Balaclava Junction is the only extant

grand union A grand union is a rail track junction where two double-track railway or tramway lines cross at grade, often in a street intersection or crossroads. A total of sixteen railroad switches (sets of points) allow streetcars (or in rarer instal ...

in Australia. Located at the intersection of Balaclava Road and Hawthorn Road, Caulfield North on the

Melbourne tram network Trams are a major form of Transport in Melbourne, public transport in Melbourne, the capital city of the States of Australia, state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. As of May 2017, the Melbourne tramway network consists of of dou ...

, trams can go in all directions from all directions. It is the only surviving example of a grand union in the southern hemisphere.

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

previously had three grand unions, but none exist today. Balaclava Junction dates from November 1913, originally being built by the

Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust (PMTT) was a former tram operator in Melbourne, Australia. The trust was formed in 1907, with its first line operating in 1910. Its functions were taken over by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board i ...

, at the time it was the most complex junction on the network. It has been rebuilt a number of times since opening, most recently in 2005 by

Yarra Trams Yarra Trams is the trading name of the operator of the tram network in Melbourne, Australia, which is owned by VicTrack and leased to Yarra Trams by the Victorian Department of Transport. The current franchise is operated by Keolis Downer. ...

. Tram routes 3, 16, and 64 all travel through Balaclava Junction. Route 3 runs east-to-west along Balaclava Road, Route 64 runs north-south along Hawthorn Road, and Route 16 curves from westbound Balaclava Road to northbound Hawthorn Road. The two curves leading southbound are used somewhat frequently by out-of-service trams heading to or from Glenhuntly tram depot, and the curve from eastbound Balaclava Road to north Hawthorn Road is used only rarely. Because of the north-opening arc shape of Route 16, the Melbourne tram network gains an unusual feature along Hawthorn Road to the north of Balaclava Junction. For the stretch of Hawthorn Road between Balaclava Junction and Dandenong Road, Route 16 trams heading north along Hawthorn Road are travelling away from Melbourne CBD, while Route 64 trams heading north are travelling towards Melbourne CBD -- likewise, southbound Route 16 trams are travelling towards the CBD while southbound Route 64 trams are travelling away from it. This is the only stretch of tram network in Melbourne where this happens.

References

External links

{{MelbourneTramNavbox, state=collapsed Trams in Melbourne Transport in the City of Glen Eira Road junctions in Australia Rail infrastructure in Victoria (state) 1913 establishments in Australia