The first of 30 new E-Class trams designed to tackle the rise in passenger injuries from on-board jolts and falls has rolled out.
The trams include dozens more hanging straps and hand rails for passengers, and a flatter nose to give the driver a better peripheral view of traffic.
The tram floor has also been lowered at the doors in response to complaints from passengers in wheelchairs of a vertical gap at many platform stops, which makes the original E-Class trams difficult to board. The trams are made by Bombardier in Dandenong.
The second of the redesigned trams will enter service later this week.
In the past two years, the average number of serious injuries per quarter on Melbourne's tram network has risen from seven to 13, Transport Safety Victoria data shows, while the average number of slips, trips and falls per quarter has risen from 44 to 60.
Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said the design tweaks had been made after a review into the problem of passenger injuries.
The new trams can carry 210 passengers each. It is expected that 80 E-Class trams will be in service by mid-2019, including the 50 ordered by the former Brumby government that are currently in service.
