Melbourne tram route 64

Route 64 was allocated to the line between Brighton East and City (Swanston Street) on 16 October 1938. Prior to that, Route 64 was allocated to the line between Brighton East and St Kilda Beach via St Kilda Junction.[1] Between 1938 and 9 July 1955, Route 64 ran via Balaclava Road rather than Dandenong Road. Trams traditionally terminated at the Victoria Street terminus, but following an accident in 1991, trams instead terminated at the Queensberry Street 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.[1] From then on, Route 64 trams were altered run full-time to Melbourne University.

The origins of route 5 lie in separate tram lines. The section of track between Queensberry Street (Stop 4) and St Kilda Road (Stop 30) 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 (MMTB).[1] The section between Domain Interchange (Stop 20) and St Kilda Junction (Stop 30) was electrified on 27 December 1925. The section between Queensberry Street and City Road (near Stop 14) was electrified on the same day. The line between City Road and Domain Interchange was electrified on 24 January 1926. The section between St Kilda Junction and Chapel Street (Stop 32) also dates back to the cable era, as the Windsor to St Kilda Esplanade cable tramway which opened on 17 October 1891. This section was one of the first cable trams to be converted to electric traction on 27 December 1925.[1]

The Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust built the section between the Sandringham railway line (near Stop 33) and Hawthorn Road (Stop 48), opening on 16 December 1911. This line was extended to Chapel Street (Stop 32) on 31 March 1912. The line between Hawthorn Road and Balaclava Road (Stop 51) opened on 12 April 1913. This was later extended to Glenhuntly Road (Stop 57) on 13 November 1913. Further extensions of the Hawthorn Road line were built by the MMTB to North Road (on 1 March 1925), and to Point Nepean Road on 5 December 1937.[1]

As part of the St Kilda Junction separation works, the Wellington Street section was abandoned for a new section of track along the newly created Queens Way on 4 November 1968.[1]

From 30 October 2023, after 18:30, route 64 will run shuttle between Dandenong Road / Wattle Tree Road and East Brighton. Passengers will need to take route 5 and change at Dendenong Road / Wattle Tree Road for route 64.[2]

Mid-block stops 39 and 41 on Dandenong Road have been permanently removed due to safety concerns for pedestrians crossing the busy arterial road.

B-class tram on route 64 displaying the 64/5 route number in an evening of October 2023

Route 64 is operated out of Glenhuntly depot with Z and B class trams.[3][4][5]

Until 29 October 2023, the service displays the route number 64/5 after 19:00, to allow passengers to take the service and connect with route 5 services at Dandenong Road / Wattletree Road.

From 30 October 2023, from 18:30, the service only operates between Dandenong Road / Wattletree Road and East Brighton, with services timetabled to connect with route 5 services.[2]

Media related to Melbourne tram route 64 at Wikimedia Commons