Parramatta light rail stops revealed as stage 2 faces five-year delay

The second stage of the Parramatta light rail is on track but frustrations are growing over the long delay for the project’s start date. Read the list of stops proposed.

The five-year delay of the Parramatta light rail second’s stage has been slammed after it was revealed it would not begin operating until 2031. 

“A five-year delay for such an important infrastructure project will have serious consequences for the housing and development planned along the corridor,’’ Parramatta Lord Mayor Donna Davis said.

Cr Davis cited major residential developments such as Melrose Park — which will be home to more than 20,000 new residents once completed — would miss out on crucial transport.

“Council continues to do the heavy lifting on housing supply, but growth needs to be sequenced with infrastructure,” she said.

“Those new residents are rightly expecting transport links that connect them to work and study.”

The Carter Street precinct near Lidcombe is another built-up community planned to flank the light rail’s second stage.

So far, only $600m for a bridge between Wentworth Point and Melrose Park has been committed, with works to start in 2024, but Cr Davis feared the span would only deliver bus services.

The community is still reeling from the delay of the $2.4bn stage one of the light rail from March 2023 until mid-2024.

On Wednesday, the release of the Environment Impact Statement for stage two outlined the 14 stops for the project.

Community and business groups called on the state government and Opposition to commit to fully funding the project ahead of the March NSW election.

Extending the light rail from the Parramatta CBD to Sydney Olympic Park would serve some of Australia’s most densely-built communities, with many residents having bought apartments in suburbs on the promise of the light rail.

The line will weave through Camellia, Ermington, Melrose Park and Wentworth Point and feature 14 stops over a 10km, two-way track that would provide services every 7.5 minutes between 7am and 7pm on weekdays.

An 8.5-km walking and bike-riding path parallel to the light rail corridor would link to the existing network.

“The communities and businesses along the Parramatta River have been eagerly awaiting the release of these planning documents that finally reveal the details of the route and station locations for Parramatta light rail stage two,” Business Western Sydney executive director David Borger said.

Business groups want more funding besides that $600m allocated for the Melrose Park bridge.

“Parramatta light rail stage two is the missing piece for the Greater Parramatta to the Olympic Peninsula region that will finally connect a collection of high density and growing communities together for the first time with a high-quality mass transit system and feed into the future Sydney Metro West at Sydney Olympic Park and Parramatta.’’

Wentworth Point resident Mark Green said “everything was dependent’’ on stage two’s delivery.

“It’s critical to the future of the whole peninsula,’’ he said.

“Really the only solution for Wentworth Point is improved public transport because there is no alternative to the one road in and one road out so the PLR2 is critical.’’

Unlike the problems that have plagued businesses at Parramatta and the city and eastern suburbs, stage two is not expected to directly jeopardise a retail precinct.

Transport Minister David Elliott said the state government called on the public to submit feedback to the “once-in-a-generation’’ transport project.

The impact statement will be open for comment until December 7.

Originally published as Parramatta light rail stops revealed as stage 2 faces five-year delay