Victoria’s retired trams – including the iconic W-Class – will get a new lease on life with the release of an expression of interest giving Victorians the opportunity to acquire one of the trams.
Schools, community groups, not-for-profit organisations and other public institutions will also be able to access a tram for free under the Retired Trams Strategy released by the Andrews Labor Government today.
The expression of interest process will open on Monday 28 May 2018 and close on 6 July 2018.
The expression of interest process will ask people to explain how they would restore, repurpose and maintain one of these trams, preserving it for future generations.
The expression of interest follows a careful examination of the 237 retired trams by an expert Stakeholder Reference Group who have developed the strategy to bring the trams out of storage from the Newport Railway Workshops and give them a new lease of life.
Of the 237 retired trams, 134 will be made available to the public as part of the expression of interest.
Other retired trams including the Art Trams, Advertising Trams, and a small number of other trams will be preserved for potential re-purposing in the future and are not part of the EOI.
Over the years, many trams have already been repurposed for varying uses, including as cafes and classrooms, and are on display in public places.
Anyone is welcome to express their interest in acquiring a tram, and community groups and educational institutions are particularly encouraged to apply.
The expressions of interest for the trams will be assessed by an independent panel against a weighting system, which gives priority to those trams that will remain accessible to the public and provide a demonstrable community benefit.
All applications for the expression of interest must be made through the VicTrack website by completing a detailed questionnaire. For more information, please visit victrack.com.au/trams
Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan
“Over the years trams have transported millions of Victorians, connected our communities and are an integral part of our rich heritage.”
“If they’re not going to be used on the network, we want to keep these trams accessible to the community.”
“These Victorian icons will now be available to come to life once again and preserved for future generations to enjoy.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020