Melbourne tram route 19

Route 19
North Coburg - Flinders Street station
D2 class tram on Elizabeth Street in December 2013
Overview
System	Melbourne tramway network
Operator	Yarra Trams
Depot	Brunswick
Vehicle	B2 Class D2 Class
Began service	26 April 1936
Route
Length	10.2 km (6.3 mi)
Timetable	Route 19 timetable
Map	Route 19 map
Route map ← Route 16  {{{system_nav}}}  Route 30 →

Melbourne tram route 19 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from North Coburg to Flinders Street station. The 10.2 kilometre route is operated by B and D class trams from Brunswick depot.^[1][2]

Overview[]

As this tram route is one of the most patronised in Melbourne, the VicRoads Think Tram initiative was instated along this route to help increase ontime running. Yellow dividers are now bolted along Royal Parade forming a tram lane on road space which was previously shared by cars. Further Think Tram initiatives included signage improvements along the route and right-turn bans and turn priorities along Sydney Road. The route is operated by B2 class and D2 class trams.

This route is especially busy during University semester times, serving the western side of the University of Melbourne and the Parkville campus of Monash University, while the route also passes through one of the most diverse areas in Melbourne, with Lebanese, Greek, Italian and some Asian restaurants and shops along Sydney Road.

History[]

Route 19 was first allocated to the line between North Coburg and the City terminus at Elizabeth Street on 26 April 1936 following the electrification of the Brunswick cable tram line. Prior to that, Sydney Road trams would run via Moreland Road to Swanston Street and the southern suburbs. Route 19 was allocated to the line between North Coburg and the City - Swanston Street near Flinders Street Station.^[3] Since 1936, Route 19 has remained on the route between North Coburg and the City (Elizabeth Street). In January 2016, route 19 began operating through the night on Fridays and Saturdays as part of the Night Network.^[4] An extension to Fawkner was first planned by the Melbourne, Brunswick & Coburg Tramway Trust (MBCTT) in 1916, but never came to fruition.^[5] This extension has been brought up since, most recently by the Victorian Greens during the 2010 state election.^[6]

The origin of Route 19 dates back to the Brunswick cable tram line while the section north of Moreland Road was constructed by the MBCTT. The Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company (MTOC) opened the Brunswick cable tram line on 1 October 1887, which encompasses the section of Route 19 between Moreland Road (Stop 28) and Flinders Street Station (Stop 1). This line was electrified by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board in stages through 1935-36. The section between Flinders Street Station and Victoria Street (near Stop 7) was first electrified on 17 November 1935. The section to Haymarket (Stop 9) was electrified on 29 December in the same year. The electric track was extended to Leonard Street (Stop 15) on 12 January 1936, and then to Park Street (near Stop 19) on 23 February 1936.^[3] The final section to Moreland Road was electrified on 26 April 1936. Meanwhile, the track between Moreland Road and Bell Street (Stop 34) was opened by the MBCTT on 27 April 1916, while the rest of the line to Bakers Road (Stop 40) opened on 14 May 1916.^[3]

Map[]

v t Route 19
Coburg North - Flinders Street station via Coburg, Brunswick, Parkville & City Free tram zone covers stops 1 to 7, fare zone 1 applies from stop 9 to 40
Legend
Suburb Street Stop No. Coburg North Connections Coburg North Sydney Road 40 Bakers Road 39 Mercy College 38 Carr Street 37 Gaffney Street 534 Batman station ● Coburg Sydney Road 36 Rogers Street 35 Pentridge Boulevard 34 Bell Street 526, 530, 534 33 Victoria Street Coburg station ● 32 Harding Street 512 31 Reynard Street 30 The Avenue 29 Moore Street Moreland station ● Moreland Tram 6 Moreland   Glen Iris Brunswick Sydney Road 28 Moreland Road 6; 510 27 Brunswick tram depot 26 Albion Street Anstey station ● 25 Stewart Street 24 Blyth Street 508 23 Victoria Street 508, 509 Brunswick station ● 22 Albert Street 21 Dawson Street 506 20 Barkly Square 509 Jewell station ● 19 Brunswick Road 504 Parkville Royal Parade 18 Princes Park 17 Ievers Street 16 Walker Street 505 15 Leonard Street 14 Macarthur Road 13 Gatehouse Street 12 Morrah Street 11 University of Melbourne 546 10 Royal Melbourne Hospital 401-3, 505, 546 Flemington Road Tram 58, 59     Royal Children's Hospital Peel Street Tram 58     Toorak Melbourne CBD Elizabeth Street 9 North Melbourne 58, 59; 546 Victoria Street Tram 57 Swanston Street   North Melbourne 7 Queen Victoria Market 57; 546 La Trobe Street Tram 30, City Circle Exhibition Street   Harbour Esplanade Melbourne Central station ●●●●●●●●●●●●●● 5 Melbourne Central station 30, City Circle; 684 3 Bourke Street Mall 86, 96; Lonsdale Street buses Bourke Street Tram 86, 96 Melbourne Museum   Southern Cross station 2 Collins Street 11, 12, 48, 109 Collins Street Tram 11, 12, 48, 109 St Vincent's Plaza   Southern Cross station 1 Flinders Street station 70, 75 City Circle ; 605 Flinders Street Tram 70, 75, City Circle Russell Street   Docklands Flinders Street station ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● Suburb Street Stop No. Flinders Street station Connections
Note: Green denotes free tram zone

References[]

External links[]

• Media related to Melbourne tram route 19 at Wikimedia Commons
• Route 19 timetable and map