Three of Melbourne's busiest tram routes will be changed dramatically – and one scrapped altogether – as part of a public transport shake-up aimed at increasing capacity towards the city's booming western suburbs.

Public Transport Victoria quietly released details of the proposal on its website earlier this month, three months after Fairfax Media revealed leaked documents of the plan.

Route 8, which services Moreland to Toorak, will be abolished and merged with route 55, which will take passengers between Toorak and West Coburg via Domain Interchange. The new route 58 will travel via William Street, rather than the current Swanston Street.

Tram route 1, which runs from East Coburg to South Melbourne Beach, will instead terminate at Moreland Road, between Nicholson Street past Moreland Station, in Brunswick.