Commuters are being encouraged to car-pool on Thursday, with a planned four-hour tram strike set to badly affect Melbourne's roadways.
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Tram drivers are set to walk off the job between 10am and 2pm, but the effects of the stoppage will be felt either side of that.
It will be the first tram strike in Melbourne since 1997, when trams stopped ahead of the second Formula One grand prix.*
The last service before the stoppage is expected just after 10am, with most trams starting to return to depots about 9am.
Trams will then leave the depots to return to service at 2pm, but it will take about 80 minutes for the timetable to return to normal.
Trains and buses will run as normal on Thursday, while tram drivers attend a mass rally at Trades Hall in Carlton.
About 100 replacement buses will be used to try to limit disruptions to commuters, but it will not be enough to cover the 400 trams missing on the network.
Yarra Trams has organised tram-replacement buses to connect with trains, along St Kilda Road and to service major hospitals.
Train lines: City Loop
Tram replacement buses: In a clock-wise direction along the Route 605 bus route within the CBD
High-frequency SmartBuses operate along:
- Lonsdale Street, between Spencer Street & Spring Street/Victoria Parade
- Queen Street between Flinders Street and Queen Victoria Market.
Travelling outside the CBD
Routes 1, 8
Train lines: Upfield
Normal buses: 250 or 251 between City & Carlton along Rathdowne St & Brunswick Rd
Tram replacement buses: Between Melbourne University & East Coburg every 6 -12 minutes
Route 1
Normal buses: 236 between the City & South Melbourne
Route 8
Train lines: Sandringham, Cranbourne, Pakenham, Frankston, Glen Waverley
Normal buses: 605 between the City & Toorak along Grange/Orrong Rds
Tram replacement buses: Between Flinders St & Toorak every 6-12 minutes
Routes 3, 16
Train lines: Alamein, Belgrave, Lilydale or Glen Waverley, Sandringham, Cranbourne, Pakenham, Frankston
Normal buses: 216, 219, 220, between City & Windsor/Prahran along Williams Rd/Orrong Rd, 246 between Richmond Station & St Kilda along Punt Rd & Barkly St, 605 between City & Armadale/Caulfield North along Kooyong Rd, 623 between St Kilda & Carnegie along Glen Eira Rd
Tram replacement buses: Between Arts Precinct & Kooyong Station via St Kilda Rd every 6-12 minutes (Does not travel via St Kilda)
Routes 5, 64, 67
Train lines: Sandringham, Cranbourne, Pakenham, Frankston.
Normal buses: 216, 219, 220, between City & Windsor/Prahran along Williams Rd/Orrong Rd, 246 between Richmond Station & Elsternwick along Punt Rd, 605 between City & Caulfield North along Kooyong Rd, 623 between St Kilda & Carnegie along Glen Eira Rd, 624 between Caulfield & Carnegie along Neerim Rd.
Tram replacement buses: Between Arts Precinct & East Brighton every 6-12 minutes
Routes 6, 72
Normal buses: 216, 219, 220, between City & Toorak/Prahran along Commercial Rd/Malvern Rd, 246 between Richmond Station & Prahran along Punt Rd, 605 between City & Armadale along Kooyong Rd.
Routes 19, 55, 57, 59, 82
Train lines: Upfield, Craigieburn, Werribee, Williamstown, Sunbury.
Normal buses: 401 between North Melbourne Station & Flemington Rd, 402 between East Melbourne/Newmarket & Flemington Rd, 223 or 406 between Footscray Station & West Maribyrnong, 468 West along Mount Alexander Rd & Mathews Av.
Tram replacement buses: Between Melbourne Central Station & West Maribyrnong via Flemington Rd every 10 minutes.
Routes 11, 86, 96
Train lines: South Morang or Hurstbridge.
Normal buses: 200, 207 between City & Fitzroy/Collingwood along Johnson St, 250, 251 between City & Clifton Hill/Northcote along Rathdowne St & Brunswick Rd 562, 566 along Plenty Rd.
Routes 12, 48, 109
Train lines: Alamein, Belgrave, Lilydale, South Morang or Hurstbridge.
Normal buses: 200, 207 between the City & Kew, SmartBuses between the City & North Richmond along Lonsdale St & Victoria Pde.
Tram replacement buses: Between St Vincent's Plaza & North Balwyn/Kew (Burke/Cotham Rds) via Victoria St every 5-10 minutes.
Routes 12, 96, 109
Normal buses: 234, 235, 236 between the City & South Melbourne/Port Melbourne, 606 between South Melbourne/Port Melbourne & St Kilda.
Tram replacement buses: along a one-way loop between Port Junction near the Casino & Fitzroy St along Route 12 to St Kilda, returning along Route 96 every 5-10 minutes.
Routes 70, 75
Train lines: Alamein, Belgrave, Lilydale, Glen Waverley, South Morang or Hurstbridge.
Normal buses: 612 between Camberwell Junction & Box Hill, 903 between Warrigal Rd & Box Hill, 732 between Station St & Vermont South along Burwood Hwy.
Tram replacement buses: Riversdale Station & Wattle Park or Burwood every 6-12 minutes.
*Correction: An earlier version of this story said the last tram strike in Melbourne happened in 1990. This was the last major tram strike, involving 250 trams parked in CBD streets for 33 days, but there was also a strike involving trams in 1997.
