AUSTRALIA: Randwick Stabling Yard, the depot for Sydney’s CBD & South East Light Rail line, has been energised. Daytime testing of trams on the route is expected to begin in the coming months; night testing started in February.
As well as facilities for light maintenance and tram washing, the depot contains the operations control centre. Six trams are already in the depot, and tracklaying on the 12 km, 19-stop route is almost finished.
The ALTRAC Light Rail consortium has a A$2·1bn PPP contract to build, operate and maintain the line. The consortium comprises Alstom, Transdev Sydney, Acciona Infrastructure Australia and Capella Capital, in addition to three equity investors: John Laing, First State Super and Acciona Concesiones.
Alstom is supplying a fleet of 60 five-section Citadis X05 light rail vehicles, which are intended to operate in 67 m long coupled pairs.
The CBD & South East Light Rail line is due to open in 2019, linking Circular Quay in the north with Randwick and Kingsford in the south. A 2 km section will be equipped with Alstom’s APS ground-level power supply to allow catenary-free operation.
