AUSTRALIA: The first tram for the Parramatta light rail line which is currently under construction in western Sydney was delivered to Port Kembla on December 10.
CAF is supplying 13 seven-section 45·4 m long light rail vehicles with a capacity of 425 passengers.
The trams will have roof-mounted rechargeable batteries for use on two catenary-free sections of route totalling 4 km between Westmead and Cumberland Hospital and between Prince Alfred Square and Tramway Avenue.
The fully low-floor air-conditioned vehicles will also have bicycle racks and a real-time passenger counting system, as well as a collision warning system developed by Bosch which says it will be the first use of such technology on an Australian light rail network.
The line will connect Westmead and Carlingford via Parramatta CBD. Tracklaying is complete and much of the other main infrastructure works are also ready. Construction of the stops is nearing completion, with local firm Icon Metal manufacturing and installing prefabricated components.
Test running is scheduled to commence in mid-2023, with passenger services expected to start in 2024, a year later than had been expected in July. Services will run every 7½ min between 07.00 and 19.00 on weekdays.
In June the New South Wales government allocated A$602·4m to fund detailed planning and preliminary works for a second phase of the network. This envisages construction of a 10 km branch with 15 stops running from central Parramatta to Carter Street Precinct via Sydney Olympic Park metro station.
