Parramatta Light Rail
The Parramatta Light Rail is a standard gauge light rail line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The first stage of the line runs from Westmead to Carlingford via the Western Sydney centre of Parramatta. Construction commenced in 2019, and the first stage opened on 20 December 2024. Services on the first stage run as the L4 Westmead & Carlingford Line.
A second stage is planned for a branch from Camellia or Rydalmere to Wentworth Point and eventually Sydney Olympic Park. Construction of stage two commenced in late 2024, with major works beginning in 2025.
The Parramatta Light Rail network is physically separate from the rest of Sydney's light rail network and hence does not connect with the L1, L2 and L3 lines.
History
Predecessors
The Main Suburban line, the first railway in Sydney, opened in 1855 between Sydney and Granville and was extended to Parramatta in 1860, making Parramatta railway station one of the oldest in Sydney. In 1883, the Parramatta – Duck River tramway began operation under Sydney Ferries Limited, running between Parramatta Park to the mouth of Duck River, where it connected with the Parramatta River ferry services to Sydney. In 1885, the Carlingford railway line opened between Clyde and Camellia and was extended to Carlingford in 1896, while the Sandown line opened as a branch in 1888. In 1902, the Rogans Hill railway line opened as a steam tramway, was extended to Castle Hill in 1910, and was converted into a railway between 1919 and 1923 with a final extension to Rogans Hill in 1924.The Rogans Hill railway closed in 1932 due to competition from automobiles and motor buses on adjacent roads. The Duck River tramway ceased passenger service following the cancellation of the ferry service in 1928, operating as a freight railway until its closure in 1943. Passenger service ended on the Sandown line in 1991 and the line closed in 2010. By this time, only the Carlingford and Main Suburban lines were still in operation in the Parramatta area.
Route investigation
In 2013, Parramatta City Council published a $1 million feasibility study into a proposed light rail network for Western Sydney. The study proposed light rail lines from Parramatta and Westmead to Macquarie Centre via Eastwood and Dundas, and to Castle Hill along the original Rogans Hill railway route.As part of its 2014–15 budget, the New South Wales Government announced Transport for NSW would investigate ten potential light rail routes in Western Sydney. The government allocated $400 million to ensure funds for detailed planning and construction of an initial project would be 'ready to go', should the investigations prove favourable. Six of the ten routes being investigated were eliminated from contention in October 2014. The routes investigated were:
| Route | Status |
| Parramatta to Bankstown | Not selected |
| Parramatta to Castle Hill via Old Northern Road | Not selected |
| Parramatta to Castle Hill via Windsor Road | Eliminated in October 2014 |
| Parramatta to Liverpool via the T-way | Eliminated in October 2014 |
| Parramatta to Macquarie Park via Carlingford | Parramatta–Carlingford section selected |
| Parramatta to Macquarie Park via Eastwood | Eliminated in October 2014 |
| Parramatta to Strathfield/Burwood via Sydney Olympic Park | Strathfield option selected |
| Parramatta to Sydney CBD via Parramatta Road | Eliminated in October 2014 |
| Parramatta to Rouse Hill | Eliminated in October 2014 |
| Parramatta to Ryde via Victoria Road | Eliminated in October 2014 |
Of the final four routes, the Macquarie Park via Carlingford and the Strathfield via Olympic Park options were perceived as the frontrunners to be selected. The Macquarie Park route was supported by Parramatta, Ryde and The Hills councils. The Strathfield route was supported by The WestLine Partnership, a lobby group consisting of businesses and organisations with a presence in the area. Auburn and Canada Bay councils were later joined by Strathfield Council as members of the group.
The Strathfield route passes through industrial areas of Sydney and the potential for these areas to generate funding and patronage was a key point of contention during the lobbying period. The WestLine Partnership suggested the Strathfield route could be partially financed via value capture. Property developers building urban renewal projects along the line would provide a financial contribution to the government. The group also suggested building a branch from Newington to Rhodes and indicated its funding model could allow a route to Carlingford to be built as well. Supporters of the Macquarie Park route argued the needs of that corridor were more pressing and the Strathfield route would be poorly utilised in its early years.
Official announcement
The Parramatta Light Rail scheme was officially unveiled on 8 December 2015, when the government announced it had selected the Strathfield route plus a truncated version of the Macquarie Park route that ends at Carlingford. The two routes were proposed to converge at Camellia and proceed through Parramatta to Westmead.The government's announcement included a $1 billion contribution towards the project. The government will also adopt the value capture approach advocated by The WestLine Partnership, by instigating an infrastructure contribution on new residential developments along the route. The revenue raised by the levy will be used to help fund the light rail and other infrastructure for the area. The government's investigations into the value capture process held up the announcement of the preferred route but would reportedly have allowed the two lines to be built together. The state government will also explore funding contributions from the federal and local tiers of government. The convenor of the partnership stated that the light rail project's funding model would be used as a test case for funding future infrastructure projects.
Construction of the lines was expected to commence in late 2018 but there was no announcement of an expected completion date or a total budget for the project. An early estimate from January 2016 put the total cost at $3.51 billion.
Deferral and redesign of the eastern branch
In August 2016, Transport for NSW noted the project could be delivered in stages. A new metro line between the Sydney central business district and Parramatta was announced in November 2016. The metro would adopt a similar route to the Strathfield branch of the light rail; media reports indicated the metro project would most likely cause the deferral of construction of this branch. This was confirmed in February 2017, when it was announced that the Westmead–Camellia section and the Carlingford branch would be built as stage 1 of the light rail project.Despite the deferral of construction, planning work for the Strathfield via Sydney Olympic Park branch continued. Media reports from 2017 indicated the route could shift from running to the south of the Parramatta River to the north of the river and that the section from Sydney Olympic Park to Strathfield could be dropped.
The preferred stage 2 route was announced in October 2017. The changes reported on by the media were confirmed. The redesigned route runs from either Rydalmere or Camellia to Sydney Olympic Park via Ermington, Melrose Park and Wentworth Point. No details about the project's cost or construction dates were announced.
In November 2020, it was reported that the block of land at Camellia, bought by the NSW government for $53.5 million for the stabling and maintenance depot, was effectively worthless because of high levels of soil contamination. The purchase was referred to the Independent Commission Against Corruption because an internal investigation by the NSW transport department found the purchase of the land, for three times what the Valuer-General estimated it was worth, broke basic rules, and the land was bought from a developer without a valuation. The developer had bought the six-hectare parcel of land only months before, for $38 million.
In 2022, it was reported that it would take until 2031 to open stage 2 for passenger operations, 5 years longer than originally planned.
In February 2024, stage 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail was approved by the New South Wales Government, with the 2023–24 state budget committing $200 million to the project.
Design
The routes begins at Westmead before proceeding east to Camellia via North Parramatta and the Parramatta CBD. At Rosehill Gardens the two routes split. The Stage 1 route goes north to Carlingford, while the Stage 2 route continues east to Sydney Olympic Park.
Stage 1: Westmead to Carlingford
The stage 1 route was announced on 17 February 2017. The stage 1 route runs between Westmead and Carlingford via North Parramatta, the Parramatta CBD, Camellia, Rydalmere, Dundas and Telopea. It includes sixteen stops along a route. It includes two wire-free sections—one between Westmead and Cumberland Hospital—and another between Prince Alfred Square and Tramway Avenue. The maintenance and stabling facility will be located east of Rosehill Racecourse. Trams will access the facility via a short branch line that uses the alignment of the Sandown railway line. Extension from Carlingford to Epping is under study.The Environmental Impact Statement for stage 1 was released in August 2017. Planning approval was granted in May 2018.
Stage 2a: Rosehill Gardens to Footbridge Boulevard (Wentworth Point)
The second branch of the light rail is planned to continue east to Footbridge Boulevard in Wentworth Point.There are two options being considered for the connection to the stage 1 route. The first option would utilise the Carlingford railway line corridor over the Parramatta River to Rydalmere, where it would then branch. The second option would leave the main stage 1 route at Camellia and utilise the branch line built to provide access to the tram depot. It would continue via the Sandown railway line corridor and Grand Avenue, then cross the Parramatta River just east of Rydalmere ferry wharf. Both versions of the route then continue via Ermington and Melrose Park, cross back to the south of the Parramatta River, pass through Wentworth Point and terminate at Sydney Olympic Park. The stage 2 route is around nine kilometres long and will include ten to twelve stops. The second option is shown as the planned route on the Parramatta Light Rail website.
The original plans for this branch followed a route similar to that taken by Grand Avenue through Camellia before crossing the Duck River, passing through Newington, crossing Haslams Creek, serving Sydney Olympic Park and terminating at the major transport hub of Strathfield.
In April 2024, a NSW Legislative Council inquiry into current and future public transport needs in Western Sydney recommended "that the Government urgently investigate extending Stage 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail project so that the line no longer terminates at the Carter Street precinct but continues from there to terminate at Lidcombe railway station." This recommendation was endorsed by Cumberland Council and public transport advocacy groups such as EcoTransit Sydney.