Footscray Tram
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| Basic information | |
| Country | Australia |
| city | Melbourne |
| operator | Yarra trams |
| Infrastructure | |
| Route length | 9.2 km |
| Gauge | 1435 mm |
| Power system | 750 V DC overhead line |
| Operating mode | Bidirectional operation |
| Stops | 32 |
| Depots | Essendon tram depot |
| business | |
| Clock in the peak hours | 3 trips / hour |
| Clock in the SVZ | 4 trips / hour |
| vehicles | Z3 class |
The Footscray tram has been operating in the industrial and port city five kilometers west of Melbourne since September 6, 1921, and is operationally connected to the city's tram network. The Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board and its successor Metropolitan Transit Authority were shareholders until privatization . The Yarra Trams are currently responsible for operation .
The only tram line 82 runs within tariff zone 1. The total 9.2 kilometers long route between the Footscray train station and the northern terminus Moonee Ponds Junction is operated by Z3-Class trams from the Essendon tram depot. Because of the short turning tracks, only these cars can be used. In the area of Maribyrnong , line 82 shares the route with line 57.
history
prehistory
The first considerations for a tram line in Footscray were made in 1885 by Charles Lovett, who had achieved local fame as an artist. His proposal called for a cable tram , which should be built and operated according to the system of lines running in Melbourne. However, this could not have been put into practice as such a project proved unprofitable for a small town like Footscray. Another decisive factor was the fact that due to a lack of public interest, no suitable investor could be found for the tram. Therefore, the first plans were initially forgotten.
However, that changed with the advent of the electric tram in Melbourne. After the beginning of the twentieth century, the new technical possibilities aroused public interest in the construction of a tram. Various interest groups had drawn up the first detailed plans by 1914 to examine possible costs and benefits. Some groups preferred to connect the tram network to that of the town of Essendon in the northeast, while others advocated a local tram in the areas west and south of the station. However, the bigger problem turned out to be convincing the authorities, as they preferred a bus company that hardly required any investment. Another postponement was a one-week test run with omnibuses, but these were not well received by the population.
First plans
The population feared that the public sector would not subsidize public transport in the long term if investments had not been made beforehand. In order to be able to form a larger association, the individual groups of supporters of the tram merged to form the Footscray & District Tramways League . Public pressure paid off in 1915 when the city council approved the preparation of studies for a tram network. The North Melbourne Electric Tramways & Lighting Company was the first investor to present a route with a new bridge over the Maribyrnong River , which was supported by the Royal Agricultural Society . However, the authorities rejected the move on the grounds that they did not want to spend large sums of money on the construction of a new bridge whose connecting route would lead through land that was still undeveloped. The route that would have continued to Essendon from this new bridge was generally rejected as being beneficial only to that community. Nevertheless, the engineering office, which was responsible for the planning of a bridge for road traffic to Essendon, was commissioned to plan preliminary construction work for the subsequent installation of tram tracks.
| line | Line route |
|---|---|
| 1 | Footscray, Station - Irving Street - Hopkins Street - Barkly Street - Tottenham, Ashley Street |
| 2 | Footscray, Train Station - Irving Street - Hopkins Street - Droop Street - Ballarat Road - Maidstone, Rosamond Road |
| 3 | Footscray, Train Station - Irving Street - Nicholson Street - Buckley Street - Victoria Street - Charles Street - Gamon Street - Sommerville Road - Kingsville, Williamstown Road |
| 4th | Footscray, Irving Street - Nicholson Street - Footscray Park - Maribyrnong River Bridge - Langs Road - Ascot Vale, Epsom Road (NMETL station) |
| 5 | Footscray, Hopkins Street - Nicholson Street - Yarraville, Francis Street |
On August 13, 1915, Alexander Peacock , then Prime Minister of Victoria, found out about the plans for the local tram network on site. He visited the planned route and was told about the planned route to Essendon, which is said to have impressed him. According to him, the decision on the project is very progressive for the developing city. He also praised the fact that the tram was designed as a feeder for the railroad and that it would not compete with it through a parallel route, as is the case with other projects. For this reason, the official approval for the tram is easier, since no objections were received from representatives of the railway. Also the person in charge, Mr. EC Ward, who had invited the visit, argued for the tram that the projected annual loss of operations of £ 231 could be covered by the increasing tax revenue from the resulting urban development.
Political decisions
On August 26th, the City Council submitted a request to Parliament for approval of the tram and borrowing to cover the construction costs of £ 150,000. On December 13, the Railway Commission announced that there were no concerns about the project. The Minister for Public Works also agreed. However, this was on the condition that the city pays the construction costs of £ 798 for the crossing of the Bendigo Line and Williamstown Line of the railways and half of the running costs of the level crossings of £ 64 annually. On December 21, Minister Membrey tabled a bill authorizing the city to set up the Footscray Tramways Trust (FTT) to build and operate the tram. The estimated cost of building the tram was £ 98,435. 30 miles of the lines should be double-tracked and 5 miles single-tracked. The equipment and rolling stock should preferably be manufactured within the Commonwealth of Nations . The law was passed with only one vote against. Only MP McLachlan voted against the decision, who feared problems in the future if too many powers were given to the municipal level. Because in the event that a central tram company is set up in Melbourne, the city would be entitled to admission and could continue to have a say in financial matters in this company if this were required by politics.
There was a major dispute in the city council over the FTT. In the session on January 23, 1916, the mandate of the law to found a tram company consisting of three councilors should be processed. There was no election, however, as some members of the council did not agree that the tram authority should only be given to three people. Primarily on the financing should still be voted by the representatives in the city council. Councilor McDonalds also suggested that the tram company could add up to £ 500 a year to tram losses by hiring more employees and managers. At the next meeting on February 27, the introduction of the FTT was finally voted on. With the second vote of Mayor Pearce, the vote fell in favor of the introduction. In addition to this, the councilors Shillabeer and Johnson were appointed as responsible persons. The mayor himself finally assumed the chairmanship of the society.
Controversy over the lines
But there was still controversy as to which variant should be implemented. The route to Essendon, which in February 1916 also had the support of the local city council, was rejected only by the vote of the mayor of Footscray. Problems arose for the young tram company FTT and the city council in Footscray, as the population was suspicious of the lack of transparency and information policy in connection with the planning.
Two of the officially planned lines were particularly criticized: The routes of lines 3 and 5, which should lead to the southern residential areas of Footscray, were criticized in Yarraville because they were planned to run far away from the actual center of the community. Stakeholders feared that the shopping streets would become deserted and the retail trade would move away. They accused the city council of making downtown Footscrays more attractive at the expense of Yarraville and called for line 3 to run through the center of town instead of Williamstown Road and to connect to line 5 on Francis Street . They also suspected that the lines were hardly used by most of the residents due to the long distances to the stops and were therefore not profitable to operate. In April 1916, the city council transferred the solution to this issue to the Footscray Tramway Trust.
Due to the poor financial situation of the North Melbourne Electric Tramways & Lighting Company , which was due to the small network of the company, more and more voices in the public advocated the extension of the plans to a route to Essendon. The reason was that the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust , which operated tram lines in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, had made a big profit by expanding out of the original municipal area, which they wanted to transfer to the future network in Footscray in order to avoid an unprofitable, to build a small city network. The FTT could not be convinced of this and stuck to the decision not to build a tram route to Essendon. Proponents of the route were very dissatisfied with this, as they feared that it would not build a tram at all.
Idea of a route to Melbourne
In the spring, the planning of the large port facilities on the north bank of the Yarra River, the Melbourne Docklands, began. To develop the area, the port company intended to build a tram line to Melbourne city center. Inspired by the idea of a direct tram connection from Footscray to the city center, Councilor Harris asked the city council to request the planning authorities to connect their line to the Footscray tram. Even if the realization was considered very unlikely at the time, the proposal was received positively. The connection is currently under discussion again .
Effects of the First World War
The First World War presented some difficulties for the trams: the war operations prevented trams from being imported from Europe or the United States, and all the capacities of the Australian production sites for rail vehicles were already used. As the economic situation had deteriorated in general, 5% interest had to be paid on the loans to be taken out, which corresponded to an additional financial burden of the tram company of £ 500 - it was originally assumed an interest rate of 1.5%. The material battles of the war did the rest, because an ever larger proportion of production goods were used for military purposes, which led to an enormous increase in prices. The tram counteracted this by starting early to acquire the materials it needed and then to store them until work began. However, the pressure was now high on the company to initially build only the most profitable sections, as the donors did not want to take any greater risk.
However, it turned out that further changes to the financing had to be made. Initially, the company made full use of its powers by taking out a £ 100,000 loan without the need to seek approval from the city council. However, in order to be able to cover the additional costs incurred, the planned ticket prices were raised before the start of construction work: Instead of the fixed price of one penny for a single journey on the entire network, distance tariffs for one, two and three pence were now planned, with discounts for Children, students and workers were taken into account.
Elaboration of the plans
Two senior engineers were hired to oversee the construction work. In mid-November 1916 they began with the first measurements in the course of the route, because necessary changes to the underground lines had to be determined and detailed plans for the installation of the track systems had to be drawn up. Thanks to a loan with an interest rate of 5.5%, FTT was now solvent and could start tendering the construction companies. Amazingly, the material prices could be reduced compared to the forecasts: Since a railway company in Northcote had joined the order for the steel rails, the transport costs could be reduced considerably. This would save a total of £ 3,000 in expenses.
Until recently, however, it was not announced which lines should be built first. Only for the route to the bridge at Flemington Racecourse, which was considered to be important, there was no official approval. Later there should be a connection to e to the Essendon tram. In terms of responsibility, however, reference was made to the local tram company. However, this categorically rejected such an initiative. She pointed out that the line would not create any additional traffic value, since only commuters who at the time drove via North Melbourne to the neighboring community would change anyway. In addition, the tram company in Essendon did not have the necessary financial means to build new tram lines. Therefore, the FTT did not make any efforts to get a connection. At least in the first phase, operations in Footscray remained limited to its own urban area.
criticism
Before the start of construction work, critical voices spoke up again, trying to prevent the tram from being installed, at least at the time. Above all, the amount of the loan taken out was criticized. It was feared that an uneconomical operation would start at the expense of taxpayers, which would cause the taxes to rise even further in the difficult economic times. The value for the general public was seen as rather low, as only certain residents would benefit from it. Councilor Walsh protested in a comment in the weekly newspaper Footscray Advertiser for citizen participation instead of leaving the decisions to the FTT:
“[...] Then wages, cost of power, upkeep, depreciation, insurance, and other expenses. For what? That a few people who live up West may derive some benefit therefrom; but at what cost? Howvever, outside the merits of the trams altogether, should not a referendum of the people have been taken before this enormous sum was borrowed […]? ”
“[...] In addition, there are wages, electricity bills, maintenance, wear and tear, insurance and other expenses. For what? So that some people in the West can benefit from it; but for what price? However, apart from the merits of a tram, the referendum should not have been called before these immense sums were borrowed [...]? "
Delays in the delivery of the tracks
Furthermore, the FTT was unable to negotiate the delivery of tram tracks from a European manufacturer. Since the supply bottlenecks of the First World War also affected other plants, the Australian Broken Hill Steel Corporation began to set up a domestic production facility in response to the high demand. It was now also considered in Footscray to accept an offer from this manufacturer.
Finally, on May 2, 1917, the delivery of 1,200 tons of track at a price of £ 15 / ton was contractually agreed. As a basis for the production, embedded tracks were used, the profile of which is below that of a full line and which are therefore more suitable for a tram. In order to be able to use these Vignol rails , they first had to be converted to grooved rails that can be laid in the street area: For this purpose, cast iron plates were attached to the side of the rail base with bolts; This enabled the necessary groove for the wheel flanges to be kept free between this outer edge and the rail head. The delivery should take place over a period of three months.
Construction phase
The actual construction of the routes was divided into three contract sections: The first lot in the Buckley Street, Victoria Street, Charles Street, Gamon Street and in the Barkly Street between Nicholson Street and Russell Street was at the construction company Messrs Lock & Raynor Contractors awarded the second construction lot on Droop Street and Ballarat Road to Messrs Fisher & Moran Contractors and the third construction lot on Hopkins Street, Leeds Street, Irvin Street, Nicholson Street and Buckley Street to the tram depot to the Albion Contracting Company .
The FTT was soon attacked by the media for its insistence on the establishment of a local tram network. The felling of numerous trees to secure the overhead line was also criticized . On March 3, 1918, the prediction was made that the FTT would never operate the Footscray tram, as a central tram company would be set up for the entire Melbourne area before it went into operation. This gave rise to hopes for a connection to the tram network in Melbourne or Essendon, although the forecast at the time turned out to be rather unlikely. Construction of the tram began on July 30, 1918, although no official building permit had yet been obtained. Therefore, the five routes have been submitted to the governor-in-council for approval.
Since the FTT was in financial difficulties, savings plans were drawn up. As a result, seven unfinished cars were bought and completed by another tram company in order to then wait for commissioning in the Hawthorn Depot . Due to the lack of money, the fourth and fifth lines were also discarded from the planning and the first line was shortened to Russell Street. At this time, too, the shortage of materials caused by the war caught up with the Footscray tram, as no additional generators were available for electric tram operation at the Newport Powerhouse . When the supporters of the Essendon tram connection won the council majority, the FTT had the last chance to change course from the local tram model. A lawsuit against Messrs Lock & Raynor Contractors for having opened the pavement of several streets without the approval of the council was withdrawn by the council after a long time.
| line | Line route |
|---|---|
| 1 | Footscray, Station - Irving Street - Hopkins Street - Barkly Street - West Footscray, Russell Street |
| 2 | Footscray, Train Station - Irving Street - Hopkins Street - Droop Street - Ballarat Road - Maidstone, Rosamond Road |
| 3 | Footscray, Train Station - Irving Street - Nicholson Street - Buckley Street - Victoria Street - Charles Street - Gamon Street - Sommerville Road - Kingsville, Williamstown Road |
Commissioning and further development
Operation by the FTT actually never came about, as the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board had been founded as early as 1919 , which was entrusted with the operation of trams in the entire greater Melbourne area. On February 9, 1920, the not yet opened tram was transferred to the new company. When the Footscray tram started operating on September 6, 1921, ten-year-old A-class trams were used from other routes (not to be confused with the A-class cars produced after the Second World War). The FTT vehicles were never put into operation. The rolling stock used was tram cars for two-man operation. There was also rubber tires for the vehicles, which were required for operational trips in the tram depot away from the tracks. Soon X-class trams were also used, which were used in one-man operation.
But the transfer to the central tram company did not fulfill any hopes. Rather, all desired investments have been postponed as the company focused on improving the tram network in east Melbourne. The result of these circumstances was a local tram network that never had a direct connection to Melbourne city center. Only the long-awaited connection to the Essendon tram at Moonee Ponds Junction was realized between 1941 and 1954, creating today's line 82. However, since the FTT did not provide a direct connection to the center of the neighboring city, the traffic value of the other local tram lines in Footscray was so low that they were discontinued on March 10, 1962 and replaced by bus routes.
route
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Today's tram line 82 begins at Moonee Ponds Junction , a major interchange point northwest of downtown Melbourne. In addition to a stop on tram line 59, there is a bus station at the central intersection of the suburb of the same name, which is served by various bus companies. The stop of line 82 consists of a single track with a side platform; it is connected to the other stop via the intersection. The outlets from the Essendon tram depot lead over this connecting track to the northern direction track; Only beyond the platforms of line 59 will the trams be transferred to the south-facing direction. Therefore, the trams to Footscray turn directly at the platform. In the meantime, however, the renovation of the station has started, which changes this situation (see section Expansion projects ) .
Immediately to the south begins the characteristic double-track line, which runs flush with the street in the middle of Ascoe Vale Road . The private transport can also ride the rails, which mainly affects sections must be where parked on the roadside cars drive around. At Gladstone Street , the dense block development merges into a residential area. The next stop is Chaucer Street , which, like so many others, is in the middle of the street without a stop cap and is only indicated by a sign and floor markings. The passengers have to cross the parking lane at the side of the road to get into the tram. At the next stop, Ascot Vale Road, the route bends into Maribyrnong Road . After the Moore Street and Bayview Terrace stops and crossing the railway line to Essendon, the line on Union Road reaches the main shopping street in the suburb of Ascot Vale. From the direction of Melbourne, the tracks of tram line 57 lead to Maribyrnong Road . However, there is no track connection for journeys from Moonee Ponds Junction to the city center. The vehicles in the direction of Footscray stop at their own stop in front of the intersection, in the opposite direction they stop at the same place as line 57.
In the further course, both lines share the route. The Hotham Street Ferguson Street and Bowen Street stops are in residential areas. At the Epsom Road stop , the route meets an important main road in north-south direction, which is also where retail and services are located. Then there is a stop at Maribyrnong Park . After crossing the Maribyrnong River on a four-lane bridge, the route leads to the urban area of Maribyrnong. Further along the route are the stops Clyde Street , Van Ness Avenue , Barb Street, Warbs Road , Randall Street and Rosamond Road . The Highpoint Shopping Center can be reached from the latter . Now the route is swiveled onto a special track in a northerly lateral position ( English Light Rail Reserve ) . On this it continues to Raleigh Road Wests Road . This stop has only one platform on the southern track; the adjacent property is demarcated by a fence that runs close to the tracks, so that passengers have to get into the vehicles via a directional track. Behind the stop, a branch to the terminus of line 57 branches off.
Line 82 runs parallel to Wests Road south on an independent railroad track where the Waterford Avenue stop is located. The route bends onto Williamson Road , where the next stop, West Road Williamson Road , is partly in the curve, partly in the street . Then the route continues its course to the south as a special railway body on the edge of Rosamond Road . The Highpoint Shopping Center stop is immediately after leaving the street . Like the following stations on the route section, it is barrier-free. The platforms are raised to the floor level of the low-floor vehicles and have ramps, shelters and displays of the passenger information system . Since the trams are currently designed to be completely high-floor, the advantage of accessibility is currently no longer available. At the next stop, Rosamond Road , the route runs east on River Street . This is followed by the Maribyrnong Secondary College Station and Gordon Street . Then the route swings back into the street space. She continues her way to Footscray via Gordon Street, flush with the street. The Lyric Street , Edgewater Boulevard , Titch Street and Ballarat Road stops are also back in the middle of the street.
Only after the latter does the line join the route of the original Footscray tram. The former line continued to the west of Maidstone until the connection to the Melbourne tram was built in Maribyrnong. At the Droop Street stop , the route joins the street of the same name, which takes you to the center of Footscray. The Tiernan Street , Geelong Road and Nicholson Road stops are on the road . Once in the city center, the Hopkins Street stop is on the street of the same name. The last few yards run through Leeds Street to merge into a sweeping track and end bluntly at the terminus at Footscray Station Irving Street . This station is barrier-free. Across the street from Irving Street is Footscray Station, with links to suburban trains to Melbourne.
Expansion projects
Extension to Melbourne Docklands
The Australian Green Party have presented expansion plans for the tram, including a connection of line 82 to the tram lines to Waterfront City in Melbourne Docklands. To this end, a 4.6-kilometer tram line is to be built along Footscray Road, which would open up both the northern edge of Docklands and the residential areas east of Footscray station. Otherwise, the route runs along the industrial areas and container terminals of the port of Melbourne, although the route mainly serves to connect the tram from Footscray to the city center, the central business district of the metropolis. Construction costs of $ 80-100 million are calculated as investments . The aim is to relieve the road connection by encouraging commuters to switch to a high-speed tram connection. The aim is to reduce the flow of traffic along the route by 1,800 cars per hour. This would also lead to the party's goal of reducing CO 2 emissions. As a side effect, it is hoped that the local economy and retail trade will grow, which will also create new jobs. However, other parties consider the tram to be an unfavorable means of transport on the long route.
Redesign of the terminus at Moonee Ponds Junction
In June 2015, the operating company Yarra Trams began planning to convert the terminus at Moonee Ponds Junction. The biggest change concerned the trams from Footscray, which will now cross the intersection and stop at the platform of line 59. Therefore, the previously used platform on the other side of the intersection was abandoned. A single sweeping track was set up on the west side of Pascoe Vale Road to provide a turning point. At the same time as the station was expanded to make it accessible for the disabled, the 50-year-old tracks were also replaced. A quick and safe transfer to the bus lines is possible at the new platform, which means that the stop has been upgraded as a transfer point. The stop is now also equipped with a passenger information system.
Web links
- Route 82 Map (English)
- Route 82 timetable (English)
Remarks
- ↑ a b c d e The Australian pound was currency in what was then the Dominion of the British Empire until the changeover to the Australian dollar . Although it was then used in analogy to the pound sterling , it can no longer be compared with today's British currency.
Individual evidence
- ^ Footscray Tramways. Premier inspects routes. Advertiser (Footscray, Vic .: 1914-1918) August 14, 1915, accessed December 21, 2015 .
- ^ Proposed Tramways. Advertiser (Footscray, Vic .: 1914-1918), December 18, 1915, accessed December 21, 2015 .
- ^ Footscray Tramways. Enabling bill passed. Advertiser (Footscray, Vic .: 1914-1918), December 25, 1915, accessed December 22, 2015 .
- ^ Proposed Tramway - A heated debate. Advertiser (Footscray, Vic .: 1914-1918) January 29, 1916, accessed December 22, 2015 .
- ^ Tramway Trust - Cr. Johnson Chairman. Cr. Pearce's Responsibility. Opportunity Seized. Advertiser (Footscray, Vic .: 1914-1918) March 4, 1916, accessed December 22, 2015 .
- ↑ Tramways. Advertiser (Footscray, Vic .: 1914-1918), March 11, 1916, accessed January 12, 2016 .
- ^ Tramway Extensions - Yarraville Case to be considered. Advertiser (Footscray, Vic .: 1914-1918) April 8, 1916, accessed March 28, 2016 .
- ^ Tramway Trust. Advertiser (Footscray, Vic .: 1914-1918), April 1, 1916, accessed March 28, 2016 .
- ↑ The Trams. Advertiser (Footscray, Vic .: 1914-1918) August 12, 1916, accessed March 28, 2016 .
- ^ Footscray Tramways. Advertiser (Footscray, Vic .: 1914-1918), October 7, 1916, accessed March 28, 2016 .
- ^ Footscray Trams. Advertiser (Footscray, Vic .: 1914-1918) November 18, 1916, accessed March 30, 2016 .
- ^ The Tramways and Cr. WALSH. Advertiser (Footscray, Vic .: 1914-1918) January 6, 1917, accessed March 30, 2016 .
- ↑ News of the trams. Advertiser (Footscray, Vic .: 1914-1918) April 21, 1917, accessed May 19, 2016 .
- ^ Trams for Footscray. Advertiser (Footscray, Vic .: 1914-1918) May 5, 1917, accessed May 19, 2016 .
- ↑ Bringing the X1s to Footscray. In: Trams DownUnder Archive. Accessed August 30, 2015 .
- ^ Footscray: Genesis of a local tramway. In: Melbourne Tram Museum @ Hawthorn Depot. Retrieved August 6, 2015 (History of the Footscray Tram).
- ↑ Footscray local lines closure: March 10, 1962. In: Trams DownUnder Archive. Accessed August 30, 2015 .
- ↑ FOOTSCRAY TO DOCKLANDS-CBD TRAM LINK ( Memento of the original from April 4, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. calling for an extension into Melbourne Docklands through the Australian Greens
- ^ Moonee Ponds Tram Upgrade Project. (No longer available online.) Yarra Trams, June 2, 2015, archived from the original on June 4, 2015 ; accessed on September 30, 2015 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
