If you’re living in an area of Sydney that is being introduced to light rail, or even if you’re not, it’s hard not to notice the continuous construction that has been taking place for some time now. Given the light rail starts in the city centre it’s hard to miss for most of us! We can’t really see the progress as it’s always behind the appropriate safety barriers and signage, so we thought we’d give you an update on how it’s coming along and if it’s still on track.
Track installed to date: 11,303 metres
Light Rail Progress in the CBD
Track installed to date in CBD: 2,151 metres
Given that all of the light rail starts in the CBD and the aim of it is to help ease the public transportation for people who have a daily commute to and from the city (not to mention the tourists too) we thought this would be a good place to start.
More than 2 km of track is now in place in Sydney’s central business district. Two of the key city centre zones are George Street in-between Park and Market Streets, and between Market and King Streets. In these key areas the bulk of the light rail track and track slab is now in place and there are only small section remaining, which are due to be completed very soon as part of the intersection work.
The ‘third rail’, which is the ground level power supply for light rail vehicles running from Circular Quay to Town Hall, is also nearing completion. Perhaps the biggest milestone for the city’s progress is the paving being laid alongside the light rail track is now in place, all 2,000 square metres of it.
Surry Hills Light Rail Progress
Track installed to date in Surry Hills: 298 metres
Compared to the progress so far in the CBD the amount of track installed in Surry Hills seems very low in comparison! However construction is well underway with foundations now laid at the Surry Hills stop at War Park, and important utility work continuing at key locations along Devonshire Street.
Moore Park Light Rail Progress
Track installed to date around Moore Park: 3,327 metres
With the most progress to date Moore Park work is well underway following the Moore Park tunnel breakthrough under Anzac Parade during August. Track installation is ahead of any other area with 3,327m of track installed already. For those of you that know the area well you will understand the impact that this work can have, and is having, on the traffic movements on the roads. This is why this section is being completed in a number of stages to ensure that the impact on the road traffic is kept to a minimal. The next step is the intersection of Anzac Parade with Alison Road and Dacey Avenue, so watch this space.
Kensington and Kingsford have had the most track laid so far to date with 3,658m, although Randwick is ahead of Surry Hills it’s still less than other areas at 1,874m laid so far.
The light rail will hopefully be a fantastic addition to the city, making commuting to work or getting around easier for Sydney residents and visitors alike. It’s been a fantastic addition to the city construction wise, creating thousands and thousands of jobs around the areas of construction for a variety of occupations. With a long line of new transport infrastructure in the pipeline the number of construction jobs won’t decrease anytime soon either!
