Tram guage v s Rail guage

Peter Berrett VK3PZ (pberrett@tbsa.com.au)
Mon, 06 Apr 1998 19:26:38 +1100

Further to discussion on this newsgroup about fixing up Melbourne's
ailing railway network I am pondering the question of whether trams run
on the same gauge as trains in Victoria?

I know that the ST Kilda/Port Melbourne lines were converted to tramways
several years ago but I don't know what changes were necessary to
accommodate this.

The reason I ask this is that if they use the same gauge then there
might be some merit in the idea of running trams along some rail routes
(eg Alamein) during off peak periods and heavy rail during peak periods.
Can both use the same electrification and rails?

cheers Peter