Parramatta Light Rail
The Parramatta Light Rail (often unofficially referred to as the Western Sydney Light Rail) is a proposal for two light rail lines in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The lines originate from Strathfield and Carlingford before converging on the Western Sydney centre of Parramatta. The project will add to light rail in Sydney but the new lines will be completely separated from the existing and under construction lines. The project is managed by Transport for NSW, a statutory authority of the New South Wales Government.
Background and initial announcement
In 2013, Parramatta City Council published a $1 million feasibility study into a proposed Western Sydney Light Rail Network, designed to improve transport links throughout Western Sydney and meet the challenges posed by the projected rise in population in the region in the coming decades. The study found that a light rail system was a viable solution to address the growing transport needs of Parramatta and Western Sydney. The report proposed an estimated $20 million in state and federal support was required to undertake a detailed investigation and to prepare a business case.[1] It proposed that construction of the network would take place in several stages, the first of which comprised a route from Macquarie Centre to Castle Hill via Eastwood, Dundas, Parramatta and Baulkham Hills, with a branch from Parramatta to Westmead. Further extensions were proposed from Parramatta to Bankstown and Rhodes.[1]
As part of the 2014/15 New South Wales Budget, the state government announced Transport for NSW would investigate ten potential light rail routes in Western Sydney. The government allocated $400 million to ensure funds for detailed planning and construction of an initial project would be 'ready to go', should the investigations prove favourable.[2] Six of the ten routes being investigated were eliminated from contention in October 2014.[3] The routes investigated were:
| Route | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Parramatta to Bankstown | Not selected | |
| Parramatta to Castle Hill via Old Northern Road | Not selected | |
| Parramatta to Castle Hill via Windsor Road | Eliminated in October 2014. | Based on the route proposed by Parramatta City Council. |
| Parramatta to Liverpool via the T-way | Eliminated in October 2014. | |
| Parramatta to Macquarie Park via Carlingford | Parramatta - Carlingford section selected | |
| Parramatta to Macquarie Park via Eastwood | Eliminated in October 2014. | Based on the route proposed by Parramatta City Council. |
| Parramatta to Strathfield/Burwood via Sydney Olympic Park | Strathfield option selected. | Route extended from Sydney Olympic Park to Strathfield/Burwood in October 2014. |
| Parramatta to Sydney CBD via Parramatta Road | Eliminated in October 2014. | |
| Parramatta to Rouse Hill | Eliminated in October 2014. | |
| Parramatta to Ryde via Victoria Road | Eliminated in October 2014. |
Of the final four routes, the Macquarie Park via Carlingford and Strathfield via Olympic Park options were perceived as the frontrunners to be selected.[4] The Macquarie Park via Carlingford route was supported by Parramatta, Ryde and The Hills councils.[5][6][7] The Strathfield via Olympic Park route was pushed by The WestLine Partnership, a lobby group consisting of businesses and organisations with a presence in the area.[8] Auburn and Canada Bay councils were later joined by Strathfield Council as members of the group.[9][10] The route passes through industrial areas of Sydney - it would act as a catalyst for urban renewal in these areas. The WestLine Partnership suggested government funding could be augmented via a process called "value capture" where property developers building along the route would make a financial contribution to the project.[11] The Partnership also suggested building a branch from Newington to Rhodes and indicated that their funding model could allow a route to Carlingford to be built as well.[12] Supporters of the Macquarie Park via Carlingford route argued the needs of that corridor were more pressing and the Strathfield via Olympic Park route would be poorly utilised in its early years.[13][14]
The Parramatta Light Rail scheme was officially unveiled on 8 December 2015, when the government announced it had selected the Strathfield route plus a truncated version of the Macquarie Park route that ends at Carlingford. The two routes converge at Camellia and proceed through Parramatta to Westmead. The government will contribute $1 billion towards the project. It will also adopt the value capture approach advocated by The WestLine Partnership, by instigating a "Special Infrastructure Contribution" on new residential developments along the route. The revenue raised by the levy will be used to help fund the light rail and other infrastructure for the area.[15] Government investigations into the value capture process held up the announcement of the preferred route but will allow the two lines to be built together.[11] The state government will also explore funding contributions from the federal and local governments.[15] The convenor of The WestLine Partnership stated that the light rail project's funding model would be used as a test case for funding future infrastructure projects.[10]
Construction of the lines is expected to commence in late 2018 but there was no announcement of an expected completion date or a total budget for the project.[16][17]
Design
The routes will begin at Westmead before proceeding east to Camellia via North Parramatta and the Parramatta CBD. At Camellia the two routes split.
A northern branch to Carlingford will reuse most of the Carlingford railway line.[18] The railway line is single track for most of its length and has shorter platforms than other lines in Sydney. It has long been seen as under-utilised and various modification schemes have been proposed. The Parramatta Rail Link was a government plan to create a heavy rail line from Parramatta to Chatswood, utilising the Carlingford line between Camellia and Carlingford. A Rail Clearways project would have created a passing loop at Rydalmere, enabling a more frequent service. Neither scheme came to fruition.
The second branch of the light rail continues east to Strathfield. This will follow a route similar to the Sandown railway line before crossing the Duck River, passing through Newington, crossing Haslams Creek, serving Sydney Olympic Park and terminating at the major transport hub of Strathfield.[18]
The two lines are approximately 22-kilometres long though no detailed route has been finalised.[17]
References
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