Remembering ‘Tram Boy’, The Kid Who Bamboozled Police And Hijacked A Melbourne Tram
The 15-year-old really, really loved trams.
One brisk Sunday night in 2005, a kid known only as ‘Tram Boy’ cemented himself in Melbourne’s Hall of Fame for somehow stealing two public transport vehicles, and safely navigating passengers around the city for a full 40 minutes. All because he simply loved trams.
The 15-year-old — who to this day has never been named — shocked tram managers on April 17 that year for making it a full 15-35 kilometres on his own before he was arrested after the electricity was turned off. It was actually his second go, having briefly nicked a tram for a test run on the Friday night before dumping it.
In a carefully planned heist, Tram Boy allegedly stole the tram keys from a depot three weeks before he executed his plan, according to a Sydney Morning Herald report at the time. He even went so far as to don a jacket similar to staff uniform to evade detection.
The deputy chief executive of Yarra Trams, Dennis Cliche, told the paper that he would’ve picked up the basics simply through observation when it usually takes more than a month of training for new employees. “There are safety systems built in that he would have had to study and know how to drive this tram without engaging the safety systems, which are designed to shut the tram down,” he said.
Tram boy picked up and dropped off people, and was even able to manually change tracks, use the brake system, and cross busy intersections, according to reports. He proficiently used all three keys needed to start the vehicle, was able to change the direction of the cars too.
He started off in South Bank and worked his way east, with differing reports claiming he made it to Kew and nearby Hawthorn, where he was arrested at gun point. The teen from Sunshine was charged with nine offences and faced Melbourne Children Court two months later.
While no one knows where he is now, or whether he landed his dream gig 17 years on, his legacy continues to capture the hearts of tram enthusiasts everywhere.
“I believe if he stays on the straight and narrow then it’s certainly not going to affect his future,” said Senior Constable Barry Hills from Victoria Police at the time, on Tram Boy’s prospects of becoming a real life driver once he got his driver’s license.