Here’s another in my series of old photos from ten years ago: September 2013.
- You can also jump back twenty years and see photos from 2003 in this post from ten years ago.
- I’ve cheated slightly this month because I found some interesting photos from June/July/August 2013 that I missed in the posts for those months.
William Street in Melbourne CBD was given a makeover in 2019-20 to install protected bike lanes and tram platform stops. But I found this photo from June 2013 (looking north from Collins Street) that appears to show them doing resurfacing works then. Another case of lack of forward planning to do this once then rip it all up and do it again just 6 years later? Or maybe it had to be done anyway?
La Trobe Street already had its protected bike lanes by then. Here you can also see a City Circle tram – these have run both clockwise and anticlockwise since their introduction in 1994, but from October 2023 are expected to run just clockwise only.
A V/Line VLocity Geelong line service zooms through the Yarraville level crossing. Geelong line trains now run via Wyndham Vale, since the 2015 opening of the Regional Rail Link, though these is a potential plan to return some to the Newport/Yarraville route in the future. The level crossing is set to be closed, with a new pedestrian underpass to be provided.
Also in Yarraville, the original repurposing of roadspace outside the Sun Theatre, with bicycle parking provided. These days that entire section of the street is fully pedestrianised.
I may have noted this at the time – we may not have cargo trams in Melbourne, but for some years, postal workers have used the trams for deliveries.
Speaking of Regional Rail Link, this was a July 2013 closure of the Sunbury line for that project. These days they just replace everything with buses, which then get stuck in traffic. Back then they ran special trains to Flemington Racecourse, with connecting buses including dedicated bus lanes along Ballarat Road.
Tram 48 on the Collins Street extension waiting for right-turning cars. Makes me wonder why they didn’t put in hook turns.
4 replies on “Old photos from September 2013”
I am not sure that cars can now turn right from Collins Street Extension into Spencer Street. I’ll check the next time I am there.
Ten years on, postal workers still use trams to cart mail around.
The tram was a now discontinued route 31.
The city circle tram changes are news to me.
From searching around, it appears the changes are from 8tph (4tph per direction) to 5tph clockwise only. Additionally, Thu-Sun services end an hour early.
Do you know what the rationale for the changes are? (e.g. staff shortages?)
@Andrew, based on Google Streetview, as of April 2022 vehicles could still turn right there. Not sure if they’ve improved the traffic light program.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/oA86Rxw6g1bwKMZT6
@James P, an Age article mentions shortage of drivers, though it’s unclear if this was the specific trigger for this change.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/st-kilda-city-circle-heritage-trams-cut-in-timetable-overhaul-20230920-p5e665.html
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