Victoria's First Wind-Powered Tram

In march 2008 Yarra Trams introduced Melbourne's first wind-powered tram in partnership with leading Australian renewable energy company Pacific Hydro and Victoria's primary agency on climate change, Sustainability Victoria.

Through this partnership, Yarra Trams secured enough GreenPower from our Yambuk Wind Farm in southwest Victoria to supply a 5-carriage tram until the end of 2008.
The wind-powered tram ran along Route 96 (East Brunswick-St Kilda), which is not only Melbourne's busiest line carrying 12 million people each year, but was recently ranked by National Geographic as one of the world's top 10 tram rides.
The campaign incorporated a tram fully wrapped in an eye-catching wind farm design and interpretive materials on climate change and GreenPower on the interior.

The Chief Executive Officer of Yarra Trams, Dennis Cliche said: "We are thrilled to be implementing this demonstration project which further illustrates Yarra Trams' strong commitment to the environment. Our hope is that the wind tram will generate greater awareness of the sustainability of public transport and the important role renewable energy must play in our future."

Pacific Hydro's Chief Executive Officer Rob Grant welcomed the initiative by Yarra Trams which further enhances the role public transport plays in the community. "This is a great example of business leading the way and promoting sustainability", said Mr Grant. "The wind tram makes an already sustainable form of mass transport even greener."

The wind tram was a great initiative and helped to raise awareness of the role wind energy can, and must play, in reducing the impacts of climate change for generations to come.