Yarra Trams

With a focus on innovation, sustainability, and continuous improvement, Keolis Downer, operator of Yarra Trams, has partnered with RMIT University to undertake an iMOVE Australia project to investigate potential use of aluminium oxide as a replacement for sand on Melbourne’s tram network. Used successfully in Europe, this novel initiative is part of our commitment to partnering with leading Victorian research institutions to identify solutions which are more efficient, sustainable and improve performance. Sand is currently used on the tram network to increase friction and improve a tram’s “grip” on the tracks when braking and accelerating. 

Our team at New Preston Depot marked Diwali last week, with Yarra Trams teams coming together to celebrate this important holiday with lots of great food and fun times. Diwali is a festival celebrated by multiple faiths, marking the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. Yarra Trams employs people from many different cultures, and it’s a privilege to celebrate together and share our diverse experiences.

The Spring Racing Carnival is underway and we’re delivering extra services on Route 57 to get racegoers to the track, taking passengers directly to the entrance of the Flemington Racecourse on Epsom Road. Keolis Downer, operator of Yarra Trams, plays a key role ensuring Melburnians get to major events safely and easily year-round by delivering extra tram services.

Keolis Downer (operator of Yarra Trams) is delivering an outstanding service for our passengers, exceeding our reliability target with a result of 99% for the month of October. We move more than half a million passengers every day across Melbourne’s tram network, and our focus continues to be on putting our passengers first to ensure we deliver safe, efficient and reliable services. Thank you to all the teams who worked hard to deliver this great result!

Last week, after 40 years working in public transport working on projects that have shaped the way we move around Melbourne, Yarra Trams veteran Les Kulesza is hanging up his hi vis vest and retiring. Playing a role in many projects that are now an integrated part of moving around our city – like the development of the majority of the almost 500 platform stops, the introduction of tram services into the Docklands, the closing of Swanston Street to traffic and the introduction of tram separation kerbing across Melbourne. “We’re just about to launch G Class trams – coincidentally the first A Class trams were being launched the same month I started back in 1984 so I’ve seen half the alphabet in tram classes,” Les said. Working across so many projects, Les feels a constant sense of pride for projects he’s played a part in developing and delivering, saying “when I travel around, I really appreciate reflecting on the changes made across the tram network and thinking ‘yep – I remember when we did that’ and what it used to be like,” he said. Les says he’ll miss the connections he’s made, saying “I think what I’ll really miss within Yarra and externally is engagement and camaraderie with so many people across transport”. Now he’s finished up, Les will focus on spending more time with his family, improving his lawn bowls skills, and enjoying more travel. He’s also looking forward to taking some time to relax and found the perfect description – ‘hurkle durkle’ – a old Scottish term meaning to lounge in bed long after its time to get up. Best of luck, Les!

Keolis Downer, operator of Yarra Trams is trialling new technology to improve tram reliability throughout the warmer months, using a specialised paint on driver cab canopies and passenger HVAC units to help reflect heat and make onboard HVAC systems more effective. Additionally, heat reflective film has been installed on the windscreens of all C1 Class trams following a successful trial in 2023. The film works to reduce heat in the driver’s cabin, improving conditions for drivers and ensuring service reliability. These initiatives are just part of our massive summer preparation program that is well underway to prepare Melbourne’s tram fleet for the warmer months, which also includes servicing air conditioning units across our tram fleet, inspecting sections of the network impacted most by heat, and reviewing data from past incidents to help teams quickly respond to incidents.

Our ongoing partnership with Travellers Aid Australia ensures passengers of all abilities can get where they need to go during major events and planned disruptions on the tram network.   Keolis Downer, operator of Yarra Trams has strengthened this partnership throughout our operation of Melbourne’s tram network, working closely together with Travellers Aid to plan and facilitate trips for thousands of passengers with accessibility needs impacted by planned works or busy times during major events.   Elias Lebbos, CEO of Travellers Aid Australia said “our relationship with Yarra Trams has been a strong, positive collaboration – our aligned values have allowed us to deliver services together to keep people connected to their communities. Keolis Downer’s genuine commitment to engage with people of all abilities has been clear throughout our continued partnership.”   Travellers Aid was used by more than 5,000 passengers last year across planned disruptions and major events like the Australian Open, ANZAC Day, the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix and the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.

Yarra Trams’ Get Back on Board program invites new or returning passengers with accessibility needs to get familiar with trams in a no-pressure environment. We recently held a Get Back On Board session at our Brunswick Depot with clients and workers from I Can Explore, which provides orientation and mobility and support worker services to people with a vision impairment or blindness. The session included clients and Orientation and Mobility experts, joined by representatives from Brunswick Tram Depot and Yarra Trams’ Accessibility Team, with participants ranging from new residents to Melbourne through to more frequent passengers who jumped at the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the service. Keolis Downer, operator of Yarra Trams and our values of ‘Think Like a Passenger’ and ‘We Care’ ensures we focus on the needs of everyone using our network, building more inclusive public transport networks.

It’s been almost a year since Keolis Downer, operator of Yarra Trams established our Network Security Team (NST), a team specially trained in conflict management and identifying anti-social behaviour to de-escalate situations to ensure our passengers, the community and Yarra Trams people feel safe travelling on our services. Our NST team come from a range of backgrounds, each member bringing a valuable skill set, with the common goal to keep people safe.   Since November last year, the team has undertaken more than 8,000 tram and vehicle patrols and more than 5,500 welfare checks, as well as 42 joint operations with Victoria Police.   “On a personal level, the impact of our work resonates deeply with me, as my wife is a tram driver, and our children regularly use the tram network,” said Archie Basil (Senior Security Authorised Officer).   “Knowing that my role helps protect the people I care about most makes me incredibly passionate about what we do – I’m proud to be part of a team that prioritises safety and works tirelessly to ensure a secure environment for everyone on the network,” he said.

Keolis Downer, operator of Yarra Trams is always looking for new ways to improve journeys for our passengers – recently our teams worked with Microsoft to improve passenger experience and operational efficiency during times of disruption through the power of artificial intelligence (AI). Both teams worked together to develop a prototype chatbot agent which recommends the appropriate disruption management plan in response to an incident on the network - providing alternate modes of transport, passenger information and announcements related to the disruption – ensuring passenger information is timely and accurate. Harnessing AI technology ensures Yarra Trams continues to keep up with Melbourne’s growth, improving how we manage unplanned incidents to improve the experience for our passengers.