Metro Light Rail

Metro Light Rail
Mode	Light Rail
Owner	NSW Government
Operator(s)	Veolia
Connects	Central (interchange) Convention (interchange) Lilyfield
Length	7.2 km (4.5 mi)
Stations	14
Patronage	3.5 million (annual)
Key dates
1997	Opened to Wentworth Park
2000	Extended to Lilyfield

The Metro Light Rail (formerly the Sydney Light Rail) is the only currently operating light rail line in Sydney. The line opened on 31 August 1997,^[1] mostly along the route of an unused goods railway line, to serve the redeveloped inner-city areas of Darling Harbour, Ultimo and Pyrmont, and was extended in 2000 to serve some of Sydney's inner western suburbs. The parent company of Metro Light Rail was purchased by the Government of New South Wales on 23 March 2012.^[2]

Network

Lilyfield line

Map of the Central to Lilyfield line.

Running from Central Railway Station to the inner western suburb of Lilyfield, the route extends for 7.2 kilometres (4.5 mi), including 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) of on-street operation. There are 14 stops, including two interchanges to the Metro Monorail line and a station at The Star casino. The line is owned by the NSW Government and operated under contract by Veolia.

Most of the alignment of the Metro Light Rail's Central to Lilyfield line had its origins as the Darling Harbour Goods Line. From the time when the Sydney Railway Company was formed in 1848, it had been the intention of the company to build a freight terminal at Darling Harbour. To this end, a railway line was constructed between the Sydney Railway Station (the predecessor to Central Railway Station) and Darling Harbour, which opened on 26 September 1855.^[3] This line was extended to Dulwich Hill via Lilyfield in 1922.^[4]

With widespread use as a freight line throughout the early 20th century, the use of containers and the decentralisation of freight terminals in Sydney to places such as Port Botany and Chullora, Darling Harbour traffic was reduced considerably. The port was closed and the area redeveloped.

Central Station terminus was also an important terminus of the old tram network. This colonnade was used in the opposite direction by the former system.

Plaque commemorating the opening of the Lilyfield extension located at Jubilee Park

Station passenger indicator board

In 1994, the Sydney Light Rail Company was formed. Construction and conversion of the first section of line from Central station to Wentworth Park started on 25 January 1996 and took 16 months to complete.^[5] Most of the original 3.6km line used the former Darling Harbour goods railway line and previous tramway routes.

The original route opened for public operation with a trial service on 11 August 1997 with three weeks of testing.^[6] The official public opening was conducted by the then Premier of New South Wales Bob Carr on 31 August.^[7] A full revenue service started the next day at 6am on Monday 1 September.^[6]

Buoyed by the success of the original line the route was extended along the closed section of the goods line to Lilyfield. The extension was officially opened on Sunday 13 August 2000.^[6]

Future extensions

Extension to Dulwich Hill

Track work in August 2010 near Constitution Road Dulwich Hill, close to the future site of the Arlington light rail station

In 2009 goods traffic on the line between Rozelle and Dulwich Hill ceased and in February 2010 the NSW Labor Government announced the extension of the light rail from Lilyfield to Dulwich Hill.

Work to upgrade the track and remove the overhead wiring began in August 2010.^[8] The project received planning approval in February 2011.^[9] The extension was originally scheduled to open in 2012, but in September 2011 the newly elected Coalition Government announced that it would not open until 2014, and that the cost had risen from $120 million to $176 million. The Greenway walking and cycling path which was to run alongside much of the route was deferred. The Coalition blamed hasty planning by Labor for the delay and cost overruns, and the lack of an active transport masterplan for the deferral of the Greenway.^[10]

Metro Transport Sydney and the NSW Government have reached agreement on the commercial principles of the Dulwich Hill extension. There are three shortlisted tenderers for the infrastructure works – Leighton Contractors, ABI Group and John Holland (owned by Leighton), and two shortlisted tenderers for the new rolling stock – Bombardier and CAF.^[11]

The extension is estimated to be used by 3,105 boarding passengers per weekday by 2016 with 415 of those arriving by train and 460 arriving by bus.^[12]

The extension to Dulwich Hill includes the following list of stations from Lilyfield:

CBD extensions

In February 2010 the Labor NSW Government announced a new line from Haymarket to Circular Quay via Barangaroo.^[13] As of September 2010, the final route had not yet been decided,^[14] with the three options being to send the line North from Central via George Street, Sussex Street or a loop using both.^[15]

The O'Farrell government has committed to building a line through the CBD, with a connection to Barangaroo.^[16] The preferred route will run along George St.^[17]

Other extension proposals

Several transport corridors have significant potential to allow for the growth of the network beyond its current route structure. The State Government has committed to conducting feasibility studies into the construction of lines from the City to Sydney University and the City to the University of New South Wales.^[18] On 8 December 2011, the government announced shortlisted potential routes for these extensions.^[17]

The City of Sydney Council has also recommended that a Light Rail link be built from the city to Green Square, to service the commercial and residential developments currently being constructed in the area. ^[19]

Tram fleet

The Metro Light Rail uses German-design Variotram vehicles manufactured in Dandenong, Victoria by Adtranz (now Bombardier).^[5] The trams are bi-directional and the Variotram design is modular and has been extended for the Sydney system. The capacity of the vehicles is 217 passengers, of which 74 are seated.^[20] On tests up to three trams have been coupled together allowing a maximum capacity of 600 passengers if required.^[5]

The vehicles have a low floor (floor to rail level 300 millimetres / 12 inches) style and the bogies have no axles between the wheels and are powered with gearless hub motors.^[5] There are 7 trams currently in use. The articulated design allows a wide body car without overswing on curves and they have had their design weight reduced to compensate for the addition of climate-control air-conditioning equipment. The trams run on 750 volt direct current and each tram is fitted with three doors each side which have enhanced safety systems with obstacle detection interlocked with the traction system.^[5]

• Tram image gallery
• 

  Tram exterior at Paddy's Markets Station

• 

  Tram carriage end. The driver's cabin can be seen

• 

  Priority seating

• 

  The interior of the tram vehicle

• 

  The trams are of an articulated design

Ticketing

A single ticket.

Receipt upon presentation of a MyMulti.

The Metro Light Rail uses its own ticketing system based on zones. Day and weekly tickets which also allow travel on the Metro Monorail are available. A "TramLink" ticket which allows travel on CityRail and the light rail is available from CityRail stations but is not sold on trams.^[21]

From 27 June 2011 the Metro Light Rail has been partially integrated into the broader Sydney ticketing system. Tickets recognised on the light rail are all MyMultis, the Pensioner Excursion Ticket and Family Funday Sunday. The light rail will also be part of Sydney's future electronic ticketing system.^[22] The integration led to a 30 to 40 percent increase in patronage on the line in the first months after introduction.^[23]

NSW Government buys out Metro Transport

On Friday, 23 March 2012 it was announced that the state government had bought Metro Transport, the former owner of Sydney's Light Rail and Monorail systems. The NSW government says that this will allow them to "face fewer obstacles in extending the network through the CBD and inner west and inner east."^[23]

External links

• Official site
• Information about the extension
• Map of shortlisted routes for the extensions
• Photos of the extension to Dulwich Hill

References