C class Melbourne tram
Encyclopedia
C class is the designation given to the type of Citadis
trams used in Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
by Melbourne's tram operator Yarra Trams
. These three-section low-floor electric
trams were built by the transport company Alstom
in La Rochelle
, France
. The first car was delivered to Melbourne in 2001, with the last cars following in 2002.
The C class can be found almost exclusively on Melbourne's route 109
from Port Melbourne
to Box Hill
, operated from the Kew tram depot. With the transfer of all Citadis
trams to Kew Depot to make room at Southbank Depot with the arrival of the "Bumblebee trams", it is now common to see these trams on route 48 services. These trams occasionally operate route 96 services.
The Citadis trams are the first low floor trams in Melbourne. Sitting only 33 centimetres from the ground, these trams were built in France and commissioned at the Preston Workshops in Melbourne. They feature ergonomic designs, panoramic windows and easy accessibility.
All C-class trams have an integral traction braking controller with a sensor that drivers must touch every thirty (originally every ten) seconds. If no action is taken an alarm sounds, and the tram comes to a complete standstill if it is ignored (see dead-man's vigilance device
).
Citadis
The Citadis is a low-floor tram built by Alstom in La Rochelle, France, and Barcelona, Spain. 1,140 Citadis are currently in use in 28 cities, among others: Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lyon, Montpellier, Orléans, the Paris area, and Barcelona, Dublin, Gdańsk, Katowice, Adelaide, Melbourne, Jerusalem and...
trams used in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
by Melbourne's tram operator Yarra Trams
Yarra Trams
Yarra Trams is the trading name of the Melbourne tram network, which is fully owned and registered by the Victorian State Government. The current franchise is operated by a consortium named KDR Melbourne which consists of a partnership between French company Keolis and Australian company Downer EDI...
. These three-section low-floor electric
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
trams were built by the transport company Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
in La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The first car was delivered to Melbourne in 2001, with the last cars following in 2002.
The C class can be found almost exclusively on Melbourne's route 109
Melbourne tram route 109
Tram route 109 or simply The 109 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs between a terminus in Box Hill and a terminus near Station Pier in Port Melbourne...
from Port Melbourne
Port Melbourne, Victoria
Port Melbourne is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km southwest of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government areas are the cities of Port Phillip and Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, Port Melbourne had a population of 13,293....
to Box Hill
Box Hill, Victoria
Box Hill is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 14 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whitehorse. At the 2006 Census, Box Hill had a population of 8,616....
, operated from the Kew tram depot. With the transfer of all Citadis
Citadis
The Citadis is a low-floor tram built by Alstom in La Rochelle, France, and Barcelona, Spain. 1,140 Citadis are currently in use in 28 cities, among others: Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lyon, Montpellier, Orléans, the Paris area, and Barcelona, Dublin, Gdańsk, Katowice, Adelaide, Melbourne, Jerusalem and...
trams to Kew Depot to make room at Southbank Depot with the arrival of the "Bumblebee trams", it is now common to see these trams on route 48 services. These trams occasionally operate route 96 services.
The Citadis trams are the first low floor trams in Melbourne. Sitting only 33 centimetres from the ground, these trams were built in France and commissioned at the Preston Workshops in Melbourne. They feature ergonomic designs, panoramic windows and easy accessibility.
All C-class trams have an integral traction braking controller with a sensor that drivers must touch every thirty (originally every ten) seconds. If no action is taken an alarm sounds, and the tram comes to a complete standstill if it is ignored (see dead-man's vigilance device
Dead-man's vigilance device
A dead-man's vigilance device is a railroad safety device that operates in the case of incapacitation of the engineer. It is a hybrid between a dead-man's switch and a vigilance control....
).