First daytime light rail test to Circular Quay

Testing of light rail vehicles along George Street is now in full swing, with the first tram travelling the length of the street from Central Station to Circular Quay in daylight hours.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Transport Andrew Constance boarded the first tram to make the journey during the day and travelled from the Martin Place stop to the end of the line at Circular Quay.

“This is an exciting day for Sydney with light rail vehicles making their way down the revitalised George Street,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“This is just the start of daytime testing along the length of the line and we can expect to see a lot more of it ahead of customer services starting before the end of the year."

“The new network will move up to 13,500 commuters an hour during peak time, replacing the conga line of buses which used to sit in traffic on George Street.”

Mr Constance again reminded the community to be aware of the changed environment in the area as tram testing becomes more frequent.

“Now trams are in the busy CBD day and night everyone needs to be aware, remove your headphones, get off your phone and remember to look both ways before crossing the road”, Mr Constance said.

“We’re now on the home stretch of this project and in December, Sydney residents and its visitors will benefit from a better connected city and a transformed boulevard.”

New trams hold up to up to 450 passengers, equivalent of up to nine standard buses. This means the new light rail network will have the initial capacity to move up to 13,500 commuters per hour during peak times (7am – 7pm).

About Sydney Light Rail

The CBD and South East Light Rail is a new light rail network for Sydney, currently under construction. The 12km route will feature 19 stops, extending from Circular Quay along George Street to Central Station, through Surry Hills to Moore Park, then to Kensington and Kingsford via Anzac Parade and Randwick via Alison Road and High Street. Civil construction will be progressively completed across the majority of construction zones, with testing along the Randwick section of the network already underway.