Thursday, 14 November 2024

Brunswick tram depot

Anthony CIANFLONE (Pascoe Vale) (17:28): My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Public Transport, and the action I seek is for the minister to provide my community with an update on the progress of plans to upgrade the Brunswick tram depot, which has long been the heartbeat of local tram operations in Merri-bek.

The Brunswick and Coburg councils first considered a tramline on Sydney Road to Melbourne in 1881, but it was not until October 1887 that the Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company ran a cable tram only to Moreland Road. At the time the Coburg farmers were said to have opposed the cable tram because it was likely to startle their horses as they carted hay down to Melbourne. A horse tram was opened to Gaffney Street in 1888, with some referring to it as a the ‘Slow-burg’ because apparently the lethargy of the horses was only matched by the drivers at the time, who were slow to start but quick to stop for a chat with the driver coming in the other direction once the line was duplicated in 1891. A Coburg land boom followed these evolving transport links, with Upfield previously opening in 1884 and with land companies purchasing farms, subdividing them and offering them to willing speculators and homemakers – very much a case of back to the future.

By late 1912 it was agreed that a new electric tramway from the city would run along Lygon Street, Holmes Road, Nicholson Street and Moreland Road, then up Sydney Road, terminating at Bakers Road. That is a hybrid route of today’s route 1 and route 19. The Brunswick and Coburg tramways trust was created in 1914, headed by the former Coburg mayor Thomas Reynolds, with the first electric tram running to Bakers Road on 27 April 1916.

By 1917 the tramline from Moreland Road had also been extended along Nicholson Street to Bell Street – today’s route 1– and it was not until June of 1927 that the Coburg West line along Melville Road was completed to Bell Street, with a single track north of Moreland Road. With a growing population and growing patronage, a £30,000 Brunswick Tram Depot was opened on 26 April 1936, bounded by Sydney Road, Moreland Road and Cameron Street. While it received its fair share of face lifts over almost a 90-year history, I am delighted to say that this Victorian Labor government’s record $115 million investment will help secure its future over the coming century.

It was great to accompany the Minister of Public Transport to visit the tram depot on 17 September to welcome the new upgrades that are going to get underway soon, including an expanded tram depot building to house and accommodate the next-generation trams, increasing the number of trams that can be stabled and serviced at the depot from 49 to 60, new and upgraded maintenance facilities to service the growing tram fleet, modern administration buildings, amenities and car parking to cater for over 210 more tram drivers and depot staff – proudly RTBU members – up from the current 170 staff, a new game-changing tram exit from the depot directly onto Sydney Road to free up and decongest Cameron Street and Moreland Road – the depot’s only current access point – new accessible tram stops along Moreland Road and improved power resilience through power upgrades. We are going to be complementing of course the world-class Moreland Station precinct, which the member for Preston referred to earlier, over the road through these works. The works will help support ongoing tram services along Moreland Road route 6, Sydney Road route 19, Nicholson Street route 1 and of course Melville Road route 58. The tram depot’s upgrades will also continue to preserve the depot’s tram history in terms of having been the place of Joyce Barry, who was selected as the first woman tram driver in 1956.