Recent Melbourne tramway developments

The following images were taken with a digital camera and are not as clear as images scanned from colour slides. However, they show current developments of interest with a much shorter turnaround time between the taking of a picture and displaying it on the internet.

New tram track construction for Melbourne's "Route 70 Diversion Project"

The images below show various scenes associated with the construction of the new tramline linking Swan Street with Flinders Street and Exhibition Street (the "Route 70 Diversion Project"). This tramline will provide a new route to the the city for the Wattle Park service (route 70) and provide improved tramway access to major sporting venues such as the National Tennis Centre and Melbourne Cricket Ground. The existing tramway west of the new line along Swan Street and Batman Avenue will be closed.

This view, looking west, shows trackwork at the eastern end of the Route 70 diversion works. Pointwork for the start of the track to provide storage for trams servicing sporting events is clearly visible. Note the sharp track curvature. Image taken 28 February 1999.

This view looking west, taken near the pedestrian overbridge serving the eastern side of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, shows the three tram lines (two through tracks and one storage track) at this point. Centre poles have been erected. Image taken 28 February 1999.

This view, looking east, taken from the pedestrian overbridge serving the Western side of the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the National Tennis Centre, shows that concrete track construction for one line had nearly reached this point by 28 February 1999. Works on other facilities including carparking for the National Tennis Centre are also visible.

This view, looking west towards the City and the Exhibition Street bridge, taken from the pedestrian overbridge serving the Western side of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, shows preparations for track construction as at 28 February 1999. At this stage, crushed rock base has been laid and compacted and rails roughly placed.

This view looking east towards Richmond Station shows tram track construction parallel to the railway. Construction on the second tram track is underway. The image was taken from the eastern pedestrian overbridge serving the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Image taken on Sunday 17 January 1999.

This view shows Z3 class tram 192 at the existing Batman Avenue terminus waiting to depart for Wattle Park. This section of tramline will be closed when the new section of tramline across Exhibition Street Extension is opened. Image taken on Wednesday 30 December 1998.

This view looking west towards the the National Tennis Centre and City shows tram track construction parallel to the railway. The image was taken from the eastern pedestrian overbridge serving the Melbourne Cricket Ground, just west of Richmond Station. Construction here is being undertaken by Emerald Glen Constructions. Image taken on Wednesday 30 December 1998.

This view taken in Flinders Street looking west from Exhibition Street shows the new tram track constructed for trams to turn to and from the new line to cross the Exhibition Street Extension bridge across the railyards. In the background, a B2 class Light Rail Vehicle waits to depart for East Burwood. Image taken on 30 December 1998.

This view was taken from Exhibition Street looking south across Flinders Street towards the Exhibition Street Extension Bridge being constructed for VicRoads by John Holland Construction across the Flinders Street rail yards. At this stage the new bridge still has one span to be constructed. Note the tram tracks constructed to allow trams to turn from Flinders Street onto the Exhibition Street Bridge. Image taken on 30 December 1998.

Other tram track works around Melbourne

The following images show various tram track works around Melbourne. Weekends are particularly busy times for tramway works in Melbourne when streets can be closed and tram services suspended with less disruption.

This view looking north along Kingsway, South Melbourne near the Westgate Freeway overpass, shows tram track reconstruction work being undertaken by contractor John Holland Constructions. In this view, workmen are compacting the base material prior to placement of the concrete sleepers and the laying of new rails. This form of track construction is now common on reserved track sections of tramway in Melbourne. Image taken on Sunday 17 January 1999.

This view looking west along Flinders Street at Russell Street in the City shows reconstruction works on street tramtracks. Flinders Street has been closed to all non-construction traffic. In the foreground, the tramrails have been placed on concrete blocks prior to the pouring of concrete up to rail height. Concrete has already been placed between the rails further along. Note also on the left, works underway on the Federation Square project on the site of the former Princes Bridge railway station. Image taken on Sunday 17 January 1999.

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