1951-1960

1951

15 January
A new City tram line along La Trobe Street was opened from Brunswick Street to Lonsdale Street via Victoria Parade, La Trobe Street and Spencer Street.

16 January
Numbered tram stops were introduced on the Wattle Park and Burwood lines.  They were later installed on all other lines.

1952

11 October
Coburg Depot was closed.

1954

2 May
The Footscray connecting line was opened. It ran from the Ordnance Factory terminus of the main system via Williamson Road, Rosamond Road and River Street to the Ammunition Factory terminus of the Footscray lines at Gordon Street.

1955

24 June
East Preston Depot opened.  This depot was built to replace the former Preston Depot (now known as Thornbury Depot or Old Preston Depot).  Thornbury Depot was closed as a service depot, but remained in use for storing trams.

26 June
A new line was opened from Spencer Street to Northcote, via the former cable tram route along Bourke Street, Nicholson Street, Gertrude Street, Smith Street, Queens Parade and High Street.
New trams were built for the Bourke Street line - W6 class trams built by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board at Preston Workshops (some had commenced construction in 1953-4).

1956

8 April
The East Brunswick line was opened.  It ran from Gertrude Street to Blyth Street, East Brunswick, via Nicholson Street. 

April
Exterior advertisements were introduced on trams.

May
Coburg Depot, in use as a tram storage shed since 1952, was closed to trams completely.

1959

28 February
Final closure of the Victorian Railways trams.  The St Kilda - Brighton line was closed.
Elwood Depot was retained for use by the private bus operator who took over the services.

15 November
Hawthorn Depot was closed on Sundays as an economy measure.

1960

20 September
Hanna Street Depot was renamed South Melbourne Depot, following the renaming of Hanna Street to Kingsway.

22 October
The Point Ormond - Elsternwick line was closed.