Melbourne tram route 112

Tram route 112 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from West Preston, in the northern suburbs to St Kilda.

Like most tram routes in Melbourne, it falls within Metlink ticketing Zone 1.

Two variants of route 112 exist: route 11, which runs between West Preston and Victoria Harbour Docklands (via Collins Street), and the route 9, which runs between St Kilda and the Tram Depot in Thornbury (via Collins Street).

History

The origins of route 112 lie in separate tram lines, a cable tram from Spencer Street to Fitzroy North, an electric line from Fitzroy North to West Preston and an electric line from the CBD to Fitzroy Street, St Kilda (partially built utilising a former cable line).

A cable line was opened from Spencer Street to Barkly Street, Fitzroy North along Collins Street, MacArthur Street, Gisborne Street, Victoria Parade, Brunswick Street and St Georges Road on the 2 October 1886, by the Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company.^[1]

The Fitzroy, Northcote and Preston Tramways Trust had started constructing a system but it wasn't until after its takeover by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board that services first ran, on 1 April 1920, part of this system included a line from Barkly Street, Fitzroy North to Regent Street, Preston.^[2] This network was orphaned from the rest of the electric network until 24 March 1925 when a line along Holden Street, Pilkington Street and Barkly Street was built by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board to allow access to the CBD via Lygon Street.^[3]

On 31 October 1925 a new route to St Kilda was opened by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board, travelling from St Kilda Road along Sturt Street, Eastern Road, Heather Street, Park Street, Clarendon Street, Albert Road, Canterbury Road, Mills Street, Danks Street, Patterson Street, Park Street, Mary Street and Beaconsfield Parade.^[3]

In 1929 the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board started converting the Collins Street cable lines to electric traction, with the last cable tram running down Collins Street on 14 September 1929, and the first electric tram on 8 December 1929.^[3] At the same time the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board built a new electric line down the centre of Victoria Parade to replace the cable line, which opened on 15 September 1929.^[3] The remaining section of cable tram track along Brunswick Street and St Georges Road was converted to electric traction by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board on 26 October 1930,^[3] connecting the West Preston electric line to Collins Street.

The South Melbourne cable line was converted to electric traction by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board on 25 July 1937,^[4] with the section of track between Clarendon Street and Hannah Street (now Kings Way) along City Road abandoned in favour of a new section of track along Clarendon Street, between City Road and Flinders Street. This allowed trams to travel from St Kilda to Collins Street, along Clarendon Street and Spencer Street.

On 8 November 1959 the track along Mary St and Beaconsfield Parade, St Kilda West were abandoned in favour of a short extension along Park Street to Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, route 112's current terminus.^[5]

In 2005 route 112 was part of the Think>Tram project, with measures aimed at improving tram services introduced to Clarendon Street, South Melbourne.^[6]

Route

Route 112 runs from West Preston south on Gilbert Road, it turns east at Miller Street and south on St Georges Road, it then traverses the suburbs of Thornbury, Northcote and Fitzroy North. At Edinburgh Gardens it turns slightly into Brunswick Street and continues south into Fitzroy. Turns west into Victoria Parade and passes through St Vincent's Plaza, East Melbourne , passing St Vincent's Hospital, Eye and Ear Hospital and turns south onto Gisborne Street, continues south west along MacArthur Street and turns west into Collins Street, entering the CBD, passing Melbourne Town Hall and City Square.

It turns south into Spencer Street, passing Southern Cross Station, it crosses the Yarra River and enters Southbank on Clarendon Street where it traverses South Melbourne, at Albert Road it turns south west, passing the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, it turns south east briefly onto Canterbury Road, Albert Park and turns south west into Mills Street, and finally south east into Danks Street, Middle Park, Patterson Street and Park Street, to its terminus at Fitzroy Street, St Kilda.

Operation

Route 112 is run from East Preston depot^[7] and Southbank depot^[8] and is predominantly run with A class and B2 class trams although D2 class occasionally run the route.

Maps and timetables

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

See also

• Trams in Melbourne
• Transportation in Australia

References