The VR tram was called a "Street Railway" and was built using the Victorian Railways broad gauge instead of the cable tramway standard gauge of , and connected it with the St Kilda railway station, which would allow trams to be moved along the St Kilda railway line for servicing at Jolimont Yard. The line was opened in two stages, from St Kilda railway station to Middle Brighton on 5 May 1906 and to Brighton Beach terminus on 22 December 1906.