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Melbourne tram commuters to see station upgrades, new ride app

Recycled plastics to feature in Melbourne tram platforms.
Melbourne trams
Photo by Umesh Gopinath on Unsplash

The stretch of Melbourne tram line from Southbank Boulevard through to Melbourne University is due to receive major upgrades, including a larger platform for the popular Federation Square/Flinders Street Station stop on St Kilda Road.

The tram stretch, according to the state’s Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ben Carroll, is the busiest tram corridor in Victoria and in the world.

“These improvements will create a better travel experience for both commuters and people visiting some of Melbourne’s most popular attractions like Federation Square and the arts precinct,” the Minister said.

The upgrades will see the popular Federation Square/Flinders Street Station stop on St Kilda Road closed from late-June to mid-July to build a larger platform, with improved disability access and new shelters.

Nearly 600 metres of tracks on Swanston Street and St Kilda Road will also be replaced as part of the upgrade, providing a safety boost for passengers, quieter infrastructure and a reduced risk of derailments.

Victoria is currently trialling RideSpace, an online tool that lets commuters see how busy their train trip will be so they can choose when to travel.

The system is being trialed on tram route 59 which travels between Essendon and the city. Over the coming months, this tram trial will assess passenger counting technology and data accuracy before being rolled out to passengers.

“We already know millions of customers are accessing valuable real-time information through RideSpace for the train network each week, and now we’re taking steps to roll this out to other public transport modes,” Minister Carroll said.

The St Kilda Road upgrade is part of the Victorian Government’s maintenance and renewal program, which delivered $640 million of works across the public transport network this financial year, improving reliability and passenger experience while injecting millions of dollars into the economy.

The St Kilda Road business precinct and Shrine of Remembrance will be accessed by the new Metro Tunnel Project’s Anzac Station when it opens in 2025. The new station is strategically located to ease pressure on the St Kilda Road/Swanston Street tram corridor and will include an interchange with a tram super stop on St Kilda Road.

“We’re investing in Melbourne’s iconic tram network with this upgrade delivering improved comfort, safety and a smoother ride for the 365,000 passengers who use this stop each week,” Member for Southern Metropolitan Nina Taylor said.

During the major upgrades, St Kilda Road will be closed to vehicles and trams between Flinders Street and Southbank Boulevard from Sunday, 27 June until Monday, 12 July and Southbank Boulevard will be closed between St Kilda Road and Sturt Street while these significant works are undertaken. Detours will be in place using Punt Road and Kings Way.

Tram routes operating on this corridor will also be impacted by the works, with tram routes 1, 3, 3a, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67 and 72 being impacted. For full disruption information, head to ptv.vic.gov.au.


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