Melbourne tram route 48

Route 48
Balwyn North - Victoria Harbour Docklands

C 3012 at North Balwyn terminus.

C class tram at Balwyn North terminus
Overview
System Melbourne tramway network
Operator Yarra Trams
Depot Kew
Vehicle A class, C class
Route
Locale Melbourne, Australia
Start Balwyn North
Via Kew East
Kew
Hawthorn
Richmond
East Melbourne
Melbourne CBD (Collins St)
End Victoria Harbour Docklands
Length 13.5 km (8.4 mi)
Zone(s) Free Zone: Stops D18-D14, 1-8
Myki Zone 1: Stops 9-51
Annual patronage 7.5 million[1]
Timetable Route 48 timetable
Map Route 48 map
← Route 35  {{{system_nav}}}  Route 55 →

Melbourne tram route 48 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from Balwyn North to Victoria Harbour Docklands. The 13.5 kilometre route is operated by A and C class trams from Kew depot.[2][3]

Previously route 48 ran via Flinders Street, with the route altered to run via Collins Street on 20 September 2009.[4]

Proposed extension

A2 class tram on Collins Street in September 2012

The Public Transport Users Association and Cities of Boroondara and Manningham have been lobbying for an extension of route 48 to Westfield Doncaster.[5][6][7] It would require approximately 4.5 km of extra track, serving Greythorn Village and the Doncaster Park and Ride facility before terminating near Westfield Doncaster. The PTUA has also pointed out the future potential for the line to be extended further along Doncaster Road to East Doncaster and Donvale.

Proponents have argued that it could serve as a cheaper, quicker and more efficient alternative to the long-proposed Doncaster railway line. However, supporters of the railway state that the tram already takes 50 minutes from one terminus to the other in the off-peak, and that the tram would take well over an hour to reach the city from Doncaster. It is therefore considered as a separate project to the heavy railway, that would serve a local access purpose.

In the lead up to the 2006 state election, the Ted Baillieu opposition promised the extension by July 2010, pricing it at $35 million.[8][9] It was stated that there would have been about 2 accessible stops every kilometre, similar to the recent Box Hill tram extension. However the government was returned and the Baileu government did not commit to it in the 2010 election.

The City of Manningham commissioned a $60,000 study in 2007[10] to investigate the potential for the new line, arguing it was a needed alternative to overcrowded buses.

Map

Route 48
Balwyn North Stop 51
Burke Road 44
Victoria Park 38
Kew Junction Route 109 32
Hawthorn Bridge Route 75 23
Richmond Town Hall 19
Powlett Street Jolimont station 12
Parliament House Parliament station Routes 11, 12, 109, City Circle 8
Southern Cross station Southern Cross station Routes 11, 12, 96, 109 1
Harbour Esplanade Routes 70, 75, City Circle D16
Victoria Harbour D18

Not all stops are shown, refer to timetable for full list of stops
Green denotes free tram zone

References

  1. ↑ "Facts & figures". Yarra Trams. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  2. ↑ Facts & figures Yarra Trams
  3. ↑ Route 48 Yarra Trams
  4. ↑ Spring into Collins on Route 48 Yarra Trams 21 September 2009
  5. ↑ "Submission to Infrastructure Australia on Victoria's transport infrastructure priorities" (PDF), Public Transport Users Association, p. 8, retrieved 2011-11-03
  6. ↑ "Destination: Doncaster" (PDF), Public Transport Users Association, retrieved 2011-11-03
  7. ↑ "Mayor pushes Balwyn tram extension". Boroondara Review Local. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  8. ↑ "A Liberal government plan to improve Public Transport" (PDF). Victorian Liberal Party. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 21, 2007. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  9. ↑ Warner, Michael (9 November 2006). "$35m line on trams". Herald Sun. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  10. ↑ Stephen Moynihan (16 July 2007). "Councils plead to fill gaps in transport network". The Age. Archived from the original on 16 March 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
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