Melbourne tram route 6
Melbourne tram route 6 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from Moreland to Glen Iris. The route is operated by Z, B and D class trams from Brunswick and Malvern depots.
History
Route 6 was allocated to the line between Glen Iris and City on 21 November 1929, the same day that numbers were allocated to the rest of the Swanston St trams. Trams traditionally terminated at the Victoria St terminus, but following an accident in 1991, trams instead terminated at the Queensberry St crossover. Due to congestion during peak hours at the crossover, some trams continued north to Melbourne University. Finally on 17 January 1996, a permanent shunt was built at Melbourne University. From then on, Route 6 trams were altered run full-time to Melbourne University. Following the creation of Route 58 in anticipation for the construction of the Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel on 1 May 2017, Route 8 was discontinued. From then on, Route 6 was instead altered to terminate at Moreland instead of Melbourne University.The origins of route 6 lie in separate tram lines. The section of track between Queensberry Street and High Street is the oldest section of this route, dating back to the Brighton Road cable tram which opened on 11 October 1888 by the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company. This cable tram line was electrified in stages by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board. The section between Domain Interchange and High Street was electrified on 27 December 1925. The section between Queensberry Street and City Road was electrified on the same day. The line between City Road and Domain Interchange was electrified on 24 January 1926.
The section between Charles Street and Tooranga Road was one of the original lines constructed by the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust, which opened on 30 May 1910. This line was extended west to Punt Road on 14 March 1911 and again, to St Kilda Road on 14 September 1912, connecting with the St Kilda Road cable tram to the city. The PMTT extended the line again on 25 March 1914, this time east, to its current terminus at Malvern Road. Meanwhile, the Melbourne, Brunswick & Coburg Tramways Trust constructed the section of Route 6 north of Queensberry Street towards Moreland. This section opened on 31 October 1916.
In October 2016, it was announced that as part of works associated with the Melbourne Metro Rail Project, route 6 will be extended from Melbourne University to Moreland to partly replace route 8 on 1 May 2017.
| Dates | Route | Notes |
| During PMTT operation | Victoria Bridge to Esplanade | via Glenferrie/Balaclava Roads |
| 21 November 1929 - 14 April 1991 | City to Glen Iris | |
| 15 April 1991 - 17 January 1996 | City to Glen Iris | Some services terminated at Melbourne University |
| 17 January 1996 - 1 May 2017 | Melbourne University to Glen Iris | via Swanston Street |
| 1 May 2017 - onwards | Moreland to Glen Iris | via Swanston Street |
Route
Description
Route 6 operates from Brunswick tram depot travelling east along Moreland Road before turning south along Holmes Street in Brunswick East. It continues south to Albion Street where it doglegs into Lygon Street, continuing south through Carlton North and Carlton, turning west into Elgin Street and south into Swanston Street at Melbourne University.It proceeds south through the CBD, past Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne Central station, State Library of Victoria, Melbourne Town Hall, City Square, St Paul's Cathedral, Flinders Street station, Federation Square and Birrarung Marr.
Crossing the Yarra River onto the Southbank, it continues along St Kilda Road, passing The Arts Centre, National Gallery of Victoria, Victoria Barracks and the Shrine of Remembrance.
It turns east into High Street, traversing via Prahran, Windsor, Armadale and Malvern to its terminus at Malvern Road, Glen Iris.