Melbournes Concrete Tram Track Structures (Jun 1987)

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Victoria (MTA) operates a fleet of about 685 electric passenger tramcars, over a street network of some 220 km of single track in Melbourne. The MTA also operates about 290 diesel buses, over a network of about 270street-km. Together, the two systems make more than 120 million passenger trips each year. The tram network is made up of 31 basic routes, totaling some 326 route-km. Most routes radiate from the central City area, and the longest route is 18.2km. Situated on flat-to-undulating country, Melbourne is well suited to electric tram operation. The steepest (short) section has a 1-in-11 gradient, and only 1% of the tracks have a gradient steeper than 1 in 15. In the central City area, the streets are 30m wide, straight, and intersect at right angles. Suburban streets vary in width from 20 to 60 m and are generally laid out in a grid pattern.