Melbourne tram route 57

Route 57 was first allocated to the line between West Maribyrnong and the City via North Melbourne on 22 December 1940 when the Maribyrnong line was extended from the Maribyrnong River to West Maribyrnong. Prior to that, the number was officially listed for the Ballarat Road line on the Footscray system, but was never used in practice since the single-truck trams used on that line didn't have route number boxes.[1] Before the West Maribyrnong extension, services on the Maribyrnong line were provided by Route 54, which ran from the Maribyrnong River terminus to the City via North Melbourne.[1] Trams would terminate in William Street prior to the conversion of the Elizabeth Street line in 1935. On 12 November 1961 trams on Sunday were replaced on route 57 by buses. Sunday trams were reinstated on 8 August 1993.[2][3]

The origins of Route 57 lie in separate lines. The section between Flinders Street (Stop 1) and Victoria Street (Stop 7) is the oldest section of track, dating back to the Brunswick cable tram line, which opened on 1 October 1887.[1] This section was converted to electric traction on 17 November 1935. The section between Flemington Bridge station (near Stop 22) and Victoria Street dates back to the North Melbourne cable tram line, which opened on 3 March 1890, and was fully electrified on 24 September 1935.[1] The section between the Maribyrnong River (near Stop 41) and Flemington Bridge was constructed by the North Melbourne Electric Tramway & Lighting Company as part of its original electric tramway system on 11 October 1906. The section from the Maribyrnong River to West Maribyrnong was opened by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board on 22 December 1940.[1] In 2000, the West Maribyrnong terminus was concreted with the former munitions siding removed.[4]

G-class trams will roll out on the route in 2025.[5]

The route runs from the corner of Cordite and Central Park Avenues adjacent to the Defence Explosive Factory, West Maribyrnong via Moonee Ponds, Ascot Vale, Flemington, Kensington and North Melbourne before proceeding along Elizabeth Street to terminate outside Flinders Street station.

Route 57 shares track with route 82 between the intersection of Raleigh and Wests Roads, Maribyrnong and Maribyrnong and Union Roads, Ascot Vale. A loop siding exists at the south end of Union Road in Ascot Vale and is used during special events at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds and Flemington Racecourse to handle the additional trams used to move the crowds of passengers.

E class tram on shuttle route 57a at the Flinders Street terminus in September 2023

Routes 57 is operated out of Essendon depot with Z class trams.[8][9][10]

During special events at the Melbourne Showgrounds such as the Melbourne Royal Show, E-class trams operate on the route 57a shuttle between the Flinders Street terminus and the Showgrounds.[11]

Map

Route 57
West Maribyrnong - Flinders Street station via Flemington, North Melbourne & City Free tram zone covers stops 1 to 8, fare zone 1 applies from stop 9 to 49
Suburb Street Stop No. West Maribyrnong Connections Maribyrnong Cordite Avenue 49 Central Park Avenue 406, 407   Raleigh Road 48 Wests Road 82 Wests Road Light Rail Tram 82     Footscray station 46 Rosamond Road 406, 407, 468 45 Randall Street 44 Barb Street 43 Van Ness Avenue 42 Clyde Street Moonee Ponds Maribyrnong Road 41 Maribyrnong Park 468 40 Epsom Road 39 Bowen Street 38 Hotham Road 37 Union Road 82 Maribyrnong Road Tram 82 Moonee Ponds Junction   Ascot Vale Union Road 36 St Leonards Road 35 Bloomfield Road 472 34 Burrowes Street 33 Melbourne Showgrounds (No longer in use)   Epsom Road 32 Sandown Road Flemington Epsom Road 31 Racing Victoria 30 Flemington Racecourse   Racecourse Road 29 Ascot Vale Road 28 Smithfield Road 26 Newmarket station Newmarket ● 25 Wellington Street 24 Victoria Street 23 Stubbs Street Flemington Bridge station ● North Melbourne Racecourse Road 22 Boundary Road Flemington Road Tram 59 Airport West     Flemington Road 20 Melrose Square 59 Royal Park Light Rail Tram 58 West Coburg   Flemington Road Tram 58, 59 Toorak/Flinders Street station     Abbotsford Road 19 Abbotsford Street Interchange 58, 59 17 Molesworth Street 16 Haines Street 402 15 Arden Street 14 Queensberry Street 12 North Melbourne Town Hall   Victoria Street 11 Errol Street Melbourne CBD Victoria Street 10 Chetwynd Street 9 Howard Street Peel Street Tram 58 Coburg   Toorak 8 Peel Street 58; 546 Elizabeth Street Tram 19, 59 North Coburg   Victoria Street No Service Swanston Street     Elizabeth Street 7 Queen Victoria Market 19, 59; 546 La Trobe Street Tram 30, City Circle Exhibition Street   Docklands Stadium Melbourne Central station ●●●●●●●●●●●●●● 5 Melbourne Central station 30, City Circle 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   Casino/Victoria Harbour 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

Media related to Melbourne tram route 57 at Wikimedia Commons