Day testing to Circular Quay begins for light rail
Day testing has now been completed along the entire stretch of track between Randwick and Circular Quay on Sydney’s new light rail project, with the focus now shifting to the Kingsford leg.
Central Sydney
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The “global solution” to Sydney’s traffic woes is almost here, after one of the city’s new trams rode the length of George St to Circular Quay today.
It means successful day testing has now been completed along the entire stretch of tracks between High St, Randwick and Alfred St on the edge of Sydney Harbour, ahead of that section’s December opening date.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance said testing for the Kingsford leg of the 12.8km project, which is still at least six months away from carrying passengers, would start “next month”.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Mr Constance boarded the 67m-long light rail vehicle at the new Martin Place stop this morning to take in the historic moment.
Ms Berejiklian said the $2.7 billion tram network — that will have the capacity to move 13,500 people per hour — would soon replace the “conga line” of buses that once clogged George St.
“They said it would never happen, here it is,” she said.
“And we had the best experience, and I can’t wait for all of Sydney, all of NSW to be able to jump off of a light rail vehicle in just a couple of months time.
“This project has been hard but the result has been fantastic.”
Ms Berejiklian said she knew the drawn out and costly project would be difficult “from the day we signed up” — when she was then Transport Minister in 2014 — but said the disruption to the city had been “well worth it”.
“It’s going to change Sydney forever,” she said.
The trams will travel through pedestrian areas at 20km/h, that will weigh 120 tonnes when full, limiting the danger posed to city-goers who have been warned to follow the signs around the vehicles that will carry up to 450 passengers.
Mr Constance said construction on the project had transformed the CBD, turning George St into a pedestrian boulevard that was the envy of the world.
“Global Sydney’s got a global solution,” he said.
“Everyone has been blown away by the amenity that George St now is.
“This is without doubt one of the most complex infrastructure projects the state's ever seen,
“It’s not only the delivery of the light rail vehicle, it’s the relocation of the utility and the team is proud as punch today.”
