklands, Victoria|Docklands]] waterfront precinct. ItSince October 2023, it operates in botha clockwise and anti-clockwise direction only.

The tram route was introduced on 29 April 1994,<ref>City Circle Opens ''[[Trolley Wire]]'' issue 258 August 1994 pages 16-2216–22</ref><ref>[http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/Doi/Internet/transport.nsf/AllDocs/74164766E0CEAF95CA25700500122952OpenDocument Public transport -– City Loop history] {{dead link|date=August 2019}}</ref> requiring a small track extension along [[Spring Street, Melbourne|Spring Street]], between [[Collins Street, Melbourne|Collins]] and [[Flinders Street, Melbourne|Flinders Streets]], to enable a complete CBD loop to be formed.<ref>Melbourne Track and Overhead Work ''Trolley Wire'' issue 256 February 1994 page 26</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=http://epress.anu.edu.au/anzsog/auc/mobile_devices/ch08s11.html|title=Getting implementation going|work=The Building Better Cities program 1991-961991–96: a nation-building initiative of the Commonwealth Government |author=Lyndsay Neilson|editor1-first=John|editor1-last=Butcher|year=2008|publisher=epress.anu.edu.au|doi=10.22459/AUC.04.2008|isbn=9781921313776|access-date=1 November 2010-11-01

|doi-access=free }}</ref> The [[Government of Australia|Federal Government's]] Building Better Cities program funded the $6.4 million capital cost of the track expansion, while the [[Government of Victoria|State Government]] funded the running costs.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://epress.anu.edu.au/anzsog/auc/mobile_devices/ch08s15.html#d0e3496|work=The ‘Building Better Cities’ program 1991-961991–96: a nation-building initiative of the Commonwealth Government|author=Lyndsay Neilson|editor1-first=John|editor1-last=Butcher|title=Appendix 1: Funding Allocation, Victorian Area Strategies|year=2008|publisher=epress.anu.edu.au|doi=10.22459/AUC.04.2008|isbn=9781921313776|access-date=1 November 2010 |doi-11-01access=free }}</ref>

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 [[Harbour Esplanade]], [[Docklands, Victoria|Docklands]].<ref>City Circle trams route change ''Trolley Wire'' issue 292 February 2003 page 27</ref><ref>{{Victorian Rail-Newsrail|title=New Docklands Tram Line|month=3|year=2003|page=94}}</ref><ref>{{cite ''[[Newsrail]]''web|url=http://www.victrip.com.au/latest_news/service_alteration_detail.php?id=32|title=City MarchCircle Tram now extends to the Docklands Precinct|website=Victrip|date=26 January 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030415063438/http://www.victrip.com.au/latest_news/service_alteration_detail.php?id=32|archive-date=15 pageApril 942003|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170226023218/http://www.yarratrams.com.au/media/43839/tramroutenumbers.pdf History of Melbourne Trams Routes from 1950 to 2009] Yarra Trams</ref> The travel time around the circle before this change was 40 minutes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/b0222c68d27626e2ca256c8c001a3d2d/527ef3e293dc01dcca256cb7007d2c50!OpenDocument|title=City Circle Tram Extended to Melbourne's Waterfront at Docklands|date=23 January 2003|publisher=Minister for Major Projects, Minister for Public Transport|access-date=6 August 2008|archive-08url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001000737/http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/b0222c68d27626e2ca256c8c001a3d2d/527ef3e293dc01dcca256cb7007d2c50!OpenDocument|archive-06date=1 October 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

|title=City Circle Tram to Run When the Sun goes Down|publisher=Premier of Victoria|date=6 April 2008|access-date=6 August 2008-08-06}}</ref>

On 30 May 2009, the route was altered for a second time, being extended from [[Harbour Esplanade]] to the NewQuay and [[Docklands, Victoria#Waterfront City|Waterfront City]] precincts via Docklands Drive. This made the route an elongated 'q'.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yarratrams.com.au/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-105/99_read-1954 |author=Yarra Trams |title=Media Release: Popular City Circle tram extended to Docklands Drive |publisher=www.yarratrams.com.au |access-date=2010-03-28 March 2010 |date=1 May 2009-05-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925130412/http://www.yarratrams.com.au/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-105/99_read-1954/ |archive-date=25 September 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>Tram changes ''[[Railway Digest]]'' August 2009 page 14</ref>

The City Circle route is operated with heritage [[W-class Melbourne tram|W class trams]], restored to original condition as part of the W8 upgrade. As of 2020, these are the only W-class trams on the system, and there are no plans to retire them. The City Circle trams originally sported a unique maroon livery promoting the service, however as part of the W8 upgrade the trams were restored back to their original green and cream livery. Until 2014, the City Circle was one of several routes to run W-class trams ([[Melbourne tram route 30|30]], [[Melbourne tram route 78|78]] and [[Melbourne tram route 79|79]]) but the remaining routes controversially had their W-class trams removed, mostly replaced by [[A-class Melbourne tram|A class]]. Trams display the route number 35.<ref>Melbourne -– Trams ''Trolley Wire'' issue 257 May 1994 page 8</ref><ref>[https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/route/timetable/1112/35/ Route 35] Public Transport Victoria</ref> The City Circle operates at a headway of 12 minutes in boththe directionsclockwise direction, with the service taking approximately 60 minutes to complete a loop. Ten trams are allocated to the service at any one time (five in each direction). An average of three million passengers usesuse the service every year, with each tram circling the city 9 times a day, or 12 times when the tram operates to 21:00.<ref name=sundown/>

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[[Category:Zero-fareFree transportpublic servicestransport]]