Parramatta tram line opens

20 December sees the start of passenger service on the Parramatta tram line (L4) in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. The 12km standard-gauge line links Westmead to Carlingford via Parramatta centre and has been under construction since 2019, with completion delayed by the need to rectify defects. Key points along the line are Sydney Western University, Westmead Health Precinct and the CommBank stadium. The project was announced in December 2015 with a NSW Government contribution of AUD 1bn promised towards the AUD 2.875bn cost. CBP Contractors/Downer Group won the contract to build the line. The northern section to Carlingford uses the alignment of the railway line closed in January 2020.  

 

5500 new trees have been planted to green the project. Transdev has been appointed to operate the line for eight years (with a possible extension of 10 more years). They will provide a 9-minute peak headway (12-16 minutes off-peak) using 13 CAF Urbos 100 45.5m seven-section double-ended trams. 4km of the line is without overhead, so the trams are equipped with supercapacitors and traction batteries. 55 drivers have been recruited. 22 000 passengers/day are expected within a year. The line is separate from existing Sydney tram lines L1-L3. Trams were last seen in Parramatta 80 years ago. 

 

There will be a phase 2 of the project, a 10km branch to Sydney Olympic Park including a AUD 322M bridge over the Parramatta river, with a NSW Government AUD 2.1bn contribution. Approved in February 2024, it could open in 2028.