Route 109
Port Melbourne to Mont Albert

Operated by Yarra Trams Kew and Southbank Depots

Melbourne's tram route 109 starts from the Port Melbourne - Beacon Cove terminus which is situated in a pedestrian square flanked with restaurants and cafes on the Port Phillip Bay side of the former Port Melbourne station, which has been restored and now hosts a medical centre. Plans are afoot to extend the tram line onto Station Pier to connect with the Spirit of Tasmania and the Devil Cat services to Tasmania, some plain track has been installed and point locations have been temporarily covered with bitumen. The line was extended 300 metres in 1998 from the other side of Port Melbourne station to allow a roadway to be built across the tracks as part of the Beacon Cove housing redevelopment, which has been constructed on the former rail sidings.

Trams leave Port Melbourne and travel to Graham, where the up track between here and Port Melbourne needed to be replaced , then North Port and Montague stops, crossing Montague St and passing Southbank Depot before arriving at Port Junction, where the reservation changes from open ballast to mass concrete, and route 96 from St Kilda Beach joins. Trams turn left into Clarendon St, where trams go past the Crown Casino, having passed the loading point for the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant, joining route 12 from St.Kilda.

The Exhibition centre and the Polly Woodside can be seen on the right as trams cross the Spencer St bridge, passing the World Trade Centre and going under the railway viaducts before crossing route 70 to Wattle Park at Flinders St, where route 75 from East Burwood and the City Circle tourist tram join for the run up Spencer St to Collins St, where routes 112 and 109 turn right.

In Collins St, route 55 to West Coburg is crossed at William St, routes 19 to North Coburg, 57 to West Maribyrnong and 59 to Airport West at Elizabeth St and Route 1 between East Coburg and South Melbourne Beach as well as St Kilda Rd services at Swanston St. At Spring St, trams cross the City Circle at an angle and go along Macarthur and Gisborne Sts, passing Parliament underground railway station and St Patrick's Cathedral before arriving at the Victoria Parade interchange.

Here, route 112 turns left along Brunswick St, route 30 terminates in its' own siding and routes 24, 30 and 34 join from Victoria Parade, sharing track with route 109 along a reservation laid with 41 kg rail on concrete sleepers. At Hoddle St East Melbourne route 34 terminates at a crossover and Mont Albert trams turn left and right into Victoria St North Richmond and pass under the Epping and Hurstbridge railway lines before arriving in an area full of Vietnamese businesses ans restaurants. At Church St, where connecting curves are provided, the terminus of route 78 to Prahran can be seen on the right as trams go along Victoria St, crossing the Yarra River and entering a cutting in Barkers Rd Kew, and stop at Kew Depot, where access is available from both tracks.

Turning right into High St South, where route 48 to North Balwyn joins, the laneway entrance to Kew Depot is passed as trams arrive at Kew Junction, where route 48 continues along High St and Mont Albert trams turn right into Cotham Rd outside the former Kew Post Office.

Trams pass the Glenferrie Rd terminus of route 69 to St Kilda and the Burke Rd terminus of route 72 to the City via Camberwell then go through the Deepdene and Balwyn shopping centres in Whitehorse Rd and arrive at the Union Rd terminus, which is a single track, seating being provided on the footpath adjacent to the terminus.

This tram line is due to be extended to Market St Box Hill by the year 2002. Work on the extension commenced on August 28th 2001.

Short Workings

Tram Times.

61 stops, average travel time 1 hr 2 min day, 48 minutes night.

                           Mont                  Port
                          Albert                Melbourne

Monday to Saturday

First tram          5.21 am               5.32 am
Last tram       11.17 pm             11.52 pm

Sunday

First tram         5.09 am             7.19 am
Last tram       11.08 pm           11.54 pm

Service Frequencies

Monday to Friday

Before AM Peak    AM Peak    Between Peak    PM Peak    Night
15 - 20 min.      4 - 7 min.   7 min.   4 - 7 min.   20 min.

Saturday

 Before 8 am                  Daytime              Night
20 min.                      10 min.                   20 min.

Sunday

Beforw 11 am                Daytime               Night
30 min.                     10 min.                30 min.

Go to Home Page
Go to Tram Route Index
Go to route 96
Go to City Circle tourist tram.

This page sponsored by . 1