Route 96: Stop 124 World Trade Centre and Stop 125 Port Junction
Stop 124 Batman Park/Spencer Street, Melbourne
Stop 124 Batman Park/Spencer Street is located on Spencer Street just south of Flinders Street, adjacent to the World Trade Centre. As part of the Route 96 Upgrade, a $4.5 million upgrade of Stop 124 was completed in January 2015. The stop was upgraded from a safety zone stop to a new level access central platform. The upgrade facilitates safer and easier boarding and alighting conditions with the addition of a double sided, level access platform and two signalised pedestrian crossings. The new platform is equipped with shelters and real-time passenger information to help improve the customer experience. The new platform also facilitates better connectivity to other public transport services and local bicycle and pedestrian paths.
As part of these works, Stop 123 Flinders Street was removed.
Stop 125 Port Junction, South Melbourne
The Port Junction area is a busy tram junction located near the intersection of Whiteman Street and Clarendon Street, South Melbourne. It is a major interchange for Routes 96, 109 and 112 and also accommodates the waiting area for the popular Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. It is also close to the Southbank Depot where the new E-Class trams are being stabled and maintained.
Over the past 10 years, this area has seen significant growth in residential apartments and commercial activity. This has placed increased pressure on tram operations in the area. Detailed design for the stop redevelopment has been comleted and upgrades will include:
- a new central platform for Stop 125 Port Junction;
- a separate platform for the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant; and
- a new three-track layout on Clarendon Street.
Works originally scheduled to occur in April 2015 have been postponed and a new date will be advised as soon as possible.
