The C-class Melbourne tram is a fleet of three-section

Alstom Citadis The Alstom Citadis is a family of low-floor trams and light rail vehicles built by Alstom. , over 2,300 Citadis trams have been sold and 1,800 tramways are in revenue service throughout the world, with operations in all six inhabited continents ...

202 trams built in

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle''; oc, La Rochèla ) is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. With ...

, France that operate 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 ...

. They were the first

low-floor tram A low-floor tram is a tram that has no stairsteps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. The low-floor design improves the accessibility of the tram for the public, and also may provide larger windows and more airspac ...

s in Melbourne, being delivered in 2001-2002.

History

To meet a franchise commitment to introduce new trams to replace Z-class trams, 36 three-section

202

s were purchased 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. As ...

. They were the first low-floor trams in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, and the first tram imported for the Melbourne tram system since the 1920s. The design was adapted by Alstom for local conditions, with the first four trams arriving at

Webb Dock Webb Dock is a port facility at Fishermans Bend in Melbourne, Victoria constructed progressively from 1960, by dredging and land fill at the mouth of the Yarra River. It includes roll-on/roll-off facilities handling motor vehicle import and expor ...

on 10 August 2001. Following fit-out and testing at

Preston Workshops Preston Workshops is the heavy maintenance facility for the Melbourne tram network. The workshop is located on a block surrounded by Miller Street, St George's Road, Oakover Road and the Mernda railway line in Preston, a suburb of Melbourne, Au ...

, they entered service on 12 October 2001. The last arrived on 25 June 2002 and entered service on 30 August 2002. All C1-class trams initially operated solely on route 109.

Criticisms

The Citadis trams have been criticised by the

Australian Rail Tram & Bus Industry Union The Australian Rail Tram and Bus Industry Union (RTBU) is an Australian trade union representing rail, tram and bus workers. The RTBU is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and the Australian Labor Party (ALP). Intern ...

(RTBU), who claim they have operational problems, including injuries to the drivers relating to design. There were concerns raised in 2011 regarding the rear-vision cameras fitted to the trams. Despite Yarra Trams replacing the cameras a number of times, there were visibility problems at night and in high glare situations. These had been solved by July 2012. The trams have also been described by the RTBU as "cheap as chips", following allegations that swaying and lateral forces at "speeds above 25 km/h" were causing driver injuries. Yarra Trams responded by stating that they were offering drivers lumbar support, and that track renewal had improved ride quality, reducing sway, while the driver's controls had been changed to avoid wrist injuries. Tram number 3011 has derailed three times, most recently on Sunday 6 October 2019. Each derailment occurred after a collision with a car. The RTBU has again said the model should be removed from service.

Operation

C-class trams operate on the following routes: * 48:

Balwyn North Balwyn North, also known as North Balwyn, is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Boroondara and Whitehorse local government areas. Balwyn North recor ...

- Victoria Harbour Docklands * 109: Box Hill -

Port Melbourne Port Melbourne is an inner-city List of Melbourne suburbs, suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Melbourne central business district, Central Business District, located within the Cities of ...

References

External links

{{MelbourneTramNavbox, state=collapsed Alstom trams Articulated passenger trains Melbourne tram vehicles Alstom multiple units 600 V DC multiple units