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Melbourne tram route 70

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Route 70
A class tram on Flinders Street, February 2023
Overview
SystemMelbourne
OperatorYarra Trams
DepotCamberwell
VehicleA class
B class
Route
StartWaterfront City
ViaHarbour Esplanade
Flinders Street
Richmond
Burnley
Hawthorn
Hawthorn East
Camberwell
Surrey Hills
EndWattle Park
Length16.5 kilometres
TimetableRoute 70 timetable
MapRoute 70 map
← Route 67  {{{system_nav}}}  Route 72 →
A class tram on Flinders Street, September 2006

Melbourne tram route 70 is a tram route on the Melbourne tramway network serving the city of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Operated by Yarra Trams, the route is coloured pink and extends from Waterfront City to Wattle Park over 16.5 kilometre of double track via Harbour Esplanade, Flinders Street, Richmond, Burnley, Hawthorn, Hawthorn East, Camberwell and Surrey Hills. It is serviced out of Camberwell depot utilising A and B class trams.

History

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Most of the line currently used by route 70 was initially built and run by the Hawthorn Tramways Trust (HTT) in 1916–17. It ran between the Batman Avenue terminus (opposite Flinders Street station) to the intersection of Warrigal Road (then Boundary Road) and Riversdale Road. At the time, the HTT's Batman Avenue line was Melbourne's only electric tram line that reached the CBD. The Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board took over the line in 1920, and in 1928, extended the line a further two kilometres to Wattle Park at the Riversdale Road and Elgar Road intersection.[1][2] In 1934, the line was given the route 70 designation, which it still holds today.[2][3]

On 6 June 1999 it was diverted to operate via the Exhibition Street extension with a four-lane divided road built over the Jolimont Yard, enabling Batman Avenue west of Melbourne Park to be closed with route 70 extended to terminate at the intersection of Flinders and Spencer Streets.[4][5] This new route was better able to serve all of the Melbourne Park venues such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Rod Laver Arena.[6] Extra sidings were also built along the route in order to accommodate special events.[7] On 5 December 1999, at the City end, the route was amended to terminate at new sidings west of Spencer Street.[8]

On 4 May 2003, the route was extended along Spencer Street to the intersection of Spencer and La Trobe Streets, swapping route termini with route 75.[9][10] Between May and November 2005, the route temporarily terminated at Market Street due to the closure and removal of the Flinders Street Overpass over King Street.[11] After the works were completed, on 21 November 2005, the route was re-extended along Flinders Street and its permanent terminus was altered to the intersection of Bourke Street and Harbour Esplanade at Docklands, no longer running along Spencer Street.[12] The route was extended to Waterfront City in September 2009 to replace route 48 which was re-routed away from Flinders Street and Waterfront City.[13][14]

Route

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The route begins at Waterfront City, and runs along Docklands Drive, Harbour Esplanade and Flinders Street in the city, behind Melbourne Park at Richmond and then along Swan Street and Riversdale Road through Hawthorn and Camberwell to the eastern end of Wattle Park, terminating at Elgar Road.

Melbourne tram route 70 evolution
Dates Route Notes
9 December 1934 - 5 June 1999 Wattle Park to City (Batman Avenue)
6 June 1999 - 3 May 2003 Wattle Park to City (Flinders / Spencer Streets) via Flinders Street
4 May 2003 - 21 May 2005 Wattle Park to City (Spencer / La Trobe Streets) via Flinders Street and Spencer Street
22 May 2005 - 20 November 2005 Wattle Park to City (Flinders / Market Streets) Temporary arrangement due to the closure and removal of the Flinders Street Overpass
21 November 2005 - 19 September 2009 Wattle Park to Docklands (Harbour Esplanade / Bourke Street) via Flinders Street and Harbour Esplanade
20 September 2009 - present Wattle Park to Waterfront City via Flinders Street and Harbour Esplanade

Operation

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E class tram on shuttle route 70a outside Melbourne Park, January 2023

Route 70 is operated out of Camberwell depot with A class trams. Occasionally, B class trams are also used.[15][16][17] During the Australian Open, additional services run between Melbourne Park and the city. These services are numbered as route 70a and operated by E class trams.[18]

Route map

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Route 70
Wattle ParkWaterfront City
via Surrey Hills, Richmond & City
Free tram zone covers stops D11 to 6, fare zone 1 applies from stop 7A to 61
Suburb
Street
Stop
No.
Wattle Park
Connections
Surrey Hills
Riversdale Road
61
Elgar Road
Bus interchange
201, 767
768, 903
60
Ferndale Street
59
Alandale Street
58
Wattle Park
57
Glendale Street
56
Warrigal Road
55
Union Road
Bus interchange 766
54
Through Road
Bus interchange 766
Camberwell
Riversdale Road
53
Essex Road
52
Lockhart Street
51
Highfield Road
50
Wattle Valley Road
49
Glyndon Road
48
Cooloongatta Road
47
Willow Grove
Mainline rail interchange Riversdale station
46
Riversdale station
44
Derby Street
43
Trafalgar Road
42
Fermanagh Road
41
Camberwell Market
Bus interchange 612
Camberwell Road
Tram 75
Burke Road
Tram 72
40
Camberwell Junction
Camberwell tram depot
Hawthorn East
Riversdale Road
39
Camberwell tram depot
38
Hastings Road
37
Tooranga Road
Hawthorn
Riversdale Road
36
Auburn Road
Bus interchange 624
35
Robinson Road
34
Kooyongkoot Road
33
Berkeley Street
Glenferrie Road
Tram 16
32
Glenferrie Road
31
Fordholm Street
30
Through Street
29
Riversdale Junction
Power Street
Tram 75
 
 Left arrow Bridge Road
Hawthorn tram depot
18
Yarra Boulevard
17
Madden Grove
16
Park Grove
15
Stawell Street
Mainline rail interchange Burnley station
14
Burnley station
13
Edinburgh Street
12
Coppin Street
Church Street
Tram 78
11
East Richmond station
Mainline rail interchange East Richmond station
10
Swan Street Shopping Centre
9
Lennox Street
8
Richmond station
Mainline rail interchange Richmond station
7E
Punt Road
Bus interchange 246
Swan Street
Pre-1999 Alignment
 
Melbourne Park
7D
AAMI Park
7C
MCG/Melbourne Arena
7B
Rod Laver Arena
7A
William Barak Bridge
Zone 1
Free Tram Zone
Flinders Street
Tram 75, City Circle
6
Russell Street
Swanston Street
Tram 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72
5
Flinders Street station
Tram interchange 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72
Mainline rail interchange Flinders Street station
Elizabeth Street
Tram 19, 57, 59
4
Flinders Street station
Tram interchange 19, 57, 59
3
Market Street
Market Street
Tram 58
2
King Street
1
Spencer Street
Tram interchange 12, 96, 109
Spencer Street
Tram 12, 96, 109
D6
Flinders Street West
Bus interchange 232, 235, 237
 
McCrae Street
D5
The Goods Shed
D4
Docklands Park
Collins Street
Tram 11, 48
D3
Docklands Stadium/Bourke Street Docklands
La Trobe Street
Tram 30, City Circle, 86
D2
Central Pier
Footscray Road Siding
 
Docklands Drive
D10
NewQuay
D11
The District
Suburb
Street
Stop
No.
Waterfront City
Connections
Note: Green denotes free tram zone

References

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  1. ^ Camberwell City Council Camberwell & Hawthorn Advertiser 2 June 1917
  2. ^ a b Melbourne's Two Batman Avenue Tramways 1916 and 1999 Trolley Wire issue 278 August 1999 pages 3–15
  3. ^ Exhibition Street Extension Opening Transurban 26 October 1999
  4. ^ Goodbye, Batman Avenue Trams Transit Australia June 1999 pages 127-129
  5. ^ "Batman Avenue Trams Relocated". Newsrail. Vol. 27, no. 7. Vic: ARHS Victoria Division. July 1999. p. 197. ISSN 0310-7477. OCLC 19676396.
  6. ^ Opening of the Tram Route 70 Diversion Transit Australia July 1999 pages 182/183
  7. ^ History of Melbourne Trams Routes from 1950 to 2009 Yarra Trams
  8. ^ "Melbourne's New Docklands Tramway" (PDF). Trolley Wire. November 2000. p. 3-5.
  9. ^ Services Transit Australia July 2003 page 196
  10. ^ "Timetable & Route Alterations 30/04/2003". Yarra Trams. 30 April 2003. Archived from the original on 25 June 2003.
  11. ^ "Flinders Street Overpass Removal". Yara Trams. 20 May 2005. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006.
  12. ^ "Routes 13, 24, 30, 48, 70, 75, 86, 109, 112 & City Circle - From Monday 21 November 05". 14 November 2005. Archived from the original on 20 August 2006.
  13. ^ Changes to Routes 48 & 70 from Sunday 20 September 2009 Yarra Trams
  14. ^ Tram infrastructure works Railway Digest April 2010 page 8
  15. ^ Camberwell Depot Vicsig
  16. ^ Facts & figures Yarra Trams
  17. ^ Route 70 Yarra Trams
  18. ^ Australian Open 2020 Yarra Trams
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Media related to Melbourne tram route 70 at Wikimedia Commons