C-class Melbourne Tram

C-class Melbourne Tram

C class is the designation given to the type of Citadis trams used in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by Melbourne's tram operator Yarra Trams. These three-section low-floor electric trams were built by the transport company Alstom in La Rochelle, France. The first car was delivered to Melbourne in 2001, with the last cars following in 2002.

The C class can be found almost exclusively on Melbourne's route 109 from Port Melbourne to Box Hill, operated from the Kew tram depot. With the transfer of all Citadis trams to Kew Depot to make room at Southbank Depot with the arrival of the "Bumblebee trams", it is now common to see these trams on route 48 services. These trams occasionally operate route 96 services.

The Citadis trams are the first low floor trams in Melbourne. Sitting only 330 millimetres (13 inches) from the ground, these trams were built in France and commissioned at the Preston Workshops in Melbourne. They feature ergonomic designs, panoramic windows and easy accessibility.

All C-class trams have an integral traction braking controller with a sensor that drivers must touch every thirty (originally every ten) seconds. If no action is taken an alarm sounds, and the tram comes to a complete standstill if it is ignored (see dead-man's vigilance device).

Recently it had been revealed that the tram had design faults which has led to swaying if the tram exceeded 25 km/h (16 mph) . As a result, the C Class trams have been nicknamed by the drivers as the "Cheap as chips" trams. Tram drivers have also reported from suffering from repetitive strain injuries from driving them.