View source for Melbourne tram route 5

{{Short description|Tram route in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia}}
{{refimprove|date=June 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2013}}
{{Infobox tram route
|number        = Route 5
|bgcolor       = #71BE43
|titlecolor    = #ffffff
|logo          = Melbourne tram route 5 icon.svg
|logo_width    = 100px
|image         = D1.3528 swanston, 2023 (01).jpg
|caption       = [[D-class Melbourne tram|D1 class tram]] at [[Federation Square]], February 2023
|system        = [[Trams in Melbourne|Melbourne]]
|operator      = [[Yarra Trams]]
|depot         = [[Malvern tram depot|Malvern]]
|vehicle       = [[Z-class Melbourne tram|Z class]]<br>[[D-class Melbourne tram|D1 class]]
|open          = 21 November 1929
|close         = 
|start         = [[Melbourne University tram stop|Melbourne University]]
|via           = [[Swanston Street]]<br>[[St Kilda Road]]<br>[[Princes Highway|Dandenong Road]]<br>[[Malvern East]]
|end           = [[Malvern, Victoria|Malvern]]
|length        = {{convert|12.6|km}}
|timetable_link= [https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/route/timetable/1083/5/ Route 5 timetable]
|map_link      = [https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/route/1083 Route 5 map]
|previous_line = [[Melbourne tram route 3|Route 3/3a]]
|next_line     = [[Melbourne tram route 6|Route 6]]}}

'''Melbourne tram route 5''' is a [[List of Melbourne tram routes|tram route]] on the [[Trams in Melbourne|Melbourne tramway network]] serving the city of [[Melbourne]] in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], [[Australia]]. Operated by [[Yarra Trams]], the route is coloured [[Shades of red|red]] and extends from [[Melbourne University tram stop|Melbourne University]] to [[Malvern, Victoria|Malvern]] over {{Convert|12.6|km|adj=on}} of double track via [[Swanston Street]], [[St Kilda Road]], [[Princes Highway|Dandenong Road]] and [[Malvern East, Victoria|Malvern East]]. It is serviced out of [[Malvern tram depot|Malvern depot]] utilising [[Z-class Melbourne tram|Z]] and [[D-class Melbourne tram|D1]] class trams.

==History==
Route 5 was allocated to the line between [[Malvern, Victoria|Malvern]] ([[Burke Road]]) and [[Melbourne central business district|City]] ([[Swanston Street]]) on 21 November 1929, the same day that numbers were allocated to the rest of the Swanston Street trams. Trams traditionally terminated at the [[Victoria Street, Melbourne|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 tram stop|Melbourne University]]. From then on, route 5 trams were altered run full-time to Melbourne University.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.classicaustraliantv.com/Gunzel.htm|title=Gunzel|website=www.classicaustraliantv.com|access-date=2018-08-15}}</ref>

The origins of route 5 lie in separate tram lines. The section of track between Queensberry Street (Stop 4) and [[St Kilda Junction]] (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). 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, Melbourne|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.<ref name=":0" />

The line east of Hawthorn Road (Stop 45) until the Malvern ([[Burke Road]]) terminus was one of the original lines constructed by the [[Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust]] (PMTT), which opened on 30 May 1910. The PMTT also built the section between the [[Sandringham railway line]] (near Stop 33) and Wattletree Road (Stop 40), opening on 16 December 1911. This line was extended to Chapel Street (Stop 32) on 31 March 1912.

On 24 June 1928, the MMTB constructed a small section of track between Wattletree Road and [[Glenferrie Road]], giving a more direct route from Burke Road to St Kilda Junction.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131102235108/http://www.yarratrams.com.au/about-us/our-history/tramway-milestones/between-the-wars/ Between the Wars] [[Yarra Trams]]</ref>

As part of the St Kilda Junction separation works, the Wellington Street section was abandoned for a new section of track along the newly built Queens Way on 4 November 1968.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120318134444/http://www.yarratrams.com.au/about-us/our-history/tramway-milestones/our-golden-years/ Our Golden Years] Yarra Trams</ref>

During the [[2006 Commonwealth Games]], the route was merged with [[Melbourne tram route 55|route 55]] to [[Coburg, Victoria|West Coburg]] at [[Domain Interchange]] to alleviate congestion along [[St Kilda Road]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060821200433/http://www.yarratrams.com.au/default.jsp?xcid=1272 Changes to your tram service during the Commonwealth Games - March 2006] Yarra Trams</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170226023218/http://www.yarratrams.com.au/media/43839/tramroutenumbers.pdf History of Melbourne Trams Routes from 1950 to 2009] Yarra Trams</ref>

Until 29 October 2023, the entire route only operated until 19:00, after which the route ran shuttle between Dandenong Road and Malvern. From 30 October 2023, route 5 was converted to full day operations along the entire route.<ref name="oct2023"/>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+Melbourne tram route 5 evolution
!Dates
!Route
!Notes
|-
|During [[Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust|PMTT]] operation
|[[Victoria Bridge, Melbourne|Victoria Bridge]] to Riversdale Road
| 
|-
|21 November 1929 - 15 April 1991
|City ([[Victoria Street, Melbourne|Victoria Street]]) to [[Malvern, Victoria|Malvern]] ([[Burke Road]])
|Rerouted via Queens Way on 11 April 1968
|-
|15 April 1991 - 17 January 1996
|City (Queensberry Street / [[Swanston Street]]) to [[Malvern, Victoria|Malvern]] ([[Burke Road]])
|Some services terminated at Melbourne University
|-
|17 January 1996 - present
|[[University of Melbourne|Melbourne University]] to [[Malvern, Victoria|Malvern]] ([[Burke Road]])
|
|}

==Route==
Route 5 operates from [[Melbourne University tram stop|Melbourne University]] travelling south through the [[Melbourne central business district|CBD]] on [[Swanston Street]] via [[Melbourne Central railway station|Melbourne Central station]] and [[Flinders Street railway station|Flinders Street]] stations. After crossing the [[Yarra River]] it continues south along [[St Kilda Road]] to [[St Kilda Junction]], where it descends to Queens Way, [[Windsor, Victoria|Windsor]] and heads east, at [[Chapel Street, Melbourne|Chapel Street]], Queens Way becomes [[Princes Highway|Dandenong Road]]. It continues east passing through [[Prahran]], [[Armadale, Victoria|Armadale]], [[Malvern, Victoria|Malvern]] and [[Malvern East]] to its terminus at [[Burke Road]].

==Operation==
[[File:Yarra Trams Route 5 timetable at Flinders Street Station tram stop, October 2023.jpg|thumb|Timetable of route 5 at the [[Flinders Street railway station|Flinders Street station]] tram stop, instructing passengers to take route 64 and connect with route 5 services after 19:00]]
[[File:Yarra Trams B-class 2009 Route 64, October 2023 2.jpg|thumb|[[B-class Melbourne tram|B-class]] tram on route 64 displaying the 64/5 route number and "& Malvern" in an evening of October 2023]]
Route 5 is operated out of [[Malvern tram depot|Malvern depot]] with [[Z-class Melbourne tram|Z]] and [[D-class Melbourne tram|D1]] class trams.<ref>[https://vicsig.net/trams/depot/malvern Malvern Depot] Vicsig</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140529000558/http://www.yarratrams.com.au/about-us/who-we-are/facts-figures/ Facts & figures] Yarra Trams</ref><ref>[http://www.yarratrams.com.au/using-trams/route-guides/route-5/ Route 5] Yarra Trams</ref> It is occasionally operated by [[D-class Melbourne tram|D2]] class trams.

Until 29 October 2023, from 19:00 the service only operated between Dandenong Road / Wattletree Road and Malvern, with services timetabled to connect with [[Melbourne tram route 64|route 64]] services, displayed as Route 64/5.

Since 30 October 2023, the evening operations swapped with route 64, with route 5 running low-floor trams along the entire route throughout the evening, and route 64 running shuttle between Dandenong Road / Wattle Tree Road and East Brighton after 18:30.<ref name="oct2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/footer/about-ptv/improvements-and-projects/tram/tram-timetable-changes|title=Tram timetable changes|website=PTV|access-date=4 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004081839/https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/footer/about-ptv/improvements-and-projects/tram/tram-timetable-changes|archive-date=4 October 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Route map==
{{Route 5 tram}}
{{-}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline}}

{{MelbourneTramNavbox|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Tram routes in Melbourne|005]]
[[Category:Public transport routes in the City of Melbourne (LGA)|005]]
[[Category:Transport in the City of Port Phillip]]
[[Category:Transport in the City of Stonnington]]
[[Category:1929 establishments in Australia]]