Very interesting Chris --- I knew nothing about it -- does it entail closure of present Preston Depot ?

Bill J
----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Gordon
To:TramsDownUnder@...
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 11:17 AM
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Melbourne Tram Depot & Link Development

Noted a current DOI tender for "Tram Depot & Track Link Development", for expressions of interest for the front end engineering design for the Project.

The project being:
* A tram depot using the existing Preston Workshops site.
* Changes to the depot at Glenhunty
* Track Links to the new depot at Preston.

Covering each in turn from the array of attachments with the tender. Firstly the attached PDF, also at http://tdu.to/preston-plan.pdf is an extract from one of the documents to cover the proposed Preston Workshops site. The purpose of the site would be for stabling and light maintenance for 100 new trams, and eventually for heavy maintenance for some 160 trams. As the plan shows it is a considerable re-work of the layout, including some buildings being altered and/or demolished while the whole design needs to be implemented in a manner that respects the heritage aspects of the site. There is a lot of pages describing all the facilities to be provided, but to cover the stage works:
Stage 1 - Provide the middle entrance, and change all the back half (near the railway line.
Stage 2 - Change the front half, and entrance from Millers Road
Stage 3 - Create the Depot Area
Stage 4 - More of the Depot Area

Glenhuntly Depot is pretty simple, more outside roads with an overhead car park.

Track Links is new track to give connection from the Preston Depot (workshops site) to routes 96 (Nicholson Street) and routes 1/8 (Lygon Street). There are four options.
Option A - Link down Arthurton and Blyth Streets from St. Georges Road to Lygon Street.
Option C - Holden Street and Brunswick Road from St.Georges Road to Lygon Street.
Option D - Park Street (next to old Inner Circle train line) from St.Georges Road to Lygon Street.

Option B is a combination of A and C, ie Arthurton/Blyth Streets from St.Georges Road to Nicholson Street, and Brunswick Road from Nicholson Street to Lygon Street.

In addition to the track link, the terminus for route 96 at Nicholson and Blyth Streets is considered inadequate to cope with long trams running at close headways. There are two options, and it depends on the selection of the option for the track link. Under options A and B, the 96 terminus would be relocated to St.Georges Road (grand scheme with 2 centre terminating roads between existing track in St.Georges Road north of Arthurton Street). For Options C/D the terminus would be relocated to the north of Blyth Street on Nicholson Road, and like the first option with 2 terminating tracks, platforms for 33m tracks and the like.

If people are interested I can extract the four scheme plans for the track link which incorporates the 96 terminus plans for St.Georges Road only.

Chris.