The Victorian Labor Party, led by Steve Bracks, made certain transport and infrastructure promises in its 1999 state election pitch. One of those was an extension of the Route 75 tram further east along Burwood Hwy to Knox City.
These promises and what Labor called 'a new style of leadership' did the trick. People were fed up with the cuts and perceived arrogance of Jeff Kennett's coalition government. Sufficient time had elapsed and Bracks had successfully reassured people that a returned Labor government would not be a replay of Cain-Kirner's disastrous last years. So in an unexpected result, Bracks' Labor party won enough seats to defeat the Coalition and negotiate a minority government with rural independents.
Then, aware of the importance of winning more eastern suburban seats to achieve majority government, Bracks' pre-election 2002 state budget included funding for the Scoresby Freeway (which was not promised in 1999 but featured in the 2001 federal Aston by-election campaign), some bus upgrades and the part delivery of the Knox tram project.
Note I said 'part delivery'. Instead of extending to Knox City, as promised in 1999, the funding only got it half way, to the medium-sized shopping centre at Vermont South. A bus (actually short trips on the much longer Route 732) would take passengers the remainder of the distance to Knox City.
These promises and what Labor called 'a new style of leadership' did the trick. People were fed up with the cuts and perceived arrogance of Jeff Kennett's coalition government. Sufficient time had elapsed and Bracks had successfully reassured people that a returned Labor government would not be a replay of Cain-Kirner's disastrous last years. So in an unexpected result, Bracks' Labor party won enough seats to defeat the Coalition and negotiate a minority government with rural independents.
Then, aware of the importance of winning more eastern suburban seats to achieve majority government, Bracks' pre-election 2002 state budget included funding for the Scoresby Freeway (which was not promised in 1999 but featured in the 2001 federal Aston by-election campaign), some bus upgrades and the part delivery of the Knox tram project.
Note I said 'part delivery'. Instead of extending to Knox City, as promised in 1999, the funding only got it half way, to the medium-sized shopping centre at Vermont South. A bus (actually short trips on the much longer Route 732) would take passengers the remainder of the distance to Knox City.
This service, known as the Knox Transit Link, commenced 20 years ago today, just over a year after the first sod was turned and two years after expressions of interests were called. The opening ceremony, featuring minister Peter Batchelor and local MPs, was the previous day, Saturday 23rd July 2005.
The Route 75 extension was one of four in what was to be a brief revival of interest in tram extensions. The others being the Route 109 extension to Box Hill in 2003 and the Route 48 extension to Waterfront City Docklands in early 2005. A smaller Docklands extension (Collins St) followed in 2009.
The Route 75 extension was one of four in what was to be a brief revival of interest in tram extensions. The others being the Route 109 extension to Box Hill in 2003 and the Route 48 extension to Waterfront City Docklands in early 2005. A smaller Docklands extension (Collins St) followed in 2009.
Key ingredients included:
* A 3km extension of Route 75 tram along the Burwood Hwy median with 10 new DDA compliant stops
* An integrated tram/bus interchange opposite the Vermont South Shopping Centre
* A 3km extension of Route 75 tram along the Burwood Hwy median with 10 new DDA compliant stops
* An integrated tram/bus interchange opposite the Vermont South Shopping Centre
* An upgraded Route 732 bus between Vermont South and Knox City timed to meet trams
The above link has maps for the tram and bus portions as below (click for a better view):
Achievements
The Knox Transit Link contributed to several improvements to public transport connectivity in Melbourne's east.
The tram extension extended relatively frequent 7 day public transport to sections of Burwood East and Glen Waverley. This includes better connections to two shopping centres, the Tally Ho Business Park and the Burvale Hotel. This uplift was particularly significant given the notoriously low frequency and short operating hours of Melbourne suburban bus services, especially back in 2005.
Access to Deakin University from the east benefited. As did Camberwell Junction.
What about Knox City, the major destination that was to get a tram but didn't? The 732 bus still delivered relatively frequent and long hours public transport from one direction (the west) as opposed to no directions previously. The 901 SmartBus added north and south to that some years later, providing benefits for Stud Rd and improving access to Ringwood and Dandenong.
Springvale Rd was another connection point the tram extension benefited, especially after the 888/889 trial SmartBus got upgraded to become the 902 orbital. It meant that those in the Donvale, Nunawading, Glen Waverley and Springvale areas could get to Deakin University via a change to the tram. However the physical interchange involved is not direct as the Springvale Rd bus stops were never brought very close to the tram stops on Burwood Hwy.
Challenges
In theory the Knox Transit Link could have provided an alternative way to travel from Knox City to the CBD. This was certainly a major project objective with 'Linking Knox City to Melbourne' being the first heading on the project website.
However the 75 tram is excruciatingly slow over most of its path to the CBD. A potential alternative, of changing to an Alamein line train to complete the inner part of the trip, is limited by inconvenient station placement, low frequency and sometimes the forced change at Camberwell.
Thus, as demonstrated on the PTV journey planner, a bus and train itinerary not involving the Knox Transit Link is likely to be faster for CBD trips.
The above PTV journey planner example is a weekday morning peak but similar results apply between the peaks. Knox Transit Link is best thought of as an improver of local connectivity for trips to Camberwell and Deakin University. For CBD travel it only really comes into its own late at night and on weekend mornings when the tram is faster and other options are either infrequent, not scheduled to connect or do not run.
However even that role has atrophied somewhat. The original idea of every tram being met by a 732 bus got lost when the 75 tram gained 24 hour weekend service in 2016 under Night Network but the connecting 732 bus did not get matching hours extensions. Similarly when 75's Friday and Saturday evening frequency improved from 20 to 15 minutes in April 2025 there was no commensurate 732 bus boost (with its timetable still dated October 2023). Knox Transit Link usage was however understood to be low so few may have noticed this degradation in connectivity.
Erosion of connections or harmonised frequencies is a real risk in a network with other examples being the 426/456 (previously evenly spaced to meet trains every 20 min) and, much longer ago, buses at Sandringham when the frequent 600 was split into three infrequent routes in 2002. For reasons of robustness in a city with a weak planning culture of minimising waits I therefore now generally recommend a preference towards single frequent routes rather than trying to be too clever with two or three offset routes on a major corridor.
However even that role has atrophied somewhat. The original idea of every tram being met by a 732 bus got lost when the 75 tram gained 24 hour weekend service in 2016 under Night Network but the connecting 732 bus did not get matching hours extensions. Similarly when 75's Friday and Saturday evening frequency improved from 20 to 15 minutes in April 2025 there was no commensurate 732 bus boost (with its timetable still dated October 2023). Knox Transit Link usage was however understood to be low so few may have noticed this degradation in connectivity.
Erosion of connections or harmonised frequencies is a real risk in a network with other examples being the 426/456 (previously evenly spaced to meet trains every 20 min) and, much longer ago, buses at Sandringham when the frequent 600 was split into three infrequent routes in 2002. For reasons of robustness in a city with a weak planning culture of minimising waits I therefore now generally recommend a preference towards single frequent routes rather than trying to be too clever with two or three offset routes on a major corridor.
Another contributing factor to Knox Transit Link's quietness may have been the continued lack of public transport connectivity in the vast majority of Knox east of Stud Road. That's important because not many people are within easy walking distance of the Knox City terminus. Apart from 'minimum standards' service improvements on some local bus routes like the 664 and 737, Knox east of Stud Rd has lacked significant public transport network reform and service uplifts to this day.
Legacy and inspiration
The tram extension and Knox Transit Link undoubtedly had benefits for the area it served and those with connections to it. But were there wider gains, such as it inspiring similar projects in other suburbs? The answer to date unfortunately has to be no, with it remaining 'one of a kind'. This is in contrast to other projects whose outstanding success drove a hunger to build more like them.
Key interstate examples include heavy rail in Perth, trams on the Gold Coast and Metro in Sydney. Victorian examples include successive regional rail upgrades and level crossing removals. Also the cluster of small suburban bus upgrades in 2002 may have inspired the much bigger packages between 2006 and 2010. Similar lists compiled in the 1970s and 80s would have included the momentum that saw trams 59, 75 and 86 extended several times.
Two potential future success trajectories for Melbourne include us being on the cusp of (i) a renewed round of weekend bus frequency upgrades (following the popularity of improvements on routes like 733, 767 and 800) and, more speculatively, (ii) boosted Metro train timetables (assuming success of the Metro Tunnel and the Craigieburn/Upfield frequency boosts).
In contrast trams have less momentum now than in even the 1970s (which was otherwise a poor decade for Melbourne public transport) or the early 2000s. We tell tourists that we love our trams but rarely express this in budget documents or consider extensions.
Hence the Metro Tunnel will have neither a tram connection to Arden nor a Park Street link when it opens later this year. Fishermans Bend got improved buses instead while Caulfield - Rowville appears as just the latest on a long list of transport hopes raised and dashed for the Knox area. Progress on tram priority and stop accessibility has been limited. 2023's Tram Plan has some good principles but lacks detail or funding to be really influential.
Will trams ever get another time in the sun, like buses, V/Line trains and Metro trains have at various times in the last two decades? And if they do are they more likely to be inner, middle or outer suburban?
There may be some grounds for optimism. Many areas that the government has earmarked for denser housing need tram (as well as train and bus) network improvements if these areas are not to become gridlocked nightmares. And opportunities for extensions to improve connectivity still remain abundant in many inner and middle suburbs.
Will trams ever get another time in the sun, like buses, V/Line trains and Metro trains have at various times in the last two decades? And if they do are they more likely to be inner, middle or outer suburban?
There may be some grounds for optimism. Many areas that the government has earmarked for denser housing need tram (as well as train and bus) network improvements if these areas are not to become gridlocked nightmares. And opportunities for extensions to improve connectivity still remain abundant in many inner and middle suburbs.
Mounting debt and steeply rising construction costs has also meant that if the government wishes to still have a capital works agenda in transport it will need to get smarter in what it does to afford them. Instead of a small number of very big projects that struggle to get a BCR much exceeding 1, it may need to become more discerning. For example improve at doing large numbers of smaller scale high-benefit projects at low unit costs. That includes those that might have scoffed at in the Big Build era for being individually too small.
Cost-effective frequency boosts and network simplification across all modes would need to feature prominently. Short extensions to nearby stations or to improve connections around the CBD fringe may also be in the mix for trams. If it attracts high numbers of people interchanging the Metro Tunnel/tram interchange at Anzac is a potential trigger for wider tram network reform and connectivity initiatives both to this station and others such as Arden. We shall see.
See other Building Melbourne's Useful Network items here
Cost-effective frequency boosts and network simplification across all modes would need to feature prominently. Short extensions to nearby stations or to improve connections around the CBD fringe may also be in the mix for trams. If it attracts high numbers of people interchanging the Metro Tunnel/tram interchange at Anzac is a potential trigger for wider tram network reform and connectivity initiatives both to this station and others such as Arden. We shall see.
See other Building Melbourne's Useful Network items here
4 comments:
Another cause for hope that there might be a pivot to smaller, dispersed projects rather than mega projects is the success and inevitable scaling down of the LXR program. The 'secret sauce' of that program was relatively low cost (individually) projects with a tangible local benefit to a broad range of people and the justifiable ability to deliver them in a huge range of locations (ie politically effective without really being able to be derided as pork barrelling). Governments of either persuasion will no doubt be looking to replicate some of the characteristics of that program
The idea of a connecting bus along Burwood Hwy beyond the tram was first done in the late eighties - a 10 min peak service ran from Middleborough Rd to Knox City (20 mins from Box Hill like today). The span was reduced in the 1991 cuts and these trips disappeared in early 1995, about 18 months after the 75 reached Blackburn Rd.
The closest we have had to a successor project of a similar vein is the 386/387 corridor c.2016 which follows the proposed 86 extension to South Morang and Mill Park Lakes.
For a outer-suburban Melbourne bus route it runs fairly decent frequencies (10 min peak and 20 min interpeak and weekends) although still about half as often as the Plenty Rd tram.
It doesn't have much of a profile however, partly due to having two different numbers. However It also suffers from the 'wandering bus" phenomenon through Mernda and is in a sea of competing routes serving Bundoora RMIT.
Running all trips as 386 could raise its profile but it would leave 387 as bit of a loose end (either terminating at Hawkstowe or duplicating the 382 to South Morang/Plenty Valley)
As you mention, the Knox Transit Link was sadly created in isolation, without addressing the wider issues of the bus network in Knox such as:
- lack of full-time buses on Scoresby Rd
- useless once a day trips of 745
- 80 min weekday-only shopper routes 757 & 758
- hourly interpeak and weekend 738 between Mitcham
- indirect and confusing 755
- the complete mess of Rowville (including 681/2 which serve Knox City)
The 2005 timetable pre-dated MOTC, and so until November 2007 the upgrade was isolated solely between Vermont South & Knox City.
This meant that this section of Burwood Hwy had buses every 12 mins on Sunday afternoons or 20 mins most evenings past midnight, but the rest of Route 732 still didn't run at all!
2005 timetable - https://web.archive.org/web/20051125043813/http://www.venturabus.com.au:80/route732T.shtml
Even now, there is only an hourly Sunday service on the full route and Saturday service is also sparse from both Box Hill and Upper Ferntree Gully.
Despite some pressure from PTUA to try and co-ordinate the 75 & 732 with a 2-5 minute transfer window, the connections are regularly broken whenever Yarra Trams updates their timetable, with seemingly noone from the department remembering to ask Ventura to revise their timetable.
2011 PTUA media release highlighting the issue - https://www.ptua.org.au/2011/04/13/knox-transit-link/
A 2012 timetable (which included purchase of an additional bus) attempted to restore the connections - https://busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=62615
Arguably though, 20% of trams are over 5 minutes late anyway (likely a bit higher during the day) so the effort to try and have buses meet trams with minimal connections is an exercise in futility - instead, just run buses every 10 min bus during the day so the wait is never going to be too long.
The most recent attempt to try and coordinate the timetable with trams was done in April 2021 - www.ptv.vic.gov.au/footer/about-ptv/improvements-and-projects/bus-and-coach/better-connections-with-trams-and-more-bus-services-for-route-732/
In the midst of rolling Covid lockdowns & patronage bottoming out across the system, an incredible 348 extra weekly trips were added to the KTL section (with some early morning and after midnight trips cut).
Previously the full length Box Hill - Upper FTG trips would provide the alternating connections on weekdays, about 1 out of 3 Saturday KTL trips and 1 out of 5 Sunday trips.
This was not ideal however, as sometimes buses would need to run empty in one direction to balance the trips and allow for driver breaks / shift changes but it was arguably the most efficient overall.
With the current timetable, the shortworkings are basically timetabled to run at the same frequency as the tram, with the full-length trips no longer counting as part of the Knox Transit Link timetable but now running in addition to it.
On weekdays for instance, there are now 9 trips per hour for most of the day (10 min shortworkings + 20 min full length trips). On Sundays there's 6 trips an hour in the KTL section but still 1 bus an hour to Box Hill.
KTL shortworkings are also scheduled to meet trams returning to Cambewell Depot - at its most absurd, there are 10 buses departing Knox City between 19:00 and 20:00 on weeknights despite Docklands trams departing Vermont South every 15 minutes. This includes *inbound* buses at 19:55, 19:56 & 19:59!
Clearly there is opportunity to rationalise the service levels between Vermont South and Knox City that could be better spent on running more full length trips or allocating resources to other routes in desperate need.
At a bare minimum, weekdays need to revert back to 20 min full length trips with alternating 20 min shortworkings (with the hope of harmonising with 20 min trains at Upper FTG in the medium term).
This alone would save ~1,800km a week (12 hours x 3 trips x 5 days x 5km x 2 directions).
Weekends are trickier to find savings given the current 12 min frequency doesn't harmoise with potential 20 min or 30 min headways for full length trips.
Increasing Route 75 trams to 10 mins on weekends would be ideal, but you'd also need to upgrade Route 70 to maintain off-sets along Flinders St. But this would also support residential growth in Docklands and Marvel/MCG/Melbourne Park events so let's say that can be done.
A 20 minute weekend service along the entire 732 could easily be funded with the weekday savings (especially if incorporating some of the current weekend shortworking KMs). Later Box Hill and Upper Ferntree Gully trips until midnight would also be easy to justify.
Any residual kilometers could be spent on one of the many other issues in the Knox network listed above.
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