An audit of Melbourne’s retired fleet of W-class trams has found up to 30 of the city icons could be restored and returned to the rails.

But a state government reference group to decide the fate of the much loved trams still hasn’t been set up, nine months after it was promised.

The audit of the almost 200 trams in storage was commissioned by the Andrews government last year, after concerns were raised about their deteriorating condition.

Most of the trams are in storage at the Newport rail workshops, with many left to rot outside in the elements.

Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said there had been numerous proposals to give the trams a second life.

“There’s a lot of people have a lot of ideas about how they could reuse the trams, and not all of those include running them around a tram network,” Ms Allan said.

Businessman Michael Abdel has come up with a plan to convert dozens of the old trams into cafes, under the banner of the Melbourne Coffee Co.

An iconic W-class tram. (Victorian government)

Mr Abdel hopes to ship them to cities in Asia, Europe and the United States, as flagships for the franchise.

“What the Nike logo is to those runners, these trams are to Melbourne,” he said.

“I feel like it’s an opportunity to re-purpose these wonderful things, and allow people all over the world to enjoy them again.”

But his plan is on hold, with the state government waiting for advice from its yet-to-be-established reference group.

The first W class trams were built in the 1920s.

They ran on regular scheduled service throughout the city until 2013, when the remaining trams were withdrawn from routes 30, 78 and 79.

The government’s warned any trams that are restored are only likely to run on the City Circle tourist circuit, or as restaurant trams.

Steep steps make access difficult for those with limited mobility, meaning they are unlikely to return to timetabled service.

State opposition spokeswoman Mary Wooldridge urged the government not to delay a decision on the trams’ future.