Testing begins on Sydney’s beleaguered light rail

Sydney’s light rail trams are now being tested at night — but commuters will not be jumping aboard any time soon. The trouble-plagued project is still a year away from completion.

Sydney’s light rail trams are now being tested at night — but commuters will not be jumping aboard any time soon. The trouble-plagued project is still a year away from completion.

About 22 of 60 Citadis X05 trams have arrived and are being put through their paces at Randwick on weeknights, before daytime testing begins on parts of the controversial $2.1 billion CBD to Randwick/Kingsford light rail.

Night testing of the light rail along Alison Rd, Randwick. Pictures: Bill Hearne

This section of the rail was originally scheduled to have opened last month.

Transport NSW predicts a March 2020 opening but, in another sign of how haphazard the build has become, Spanish builder Acciona says the date is more likely to be pushed back to next May.

“Good progress is being made on the light rail project, with paving and other finishing works underway in many zones, and overhead wires up from Randwick to Central Station,” a NSW Transport spokeswoman said.

The night-time test-runs of the 33m carriages, which will be coupled as pairs, will soon include Moore Park and Surry Hills.

Daytime testing is scheduled for Randwick over coming weeks.

Test trams ready and waiting. Pictures: Bill Hearne

Transport authorities have begun a campaign to warn schoolchildren and pedestrians to be careful around the trams.

With Transport Minister Andrew Constance sworn in earlier this week, negotiations are expected to resume over settling the legal stoush between the state government and Acciona.

The much-maligned Spanish firm is suing the government for an extra $1.2 billion, blaming light rail delays on a claim it was not fully informed of the amount of work required to deal with underground cables along the route.

Test trams on Alison Rd, Randwick, where they were sent up and down the line with staff on board monitoring the electronics and a NSW Police Highway Patrol car following with flashing lights as a warning. Pictures: Bill Hearne

The driver’s compartment on a tram being tested. Picture: Bill Hearne

Daytime testing will soon begin. Picture: Bill Hearne

A resolution is believed to be close, but any settlement needs to be first approved by cabinet’s expenditure review committee, and could blow out the project’s price tag past the $3 billion mark.

“Transport for NSW has been in intensive commercial negotiations with ALTRAC and its contractors to try to resolve a number of issues,” a NSW Transport spokeswoman said.

“These commercial negotiations are ongoing and strictly confidential. ALTRAC and Acciona must perform their respective contractual obligations, and we continue to work … to ensure it delivers as quickly as possible.”

When finally up and running, each light rail carriage will carry up to 450 people, equal to nine buses, with a capacity of 13,500 passengers per hour.

Just 20 per cent of the interior is devoted to seats with the rest of the passengers standing.