Sydney light rail: tram testing reaches Central Station

WATCH THE VIDEO: residents lined streets in Surry Hills late on Tuesday night to catch a glimpse of history, as Sydney’s light rail project hit a new milestone last night.

• ‘We’ve turned a corner’: tram testing to Surry Hills to begin
• New concourse in $100m revamp

A smattering of residents lined a Surry Hills street for hours on Tuesday night to catch a glimpse of history, as testing for Sydney’s controversial light rail project hit a new milestone.

At about 11.50pm, a tram emerged behind a police escort from the tunnel that runs under Moore Park from Anzac Pde and onto Devonshire St, before it crawled up the hill toward Central Station.

It had been more than three years since construction started on the flagship transport project, expected to cost more than $3 billion when completed early next year.

Robin and Millie take in the moment as the first tram of Sydney's new light rail hit Surry Hills. Picture: Heath Parkes-Hupton

“It’s like waiting for royalty,” Devonshire St resident Robin said as the clock ticked towards 11.30pm. “It’s like all this three years has been worth it.”

Neighbour Millie remembered the businesses that had been lost as a result of the devastating impact construction had on foot traffic in the area.

“We have to watch it because we have lived through these four years,” she said.

They had waited on the same spot near Nickson St the last Thursday, when a rumoured test run had been cancelled.

Workers watch on as the tram reaches Central Station. Picture: Heath Parkes-Hupton

But when the tram finally crawled past they followed it down the street to Central Station, where it came to a rest at 12.17am, thanking workers as they went.

People spilt out of bars along the road to take pictures of the tram as it passed by.

The tram would return to Lang Rd, Moore Park, before a second run was carried out later in the morning.

Low-speed tests are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday nights, and will continue next week between Monday and Thursday from 9pm-4am. Day testing will start in coming weeks.

The tram coming up Devonshire St. Picture: Heath Parkes-Hupton

It crawled at walking pace. Picture: Heath Parkes-Hupton

The 12km project has been dogged by delays, legal battles and cost blowouts, but on Tuesday Transport Minister Andrew Constance said officials had been “pushing really hard” to have it finished as soon as possible.

“We have both daytime and night-time testing well underway in Randwick, where trams are running through there for the first time in almost 60 years,” he said.

“The barriers are being removed, the drivers are being trained and the finishing touches are being put in place … now we’ve turned a corner.”

Services from Randwick to Circular Quay could start in December 2019.