Metropolitan Transit Authority

In July 1983 the State Government decided to integrate the City’s three major forms of public transport - trams, buses and suburban trains - to create a co-ordinated public transport network. The operations of the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board were taken over by the Tram & Bus Division of a new government body, the Metropolitan Transit Authority.

The Met’s Tram & Bus Division consisted of 684 trams, 220 km of track and some 5,000 employees. ‘Tram green' was developed into a distinctive dark green and bold yellow colour scheme for the new entity’s rolling stock and uniforms. The Met logo, symbolising the three modes of transport, began to appear on all vehicles and uniforms in place of the M&MTB
logo.

The integration of services allowed a great improvement in the ticketing system. A single ticket could now be used on all modes of transport, with fares based on time, rather than distance travelled.

In 1985 Automatic Vehicle Monitoring (AVM) was introduced. Initially installed in the bus fleet, it was extended to trams and enabled improved communications with drivers. It also allowed the monitoring of vehicle locations between designated points along each route. The result was improved services as the ‘bunching’ of vehicles was reduced, resulting in improved tram scheduling.

Following a decision by the State Government in 1997 to privatise the Public Transport Corporation, The Met was split into four separate business units – two tram and two train.

On 29th August 1999 these business units – Swanston Trams, Yarra Trams, Bayside Trains and Hillside Trains – commenced operations under separate identities and private ownership. As Bayside Trains, Swanston Trams and the regional rail company V/Line were operated by the same organisation, National Express Group (Australia), the two metropolitan companies were co-branded as M>Tram and M>Train on 1st October 2001. Hillside Trains later became Connex.

However in December 2002 National Express announced it would withdraw from all three businesses. The operations of M>Tram and M>Train were assumed by the State Government of Victoria who announced an intention to create one tram company and one train company for metropolitan Melbourne.