_in_Bourke_St_on_route_96,_2013.JPG/2000px-E_6001_and_E_6002_(Melbourne_trams)_in_Bourke_St_on_route_96,_2013.JPG)
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Melbourne tram route 96
Melbourne tram route 96 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network from East Brunswick to St Kilda Beach. The 13.9 kilometre route is operated out of Southbank and Preston depots with C2 and E class trams.
Part of the route opened as a cable tram line operated by the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company on 30 August 1887, operating along Bourke and Nicholson Streets. It operated until 26 October 1940, when the Bourke Street cable lines were abandoned by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) in favour of double decker buses. The Bourke Street cable lines were the last cable trams to operate in Melbourne.
The MMTB, unhappy with the performance of the buses, decided to reinstate trams when the buses reached life expiry, and rebuilt the tram tracks of the cable car routes. Trams on the route to East Preston (predecessor to the modern 86) started on 26 June 1955, while trams to Brunswick East began operating on 8 April 1956 as route 96.
The W7 class trams were built for running on these two lines. The new Z class trams first ran on route 96 in June 1975.
In the 1980s, it was decided to close the short St Kilda and Port Melbourne railway lines and convert them to 'light rail'. The tracks along Bourke Street were taken round into Spencer Street, south along Clarendon Street to then turn into the rail reservation to St Kilda along the former St Kilda railway line. At the former terminus at St Kilda Station, the line ran past the station building, and turned into Fitzroy Street, joining existing lines round The Esplanade to terminate in Acland Street. The first trams ran on 20 November 1987. The broad gauge 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) railway track was replaced with standard gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in), and the overhead voltage was reduced from 1500 V DC to 600 V DC. Low platforms were built adjacent to the former stations' platforms, with the station buildings put to other uses.
With the closure of North Fitzroy depot on 19 December 1993, its route 96 duties were transferred to South Melbourne depot.
After the merger of the M>Tram network with Yarra Trams in 2004, most D2 class trams were transferred from Malvern depot to Southbank depot to help alleviate the congestion on the route. After the introduction of these low floor Siemens Combino trams on the route, accessible stops were built on Bourke Street, Fitzroy Street and St Kilda Esplanade, increasing customer safety and comfort.
In response to frequent overcrowding on the tram system in 2008, the state government leased new C2 class trams from Mulhouse, France specifically to run the route. The first of these new trams began operation on 11 June 2008 with the nickname Bumble Bee 1. In November 2013, the first E class trams entered service on the route. In January 2016, Route 96 began operating through the night on Fridays and Saturdays as part of the Night Network.
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Melbourne tram route 96
Melbourne tram route 96 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network from East Brunswick to St Kilda Beach. The 13.9 kilometre route is operated out of Southbank and Preston depots with C2 and E class trams.
Part of the route opened as a cable tram line operated by the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company on 30 August 1887, operating along Bourke and Nicholson Streets. It operated until 26 October 1940, when the Bourke Street cable lines were abandoned by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) in favour of double decker buses. The Bourke Street cable lines were the last cable trams to operate in Melbourne.
The MMTB, unhappy with the performance of the buses, decided to reinstate trams when the buses reached life expiry, and rebuilt the tram tracks of the cable car routes. Trams on the route to East Preston (predecessor to the modern 86) started on 26 June 1955, while trams to Brunswick East began operating on 8 April 1956 as route 96.
The W7 class trams were built for running on these two lines. The new Z class trams first ran on route 96 in June 1975.
In the 1980s, it was decided to close the short St Kilda and Port Melbourne railway lines and convert them to 'light rail'. The tracks along Bourke Street were taken round into Spencer Street, south along Clarendon Street to then turn into the rail reservation to St Kilda along the former St Kilda railway line. At the former terminus at St Kilda Station, the line ran past the station building, and turned into Fitzroy Street, joining existing lines round The Esplanade to terminate in Acland Street. The first trams ran on 20 November 1987. The broad gauge 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) railway track was replaced with standard gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in), and the overhead voltage was reduced from 1500 V DC to 600 V DC. Low platforms were built adjacent to the former stations' platforms, with the station buildings put to other uses.
With the closure of North Fitzroy depot on 19 December 1993, its route 96 duties were transferred to South Melbourne depot.
After the merger of the M>Tram network with Yarra Trams in 2004, most D2 class trams were transferred from Malvern depot to Southbank depot to help alleviate the congestion on the route. After the introduction of these low floor Siemens Combino trams on the route, accessible stops were built on Bourke Street, Fitzroy Street and St Kilda Esplanade, increasing customer safety and comfort.
In response to frequent overcrowding on the tram system in 2008, the state government leased new C2 class trams from Mulhouse, France specifically to run the route. The first of these new trams began operation on 11 June 2008 with the nickname Bumble Bee 1. In November 2013, the first E class trams entered service on the route. In January 2016, Route 96 began operating through the night on Fridays and Saturdays as part of the Night Network.