Melbourne tram passengers are being left stranded as the network operator tries to avoid huge fines for missing its punctuality targets.

Yarra Trams short shunted almost 11,000 tram services to get back on time last month, more than 350 times a day on average, leaked figures show.

Trams bank up along Swanston Street. Credit:Joe Armao

March was Yarra Trams' worst month in more than a year, with 78.5 per cent of the city's trams running on schedule according to PTV monitoring, which counts a tram as on-time when it is less than five minutes late or one minute early.

But that official figure does not take into account the thousands of times when a tram failed to even reach the end of the line before reversing direction.