E-Class tram in front of Southern Cross Station

New E-Class trams

As part of the Tram Procurement Program, 50 next-generation E-Class low floor trams are being delivered to Melbourne's tram network. Customers are benefiting now with 23 new E-Class trams on Route 96, three on Route 11 and more new trams on the way.

The 2015-16 State Budget included $274 million for 20 new E-Class trams, taking the total order to 70, to be built in Dandenong. The Budget also included $21 million to refurbish the B-Class tram fleet.

The new E-Class trams:

  • measure approximately 33 metres long and 2.65 metres wide;
  • have a capacity of 210 passengers, providing greater capacity for an additional 10,500 passengers during peak times;
  • are fitted with CCTV and emergency intercoms at each doorway;
  • are fully air-conditioned;
  • have dedicated wheelchair spaces with accessible intercom and next stop request button;
  • have external cameras to monitor passenger boarding and record motor vehicles illegally passing stationary trams;
  • have improved customer comfort and reduced noise with rotating bogies to handle tight turns;
  • have improved safety features to absorb impact in the event of a collision;
  • have increased grab rails and stop request buttons in ergonomically selected locations;
  • have slip-resistant floors;
  • have state-of-the-art audio and visual announcements including next stop, destination, direction and connectivity; and
  • are accessible for people in wheelchairs on routes which are equipped with level access tram stops.

Re-allocating our bigger trams to where they're needed most

The E-Class trams are initially being delivered to Route 96, which is one of Melbourne's busiest routes. As the new trams are introduced, other high-capacity trams from Route 96 are being rolled out to other routes, providing benefits across the network.

Route 19 has already benefited with 15 low-floor D-Class trams moving from Route 96.  Route 19 is in the top five  routes in terms of tram patronage with 11.4 million passenger trips per year and serves important destinations such as the Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne Zoo, several hospitals and university campuses. The addition of the D-Class trams have added much needed capacity to the route, increasing the capacity of the service by 27 per cent without increasing the number of trams on the route.