A tram substations contain electrical equipment to convert the local power supply into the voltage needed to run the tram network.1 They are installed along a tram network where more power is needed by the tram network to maintain its efficient operation. (See this short video explaining how substations operate)

While substation have their utilitarian function their installation can raise concerns in the community concerning their visual impact and safety risk. In 2017 Public Transport Victoria and Yarra Tram identified St Junction as the location for a new substation.

The substation as proposed in 2017

Yarra Trams stated the substation was needed to provide power to the nearby routes 3/3a, 5, 16, 64 and 67. The substation was to be 15m x 8m and situated within a fully-enclosed, containerised building. Yarra Trams stated the design will seek to blend in with the surrounding environment, with the architect reportedly seeking feedback from VicRoads and the City of Port Phillip Council to ensure the facade of the structure is “visually appealing” and “appropriate”.2

The substation was finally competed in 20193, however, substation was not without its community controversy. The JAAG (St Kilda Junction Action Group) newsletter/website provides an excellent time line related to the construction of the substation, the community concerns it raised and subsequent consultations (2017-2020).4 JAAG was critical of the consultation process, the visual and amenity impact of the substation, the failure to consider other locations, its potential as a graffiti target and its potential to negative impact an improved future design framework for the Junction.5

The substation as of 2020 (courtesy of JAAG)

The reader can make their judgment concerning the nature of this project. My own opinion is that it has at least one consistent feature with the general focus of the Junction history from the 20th and 21st centuries which is the triumph of utilitarianism and commercial expedience over visual aesthetics, community utility and integration.

Footnotes

1. Introduction to tram substations, Public Transport Victoria, https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au, accessed 31 March 2025
2. St. Kilda Junction substation in the works, Rail Express, https://www.railexpress.com.au/st-kilda-junction-substation-in-the-works/, accessed 31 March 2025 
3. St Kilda Junction substation landscaping, Public Transport Victoria, https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au, accessed 31 March 2025 
4. PTV/Yarra Trams substation at St Kilda Junction Summary of Events, JAAG website, https://jaagstkilda.com/ptv-yarra-trams-substation-at-st-kilda-junction-summary-of-events/ accessed 31 March 2025 
5. Proposed PTV substation on St Kilda Junction, JAAG website, https://jaagstkilda.com/proposed-ptv-substation-on-st-kilda-junction/, accessed 31 March 2025