Brunswick tram depot is located on Sydney Road, Brunswick, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. It opened on 26 April 1936 in conjunction with the electrification of the Brunswick and North Melbourne Cable tram line. Operated by Yarra Trams, it is one of eight tram depots on the Melbourne tram network.
History
The Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board awarded a £30,000 tender in May 1935 for the construction of an electric tram depot at the corner of Sydney Road and Peveril Street. The depot was required to accommodate the electric conversion of the Brunswick and North Melbourne Cable tram line.[1]
The nine road depot, with associated workshop, storerooms, and staff mess-hall was completed and opened on 26 April 1936.[1][2][3] Although the original plans had trams entering via Sydney Road, this plan was dropped in favour of the current arrangement with trams entering from the rear, via Cameron Street.[3]
Plans were drawn up in 1989 to permit Brunswick depot to operate the Upfield railway line, which was slated to be converted to light rail. The plans proposed connections from the Upfield railway line to the Brunswick depot fan, a new station at Brunswick depot, and the addition of three outside storage roads. With the planned light rail conversion scrapped in 1994, the plans were never implemented.[3]
In 2009 Brunswick was named as Yarra Tram's fourth Greendepot, after an upgrade to make more water and energy efficient, with improved lighting systems, rainwater harvesting, and a variety of other water and energy saving measures. These initiatives were expected to lower Brunswick's water consumption by 2.5 million litres of water per year, and reduce the depot's carbon output.[6][7]
