Exactly a year ago today, on December 18 2023, the first of a new fleet of light rail trams travelled through Western Sydney – officially marking the start of on-track testing for Parramatta Light Rail Stage One. Back then, Parramatta residents expected the new 12-kilometre track to open relatively quickly, but things weren’t plain sailing – with construction and testing issues pushing things back from a predicted mid-year opening until, well, soon. The exact opening date for the new track is yet to be announced, but it’s just received official approval from the national rail safety regulator.
The new public transport network comes after a report released last year revealed the pretty dire state of the transport system in Western Sydney. Back in May, the NSW government announced they’d be investing $1.9 billion in improving the transport system in Western Sydney, and alongside improved bus services and the new Metro system, a fair chunk of that funding is going towards Parramatta’s new light rail system.
Since starting testing back in December 2023, the 12-kilometre track – connecting Westmead to Carlingford via the Parramatta CBD and Camellia – has been going through two testing phases. Way back in July, all 45-metre-long vehicles and all 16 stops were ticked off as working as they should, but the final testing phase took a lot longer than expected. Now, it’s officially been cleared to open, and once it’s operational, the line is set to support 150 jobs in Western Sydney, with trams set to run every 7.5 minutes during peak times between Westmead and Carlingford via the Parramatta CBD.
Officially named the L4, this new stretch of Light Rail will join the L1 Dulwich Hill Line, L2 Randwick Line and L3 Kingsford Line as part of the Sydney Light Rail network and, in line with the NSW government’s plan to provide a better-connected, more affordable city, there’s a focus on building more affordable housing close to the line.
You can learn more about the Parramatta Light Rail over (and stay tuned for the official opening date) here.
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