Melbourne tram route 78

Route 78
North Richmond – Balaclava
Overview
System	Melbourne
Operator	Yarra Trams
Depot	Glenhuntly
Vehicle	Z class A class
Route
Locale	Melbourne, Australia
Start	North Richmond
Via	Richmond South Yarra Prahran Windsor
End	Prahran
Length	6.5 km (4.0 mi)
Zone(s)	Myki Zone 1
Timetable	Route 78 timetable
Map	Route 78 map
Route map ← Route 75 Route 82 →

Melbourne tram route 78 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from North Richmond to Balaclava. The 6.5 kilometre route is operated by Z and A class trams from Glenhuntly depot.^[1][2]

History

Chapel Street was first served by trams in part by a cable tram line opened in 1888, which ran from Brighton Road to Toorak Road, then turned towards St Kilda Road and into the City.^[3] Between 1924 and 1926 an electric tram line was built by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board, replacing the cable tram, and extending along Church Street, forming the route as it operates today.^[4] It ran with two variations, one the route 79, turning from Chapel Street along Carlisle Street to St Kilda Beach, and another, route 77, which turned from the southern part of the route at Swan Street and continued into the city that was discontinued in the 1980s.

In the late 20th century, the line ran predominantly as the 79. Like nearly all trams lines in Melbourne, it was served by W class trams, operating from the Glenhuntly depot, for most of its life. In the 1990s with the gradual removal of the W Class, the route was operated by Z and A class trams. W Class trams were re-introduced in 2004 after they received brake upgrades, as one of only three routes running the old trams, the others being route 30 and the City Circle Tram. In 2014 the Ws were withdrawn and replaced by Z and A class trams. On 27 July 2014 the route 79 option was also discontinued.^[5]

Route

The route starts at the Victoria Street terminus then runs along Church Street, Richmond, crossing Bridge Road and Swan Street. It continues over the Yarra River (into the suburb of South Yarra) along Chapel Street, crossing Toorak Road. Continuing down Chapel Street, it terminates at Brighton Road, Balaclava. It is one of only two tram routes which does not travel through the Melbourne CBD, the other being route 82.

Map

Route 78
North Richmond Victoria Street Routes 12, 109 Stop 65 Bridge Road Routes 48, 75 61 East Richmond station East Richmond station 56 Toorak Road South Yarra station Route 8 50 Windsor station Windsor station 43 Dandenong Road Routes 5, 64 42 Chapel Street Balaclava station Routes 3/3a, 16 37 Balaclava Brighton Road Route 67 36
Not all stops are shown, refer to timetable for full list of stops

References

1. Facts & figures Yarra Trams
2. Route 78 Yarra Trams
3. The Melbourne Tramways:A Pictorial History (map), Stephen Watson, 1993
4. The Melbourne Tramways:A Pictorial History (map), Stephen Watson, 1993
5. Capacity boost for tram passengers Yarra Trams 9 July 2014

External links

• Media related to Melbourne tram route 78 at Wikimedia Commons
• Route 78 map
• Route 78 timetable