Sydney Light rail

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Daily Telegraph --> Teen walks in front of light rail tram in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs


The teen ran in front of the light rail, seemingly unaware it was there.

A camera has captured the moment a teenager was struck by a light rail tram in the Eastern Suburbs, appearing to try to jump in between two trams.

Sickening footage shows the boy wandering across the intersection of Lang road and Anzac Parade in Moore Park, hesitating in the middle of the rail tracks and then attempting to run back to the other side.

In a split second he is struck by the light rail and ricochets off the front of the tram.

The 15-year old boy was taken to hospital in a stable condition after being the first person to be struck by one of Sydney's new trams.

Police and paramedics were called to the scene about 1.40pm and found the boy with minor head injuries, and abrasions to his forearm and legs.

He was treated before being transferred to Sydney Children's Hospital for further treatment.

"Police responded to reports that a person had been struck by a light rail tram," a NSW Police spokesman said.

"A teenager was treated at the scene for minor injuries. The driver underwent mandatory testing and investigations are ongoing."

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Daily Telegraph --> Sydney light rail class actions members swell past 200

A newspaper ad flagging an opportunity for people to opt out of a class action against the State Government has had the reverse effect, with dozens of new members signing on.

About 40 residents living along the line of Sydney's new 12.7km light rail project have in the last two weeks joined a nuisance lawsuit lodged against Transport for NSW for the "widespread and devastating" impact of the project's delayed construction.

That swells the number of members to more than 200, who are together seeking $400 million in compensation.

City of Sydney councillor Angela Vithoulkas, who blames the project for the loss of her George St business Vivo Cafe in August 2018, said the ad had "triggered" a new wave of complainants.

Cr Vithoulkas said many people thought they had to have endured financial losses in order to join the lawsuit.

"People rang me immediately after seeing it in the newspapers," she said.

"We've already had four meetings. Some we do in people's loungerooms and they invite the neighbours over.

"(Construction) has been a form of torture ... and they've been suffering in silence."

Works began on the $2.7 billion project in 2015 and were scheduled to be end in March 2019 — that has since blown out to March 2020, as had its original cost of $1.6 billion.

Cr Vithoulkas was instrumental in establishing the class action, which is being led by lawyer Rick Mitry.

As of the start of September 180 complainants had come forward to be part of the lawsuit lodged in December, the majority of which were business owners.

As trams rattled past just metres from a packed Devonshire St cafe on Thursday night, Mr Mitry told the crowd anyone who had suffered "personal anguish" from noise, dust, vibrations or financial impacts caused by the project were eligible to join.

"We do have a lot of members of the class who have committed themselves to (mental health) institutions as a result of this," he said.

"They lost their money, lost their health, they couldn't take it anymore."

At the meeting Devonshire St resident David Siebert said he was "losing sleep" over tram testing and a "lack of answers" coming from operators ACCIONA.

"It's driving me mad," he said.

It comes as the government's Business Assistance Program is set to end on October 1, despite ongoing construction along the Kingsford leg of the project.

A Transport for NSW spokesman said to date 179 business had been provided with more than $39.8 million in assistance - an average of $222,346 per business.

"Businesses that are already part of the program and wish to apply for further financial support will have some additional time beyond 1 October to lodge their applications," he said.

"Businesses are being kept informed of the arrangements that apply to them."

Geoff Brackan, who lives above his Devonshire St store Acme Framing, was forced to take out a second lease for a shopfront on Crown St in order to keep his business alive.

"I'm in a situation now where we cannot sleep," he said. "I'm $300,000 out of pocket. I'll never recoup that, I need some help."

Mr Brackan and others at the meeting also raised concerns about the ongoing impact of trams running past their homes.

The transport spokesman said complaints received from residents around Randwick's stabling yard had sparked a review of lighting on Doncaster Ave.

Many properties had been treated for noise and vibrations, including replacing or sealing doors and windows, the spokesman said.

"Further noise and vibration monitoring will be undertaken within the first three months of the project being fully operational," he said.

Court dates have been set for June and July, 2020.

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Daily Telegraph --> Tram testing to start in Kingsford ahead of December opening

Testing on Sydney's new light rail network will soon begin in Kensington and Kingsford with first passenger services now just two months away.

As preparations ramp up for the December deadline, driver training will move to Sydney CBD this week where up to 12 trams will be running day and night.

The first services on the $2.7 billion project will run from Circular Quay to Randwick, with the Kingsford leg set to come online in March 2020.

The announcement came as Premier Gladys Berejiklian reminded pedestrians and commuters to keep their wits about them around the tram network, following a string of recent near misses.

It also followed a horrifying incident last month where a teenage boy was hit after running out in front a tram at Moore Park, leaving him with minor head and arm injuries.

"It's an exciting time for Sydney as the countdown begins to the first passenger services ... but it's also a timely reminder for pedestrians and drivers to be vigilant," Ms Berejiklian said.

Transport and Roads Minister Andrew Constance said a new tram safety campaign would target pedestrians, motorists and cyclists coming into grief by queuing across CBD intersections and entering tram corridors around Surry Hills.

"We know people are getting used to having trams around, but we really need everyone to be mindful of the tram corridor when turning at intersections, and if you end up on the tracks, drive or ride carefully to the next cross street and exit safety," he said.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy and NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said people needed to readjust to new conditions on Sydney roads.

"The NRMA report released in July, Look Up, found over one third of pedestrians crossed busy intersections while distracted by their smartphones or wearing earphones," Mr Khoury said.

"Taking this sort of risk around the new Light Rail can have devastating consequences."

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Daily Telegraph --> Sydney light rail opening set to revive big and small businesses

It is a year overdue and $1.4b over budget but the CBD light rail is less than 80 days away from completion. Now top companies are moving to a reborn George St on the promise the new transport system will create a stylish shopping boulevard to bring in even more customers.

Sydney's spine has undergone the longest and most painful surgery in its history but George St's transformation is almost complete.

In less than 80 days the CBD light rail — a year overdue and $1.4 billion over budget — will finally begin operating.

Each 67m-long tram will transport as many as 450 passengers (the equivalent of nine buses) into the CBD every four minutes during peak periods.

Small businesses that somehow survived the process are freshening up menus, investing in new signage, applying for more outdoor dining space and doing all they can to stay on the strip.

Others are praying the lockout laws end.

Big retailers, meanwhile, have deserted Pitt St for George St and are banking on the light rail project making the street itself a destination.

"While construction hasn't always been a smooth ride, the light rail will soon transform the way we get around and experience our city," Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

"You can already see people taking back and enjoying the streetscape, which will be great for shops, cafes, bars and restaurants along the route.

"Thank for your patience Sydney, we're almost there."

The City of Sydney has received more than 58 development applications along the CBD light rail corridor over the past 24 months.

There has been $23.1b in development since the Sydney Light Rail project started in 2015.

The 605sq m Louis Vuitton store on the corner with King St, for example, is about to undergo an $11 million renovation.

Desperate to capitalise on their prime retail space in time for the December opening, the fashion retailer has applied to conduct building works around the clock, seven days a week.

One block south at Myer, the city store's general manager Alison Muir said the light rail "will bring even more shoppers into the centre of the city, and will provide greater convenience for customers with a tram stop near one of the entrances to our Myer Sydney City store".

"We are continuing to make customer-focused improvements to our store including our new Beauty Emporium and our soon to be opened refurbished homewares floor," she said.

Nespresso and General Pants have left Pitt St for George St, where they enjoy cheaper rent and what analysts claim is better brand exposure.

Georg Jensen, Optus, Vodafone and Michael Hill are among 14 new businesses on George St in the past year.

"Brands are moving off Pitt Street Mall to George St as it will be a 1km pedestrian boulevard rather than Pitt St being one block," CBRE head of retail leasing Leif Olson said.

Large scale developments along the route include the proposed $225m redevelopment of the Event Cinemas site and Lendlease's $1.9b project at Circular Quay.

The Salesforce Tower, located at 180 George St where the old Jacksons on George nightclub was, sees Lendlease investing in a public plaza, retail laneways, "wellness facilities", bicycle hub and a new hospitality venue.

Fifty metres down the road cafe Quay & Co is directly outside the last light rail line stop in Circular Quay.

The venue has 32 outside seats but head chef Phillip Tsompanis is waiting on approval for 80 — the same amount it had before construction started.

"Before the light rail opening we will be freshening up the menu and offering quicker meals," Mr Tsompanis said.

"We are expecting an increase in foot traffic and that we will be able to turn over more tables.

"The business will be much better off once works are completed."

What has been a win for large retailers moving in has been a disaster for small businesses, especially in Haymarket and the southern CBD.

Almost all food small retailers south of Liverpool St have shut down, while those that have survived suffered as much as 50 per cent drops in profit.

Transport for NSW said it has offered 180 businesses more than $40.7m in financial assistance.

Many businesses in between the five light rail stops on George St are unsure whether the project will actually rob them of foot traffic because potential customers will be on a tram rather than walking past their store.

Almost none believe they will see changes overnight, saying they expect the street will take a year or more to really come into its own.

They also say small businesses may be forced off George St if rents shoot up.

Combined Loan Office co-owner Daniel Ayoub said his business will survive.

"We've dropped our interest rate, invested in some new signage and are hoping the end of construction brings people back to the area," he said.

Mr Ayoub is one of than 200 businesses, residents and landlords are running a class action against Transport for NSW for damages for economic loss and psychiatric suffering.

The trial is set down for July next year with lawyers aiming to squeeze $400 million out of the state government.

Mitry Lawyers partner Rick Mitry said the opening of the light rail will not have a bearing on the case.

"Some business owners have said that they have admitted themselves to psychiatric institutions because of the stress and anguish," he said.

"I hope this litigation gives people some relief."

But many retailers said that nothing is guaranteed — especially when it comes to this bungle-plagued project.

Before light rail construction started Mario Mourtada's three Style Plus barber stores were making $500,000 annual profit.

Last year the stores made $29,000.

"At the moment we can't do the $150,000 renovation we want to just based on the hype of the light rail opening," he said of his Haymarket store on 649 George St.

"We will wait and see before making a decision."

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^ well done!  DING DING !!

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Sydney Morning Herald --> Sydney's light rail line to open to passengers as early as December 7

Sydneysiders are set to get a chance to ride on the city's new $2.7 billion-plus light rail line as early as December 7, which is the target date for trams to start carrying passengers.

And like with the opening of a $7.3 billion metro rail line in Sydney's north west in May, the state government is expected to make the first day of services along the light rail line between Circular Quay and Randwick free.

The government has been reluctant to put a definitive date on the opening of the line through the heart of Sydney because final testing of the 67-metre long tram sets along it is still under way.

If authorities decide more testing is required, the start of services will be shifted to the following weekend of December 14-15.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the government would confirm the date once it was satisfied the final stages of testing were complete.

"The main priority at this stage is to make sure we've crossed everything off the checklist first," he said on Tuesday. "We're still on track to have it open by Christmas, but the main focus ... is ensuring everything is operating as it should be before we get customers on board."

Trams began simulating the timetable for services last weekend, a process that will continue until they start carrying passengers.

While the trams will run until 1am when fully operational, the government is prepared to operate them later on weekends if there is demand, as part of efforts to revive the night life once lockout laws are relaxed.

It has indicated it wants the 1.30am lockout laws in the CBD scrapped before the end of December.

The Committee for Sydney, Sydney Business Chamber and other business groups had been urging the government to operate trams beyond 1am on weekends to support the night-time economy.

Complicating the start of services, tram drivers and other staff working on the light rail line will vote on Thursday on whether to accept a new collective pay agreement.

While the line from Circular Quay to Randwick will open next month, trams are not due to begin carrying passengers on a branch line to Kingsford until March.

The start of light rail services through the centre of Sydney has been described by those overseeing them as a bigger challenge than the opening of the Metro Northwest rail line, partly because crowd management plans have had to be developed for every stop.

Authorities have been repeatedly warning pedestrians, cyclists and motorists to be extra vigilant around trams, following near misses in recent months.

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Daily Telegraph --> Sydney's long-awaited new light rail service finally has a start date

Sydney's $2.9 billion light rail project will be open to the public in time for Christmas, with trams through the city's CBD and southeast to open by mid-December.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian today announced the long-awaited service will carry passengers for the first time on Saturday, December 14 and will be free to use for the opening weekend.

"The CBD and South East Light Rail is a big step towards revitalising our city and will transform the way we live, work and go out," the premier said.

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

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Sydney Morning Herald --> Sydney's light rail finally opens: what you need to know about trams

It has been one of Sydney's most troubled public transport projects.

From Saturday, Sydneysiders get a chance to decide for themselves whether construction of the light rail along one of Australia's oldest streets to the eastern suburbs has been worth the cost blowouts, repeated delays, legal battles and disruption to businesses and residents.

Almost six decades after the last of Sydney's extensive tramway system was ripped up, the opening to passengers at 11am of the new light rail line from Circular Quay to Randwick – dubbed L2 – marks a shift towards greater use of public transport in the city.

It has allowed a large part of George Street to be turned into a "pedestrian boulevard" as trams replace buses that once formed conga lines along one of the CBD's best-known strips.

Yet amid the celebration of trams carrying passengers will come the next big test of a promise born out of the NSW Coalition's return to government in 2011.

What will trips cost?

While the trams will be free for the opening weekend, standard distance-based light rail Opal fares will start from Monday.

A holder of an adult Opal card will pay $3.73 for a one-way journey from Circular Quay to Randwick. (A one-way journey from the CBD to Kingsford will be the same once a branch of the line known as L3 opens in March.)

A shorter trip from Circular Quay to stops along George Street such as Town Hall will cost $2.24.

Adult Opal card holders and users of contactless cards will get a $2 transfer discount when they switch from trains, buses or ferries to the light rail within 60 minutes of their last tap off.

Transport for NSW said fares were calculated by "straight line distance between tap on and off locations". The fares for the CBD and South East Light Rail are the same as the Inner West Light Rail from Central Station to Dulwich Hill, known as L1.

How long will the trip take?

Several months ago, traffic modelling by the state's transport agency was estimating a journey along the full length of the line between Circular Quay and Randwick would take 38 to 40 minutes.

But the consortium responsible for delivering the project has since advised that the "initial" trips from one end to the other will take about 50 minutes. The longer trip times have been partly blamed on tram drivers having to reduce speeds on George Street because "some pedestrians are still not behaving safely near light rail".

It means the trams will be about 20 minutes slower than catching a bus between Circular Quay and the centre of Randwick during the early months of operation.

The transport agency has vowed to work to "improve the journey time as we fine tune light rail's integration" into Sydney's traffic and transport network.

The speed limit for trams in pedestrians zones such as the one in George Street is 20 kilometres an hour, and 40km/h for the rest of the line from Circular Quay to Moore Park.

How often and when will they run?

Once the branch line to Kingsford opens, trams will run as frequently as every four minutes in either direction, and every eight minutes along the rest of the line from 7am to 7pm.

Before then, trams will run every four to eight minutes between Circular Quay and Central, and every eight to 12 minutes between Central and Randwick from 7am to 7pm.

All up, the line will operate from 5am to 1am on both the L2 Randwick Line and, when it opens, the L3 Kingsford Line.

However, the government has said it is open to considering running services later at night on weekends to "meet the needs of the night-time economy" following a relaxation of lockout laws.

Extra tram services will be put on during special events such as cricket Tests at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

How many seats will there be?

Every 67-metre tram is able to carry up to 450 passengers, which includes 96 seated.

But the number of seats can be increased to 120 when passengers sit on flip seats. That reduces slightly the standard carrying capacity of the trams – among the longest in the world and almost four times as long as a bendy bus – because it means fewer people can stand.

Once the line is fully operational, the government forecasts the trams will have capacity to carry 13,500 passengers an hour – 6750 in either direction – during peak periods of the day.

What will happen to bus services?

The government has decided to delay major changes to bus services in the south-east until April.

One of the main reasons for the delay is that trams will not start running along the branch line to Kingsford, and past the University of NSW campus on Anzac Parade, until March.

While express buses during peak periods will be maintained after April, others are set for a shake-up due to the increase in public transport capacity from the trams.

Why do they call them light rail vehicles and not trams?

While they are "trams" to most people, the 67-metre double-sets are "light rail vehicles" to those in the transport industry.

Sydney Tram Museum director Greg Sutherland said the term "light rail" began to be used in the US decades ago as a marketing tool by those pushing for tramways to be built.

"Over time as tramway systems closed down, the word 'tram' started to be used pejoratively, particularly by those pushing for more roads," he said.

That led to the industry seeking to put a more favourable spin on trams.

"Light rail is a marketing term rather than a reality. The current vehicles have actually evolved from what were originally known as trams," he said.

He favours calling them "trams". After all, a short term will often suffice.

What will the final cost of the project be?

The project has been a political and financial headache for the Berejiklian government.

Budgeted to cost $1.6 billion in 2014, the bill for taxpayers has since ballooned to at least $2.9 billion after a third cost blowout last month.

In 2014, the cost surged to $2.1 billion due to mis-pricings and omissions in the business case and, in June this year, it blew out to $2.7 billion after the government settled claims with the consortium delivering the project and its Spanish construction contractor.

As part of the settlement in June, the ALTRAC consortium's 15-year contract to operate and maintain light rail services was extended by two years to 2036, which means it will collect revenue from the government for longer than planned.

The additional cost to the government of paying the private consortium to operate the line for 15 years had previously been put at almost $938 million. It is separate to the capital cost of building the line and buying the trams that will run on it.

The final cost of building the line could increase further if retailers disrupted by construction are successful in their $400 million class action in the NSW Supreme Court.

Is it all going to work?

The complexity of running trams through the heart of Sydney cannot be overstated.

In fact, Transport for NSW coordinator general Marg Prendergast said the start of passengers services was a bigger challenge than the opening of Sydney's $7.3 billion Metro Northwest line in May, and even harder than managing transport during the Sydney Olympics.

Thousands of pedestrians crossing the light rail line in George Street every hour, in addition to motorists and cyclists, underscores the challenge in ensuring trams operate on time.

And while tram testing over the past six months has helped to iron out kinks, human nature is difficult to predict and a new set of hurdles will emerge once people hop on board.

"The key element will be ultimately how the city gets used to the rhythm of it," Transport Minister Andrew Constance said.

So it is not surprising that the government has sought to manage expectations by warning it will take up to six months to "bed down" services.

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^^Plus amazing urban renewal, traffic calming and streetscaping as a result.

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ABC News --> Sydney Light Rail 'fail' as trams come to a halt just hours after official opening

Hours into its much-heralded and delayed launch, the $2.96-billion Sydney Light Rail network has come to a halt at Circular Quay by mechanical issues.

The service officially opened between the CBD and Randwick at 11:00am on Saturday, but by 2:30pm trams at Circular Quay had frozen due to technical faults.

Despite months of testing across the network, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned at the launch there was the expectation of "teething problems".

Transport for NSW said services had been suspended between Central and Circular Quay due to a tram with a "mechanical issue" at Circular Quay.

Passengers had been forced off the trams and George Street remained blocked, according to social media posts.

Multiple passengers reported the issue on Twitter, calling it a "light rail fail" and a "joke".

One Twitter user said a truck had been brought in to shunt the broken-down tram.

There were also complaints of lengthy journeys and poor air-conditioning.

One person on Twitter said it had taken 90 minutes from Randwick to Circular Quay, even before the breakdown.

"PR nightmare," they posted. "Could drive to Canberra faster!"

Services continue between Central and Randwick but passengers are being advised to allow extra time for travel.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance's office said at 3:00pm that full services were expected to resume within 15 minutes.

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https://twitter.com/AndrewConstance/status/1205743520171978752

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So I heard on FB today that apparently the trams don't have priority signalling at intersections! I haven't confirmed this myself but if true, what a colossal oversight. Barely classifies as a Class B ROW without it.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

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So I heard on FB today that apparently the trams don't have priority signalling at intersections! I haven't confirmed this myself but if true, what a colossal oversight. Barely classifies as a Class B ROW without it.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

It's probably true as the Newcastle one doesn't have priority at the intersection in and out of Newcastle interchange, as I noticed when I was there. I did hear something in the past about priority approach for LRT in Sydney wasn't going to happen. I guess the  Gold Coast is lucky in that respect. Priority approach should be standard for buses and trams where possible, as well as for cyclists.

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Daily Telegraph --> Light rail debut: trapped on board, mystery breakdown, emergency stops and medical incidents

Premier Gladys Berejiklian had warned that Sydney's CBD light rail would have months of "teething problems" — and yesterday it ­delivered on her promise.

The first public run of the $2.9 billion light rail, the building of which has disrupted the city for the past four years, had more teething problems than an angry toddler and left plenty of Sydneysiders spitting the dummy.

The ribbon was officially cut at 8.51am yesterday in a flurry of smiles and upbeat publicity pictures.

But then people actually began using it and the wheels swiftly fell off.

An elderly woman riding on the first tram was the first incident after the driver ran a red light at Randwick before hitting the emergency brakes.

The dignitaries, special guests and transport chiefs had to grab on to anything handy, but the elderly lady fell forward on to the floor. Luckily she escaped injury. That was at 10.20am.

Already there are suggestions the trams need to be ­retrofitted with more handrails to stop similar events.

By 12.40pm trams had stopped in Haymarket, with announcements blaming "technical issues" and then "a medical emergency" elsewhere on the line.

Services resumed 20 minutes later, after police and emergency services boarded the tram.

But worse was to come at 2pm when a vomiting passenger forced the evacuation of a tram near Central.

Wayne Colman of Dee Why took his son Billy, 3, on the light rail to celebrate its first day but their tram was stuck near Circular Quay for half an hour before it was evacuated.

The tram stopped working at 2.45pm and halted services between Central and Circular Quay for more than 40 ­minutes.

"Luckily Billy is only three so he won't remember," Mr Colman said. "It was pretty terrible. They kept saying 'the safest place for you is on the tram' but people were starting to get a bit panicky. "It was very hot."
Mr Colman said he had hoped Saturday would be a historic Sydney event, like the opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge, but was deeply disappointed.

"Andrew Constance is the Transport Minister and they offshored this whole project to a Spanish company and they still can't get it working. It's just unbelievable," Mr Colman said.

Tourists Anthony and Phillipa Perugini, 42 and 39, tried and failed to catch a light rail three times between 12.30pm and 3.30pm.

"The delays were hard, especially with young kids," Mrs Perugini said.

"No staff that we asked seemed to know a lot about what was happening. Our trams in Adelaide never have these kind of issues."

Contractor ALTRAC held a press conference at 4pm — without Mr Constance — and said "it's been a bumpy day" but "the mood has been good" despite the technical hiccups ­and delays.

"Tram failures do occur — it's a reality — but it has been an outstanding success today," Brian Brennan, chief officer light rail operations Transdev Australiasia, said.

"The atmosphere on the trams, the atmosphere with the people, has been excellent."

Transport chiefs are also working through an audio issue because people complained that they couldn't hear the announcements.

Services ran smoother later in the day, but the Monday morning ­commute could be a challenge.

Andrew Collet, 30, got on at Randwick and didn't move for another 40 minutes.

"I'm not a fan of public transport anyway but I will never travel on the light rail again," he said.

TRANSPORT MINISTER: I'D RATE IT 8 OUT OF 10'
Transport Minister Andrew Constance said he had "been blown away" by 53,000 people using the light rail between 10am and 3pm.

Mr Constance, who claims he was unable to make a 4pm press conference where the ­operators of the light rail outlined the problems, said the issues were to be expected.

"There are always going to be things that pop up when you bed down a new service; we have seen it with Metro and we will see it with this," he said.

"It has been a bit like Metro, the demand has been incredibly high.

"It will get into a better rhythm once we get to commuter services Monday."

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Sydney Morning Herald --> 'These projects are like childbirth': Delays, technical difficulties mar light rail's first day

Sydney's light rail service between Circular Quay and Randwick carried its first passengers on Saturday, as protesters demanded answers on the future of bus services in eastern suburbs.

Concerns have also been raised about the journey on trams taking up to 50 minutes - compared to 35 minutes on buses - as delays and technical difficulties marred the first day of service. A tram broke down and services were halted between Town Hall and Circular Quay.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the transformation of parts of George Street into a tree-lined, pedestrian boulevard would elevate the city.

"We used to have 40 buses lined up on this street, noisy, belching fumes," she said. "It was really unpleasant."

Cr Moore said memories of the light rail's troubled construction would fade once services commenced.

"I always say these projects are like childbirth," she said. "They're terrible when you're going through it but no one ever remembers any of that. They just remember the wonderful outcome."

Earlier in the day, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the light rail journey was "better than expected", while Transport Minister Andrew Constance said he was "ecstatic" after alighting from the tram at Randwick 35 minutes after it left Circular Quay, but without stopping for passengers.

"The trams should never have been taken out," Mr Constance said.

Less enthused were more than 100 people who gathered at a nearby park to protest against the privatisation of buses. Many people also expressed concern about the impact of the light rail on existing bus services and whether travel times for the light rail would be slower than buses.

Marjorie O'Neill, the Labor member for Coogee, said residents were concerned about the potential loss of bus services.

"The current estimated travel time at the moment is now over 50 minutes," she said. "That is significantly slower than our current bus services."

Queues of passengers including Paula Moylan and her children Audrey, 2, and Hugh, 5, lined up at Randwick to decide whether the construction of the light rail was worth the budget blowouts and years of delays and disruption to businesses and residents.

"It is exciting, isn't Hughie?" Ms Moylan said. "We've been watching it for a while and the kids have been excited to see all the trams."

However, Ms Moylan said she was unsure if the light rail would provide an easier commute to the city than buses.

Murray Goldschmidt said he usually drove into the city, but would consider a tram if it meant a quicker journey.

However, he said the light rail route should have been extended to Maroubra Junction or Eastgardens rather than terminating at Kingsford.

Also onboard was Frank Ayrton, who worked as a conductor on Sydney trams in the 1950s.

Mr Ayrton said the trams that would travel between Circular Quay and Bondi via the "goat track" through Paddington, were a far cry from the sleek carriages gliding silently along Anzac Parade.

"It was my job to go along the footboard - one hand for the money, one hand for your tickets - and you balanced with your elbow," he said.

"It was air-conditioned by heat and by cold and by wind and by rain."

A coupled tram holds up to 450 passengers, the equivalent of nine buses, and the state government said the new network will move up to 13,500 commuters an hour during peak time in both directions.

Some 200,000 kilometres of tram testing has already taken place while the 100 drivers have each undertaken 190 hours of training.

Passengers can travel fare-free on the new trams this weekend, but Ms Berejiklian said there was "no way" the light rail service would be free like Melbourne's CBD trams: "I think people value a service more when you have to pay for it."

Ms Berejiklian said issues would arise during the tram's first months of operations, urging pedestrians to be alert and avoid injury.

"Of course, a new system always has challenges," she said. "I expect there to be teething challenges."

Ms Berejiklian said the light rail project, which eventually cost $2.9 billion, had experienced cost over-runs, but "nothing that's worth it is easy".

She said similar complaints had been made about the cost of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge "and look at those things now. They're icons."

"And I think the light rail in our CBD will be iconic moving forward."

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/9NewsSyd/status/1206392247811497984

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> OPINION Why Sydney's south east light rail is so slow and how to fix it

On Saturday, Sydney's new light rail system began carrying passengers between Circular Quay and Randwick. Widespread media coverage and social media since has consistently highlighted a major concern with the new system: the inordinate slowness of travel along the tram tracks and excessive end-to-end travel times.

It is salutary to compare the new transport system's performance with that of the original Sydney trams between Circular Quay and Randwick. The CBD and South East Light Rail, or CSELR, is taking on average 50 minutes to cover the distance compared with 26 minutes for the Sydney trams in the 1950s.

This comparison is even more jarring when we consider the light rail has 14 stops and the trams had at least 18 stops between Circular Quay and Randwick. It should also be born in mind that the CSELR has modern, more powerful trams and a greater proportion of exclusive rights of ways to avoid traffic congestion.

So what has gone wrong? Basically the state government has been badly let down by Transport for NSW. In the early days of the project Transport for NSW engaged a consultant "shadow operator" to set the parameters for the new operation. This British-based consultancy's expertise was basically the provision of heavy rail intercity services (equivalent to services between Sydney-Canberra or Sydney-Goulburn). In addition Transport for NSW turned to heavy rail and/or road traffic consultants for engineering "expertise".

The result is the acceptance and development of operating procedures which do not make appropriate use of the modern tram and light rail infrastructure now available in Sydney.

Consider dwell times for trams at stops. Based on overseas experience these should be approximately 20 seconds, a figure that is part of the normal tramway operations in Canberra and the Gold Coast. Obviously there is considerable room for improvement here.

Priority for trams at signalled intersections is at best rudimentary. Fifteen years ago I was given a tour of the Gothenburg Tramways by senior management. They had tram priority and they demonstrated this by bringing out a vintage four-wheel tram fitted with a transponder ie the black box which signals the approaching tram to the signal control circuitry. As the tram approached the intersection, a special light signal authorised the driver to proceed at full speed up to the red traffic light, which would operate in his favour as the tram approached the intersection. In contrast, many of the CSELR procedures require the driver to slow to a walking pace or even stop before the priority light operates. Time lost, $6 million dollars of tram and 415 passengers have less priority than a handful of cars, each with an average of 1.1 occupants.

Transport for NSW senior management tells us that light rail vehicles cannot stop quickly. This is nonsense and reflects an ingrained heavy rail mentality. Anyone who has experience of an emergency-stop situation in cities such as Zurich, Brussels and even Melbourne is well aware that a tram, with three braking systems, will pull up much faster than any bus.

Operational speed limits are also a major fail. Restrictions on speed pulling into a stop and mandated slowing well before the stop are fine for heavy rail but not necessary for trams. They are not applied to buses in Sydney and are contrary to well established and regular operations across Europe where they operate professional and well-run tram systems as a matter of routine.

Any concerns the government may have about the safety of pedestrians and passengers if these procedures and restrictions are changed could be allayed by getting in experts from Europe to advise on running a system that is both safe and efficient.

It's time we cut the PR spin and got down to doing some real system tweaking to deliver what should be a first class, modern tram system.

Greg Sutherland is an engineer with extensive experience in transport and logistics.
He was the senior transport adviser to the NSW minister when the Inner West Light Rail was inaugurated in Sydney.

[achiruel]

L2 will be closed between Circular Quay and Town Hall on Boxing Day. Operating between Town Hall and Randwick only.

https://transportnsw.info/alerts/details#/6044126

[verbatim9]

L2 will be closed between Circular Quay and Town Hall on Boxing Day. Operating between Town Hall and Randwick only.

https://transportnsw.info/alerts/details#/6044126

Oh!

[red dragin]

Also closed New Years Eve from 2pm in a similar manner, with L1 running short from 10pm too.

Anyone understand why?

[achiruel]

From what I saw on the screens at the light rail stations in Sydney, it's basically because of expected increased pedestrian activity.

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> 'More work to be done': the lessons from the CBD light rail

The Berejiklian government has conceded it needs to better communicate with small businesses when it embarks on major infrastructure projects, after a review found there were "deep concerns" with access to support services during the building of the CBD light rail.

In a report delivered to the government in February, but released publicly only this month, NSW Customer Service Commissioner Glenn King urged the government to establish a $5-$10 million fund to help businesses continue trading through periods of disruption.

"A key finding from the review is some small businesses struggle to tolerate the prolonged disruptions of infrastructure projects," the report found.

It said the grants should be made available "in addition to any direct financial relief, such as through ex gratia payments" and recommended the fund be established as part of the 2019-20 budget – a deadline the government has missed.

In assessing the impacts of the multibillion-dollar CBD light rail, which opened in December after months of delays, the report found that while there had been a "significant focus" on engaging with small businesses "well before the projected began", concerns emerged after it started.

"The review found there were deep concerns regarding access to support services, the timeliness of the introduction of direct financial assistance, the nature of the assistance and the general impacts on small business owners including on their mental wellbeing," the report said.

The report follows a 2018 parliamentary inquiry into the project, which heard evidence from business owners that the disruption caused by the construction of the line had forced them to close, left them close to financial ruin, split their families or caused them to seek medication for depression.

Small Business Minister Damien Tudehope said the government "welcomed" the Commissioner's report, which made 10 recommendations, but he stopped short of confirming the recommendations would be adopted in full.

Instead, the government will set up a committee comprising senior bureaucrats which will consider how to implement the recommendations.

The committee will consist of representatives from NSW Treasury, NSW Small Business Commission, NSW Customer Service, Transport for NSW and the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Mr Tudehope acknowledged the government could improve its communication with small businesses as it proceeds with its $90 billion-plus infrastructure agenda.

"There is more work to be done to ensure we get the balance right, and that we take what we have learnt into other infrastructure projects," Mr Tudehope said.

"This means looking at anticipated disruption costs to businesses during the planning stages of major projects and doing more to minimise this disruption.

"When it comes to the CBD light rail, we have provided more than $45m in financial assistance to 199 small businesses."

The report also recommended the government conduct "small business support analysis as early as possible and certainly prior to construction" so as to allow "any financial assistance to be delivered quickly and transparently".

In a separate recommendation, it said government agency Service NSW should become the single access point for small business owners seeking access to information and support services.

[verbatim9]

Good aerial video of the Light rail around Moore Park. (Moore Park Tunnel, Busway and Tramway)

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> 'Vague and half-baked': Lagging CBD light rail set to speed up

Commuters have been promised faster journeys on Sydney's new CBD light rail from this week amid criticism over the operating speed of the $2.9 billion service.

Travel time on the light rail, which runs from Circular Quay to Randwick, blew out to more than 50 minutes in December, prompting questions over the effectiveness of the 12 kilometre service.

Journey times have recently sat somewhere between 45 and 50 minutes, but that's expected to be reduced to 40-45 minutes from Monday.

While the speed limit on the light rail won't change, a Transport for NSW spokeswoman said journey times would improve after more services are added to the network, dwell times are reduced and "teething issues" are resolved.

The dwell time is the amount of time a vehicle is stationary at a scheduled stop.

The spokeswoman added that improvements to the behaviour of both road users and tram drivers were expected to help increase the network speed.

Service operator Transdev told Parliament last year that projected travel times were 38-40 minutes.

The new line operates until 1am but the government is considering "enhancing" night services following the scrapping of Sydney's controversial lockout laws.

Opposition transport spokesman Chris Minns said recent promises to improve the network were "vague and half baked".

"At this point it's more likely that this project has fundamental design flaws," he said.

The light rail, which opened in mid-December, has an average patronage of 43,000 per day, with a southern extension to Kingsford still to open in March. It has completed more than 1.2 million trips since December 14.

Heavy rain last week resulted in light rail services running at a reduced frequency after problems in Chinatown, while the old light rail from Dulwich Hill also experienced delays due to flooding.

While Transport for NSW is investigating Friday's problems on the L2 Randwick line, it is understood a fault with the mechanism that controls track changes at Chinatown caused the delays.

The problem occurred just after 9am and was resolved by 9.30am.

"The heavy rain across Sydney today has caused a range of impacts to transport services across the city," a Transport for NSW spokeswoman said in a statement.

"Transport for NSW is continuing to work with ALTRAC to improve service reliability on the new light rail."

Delivery of the multi-billion dollar project was delayed by almost a year, with its budget almost doubling during a dispute with Spanish contractor Acciona, which landed the NSW government in court.

It eventually paid a $570 million settlement to the company, which originally filed a $1.1 billion claim against the government.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1219283374847561728

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Light rail breaks down in CBD

Travellers onboard nine trams across the CBD on Tuesday afternoon were asked to get off and use the train instead after a mechanical failure led to urgent repairs to a tram at Town Hall.

Services were stopped between Town Hall and Circular Quay about 4pm, and were down for roughly 90 minutes before the tram was repaired and taken out of use.

"A maintenance crew has now rectified the fault so the tram can be moved back to the depot. Services have now resumed," said a spokesperson for ALTRAC, the company that operates the line.

"Affected passengers were disembarked from nine trams halted in the city and advised to use Sydney Trains services to travel between Town Hall and Circular Quay."

Labor transport spokesman Chris Minns said it was "a major embarrassment".

"On the very day they pledged to speed up the service it has run slow in the morning and broken down in the afternoon," Mr Minns said.

"Another light rail fail for Sydney and at nearly $3 billion we deserved better."

The new light rail line between Randwick and Sydney Harbour has been plagued with teething problems since it opened in late 2019, costing nearly $3 billion, which was almost double the original price tag.

There have been multiple delays and disruptions, including on its December 14 launch day.

On Monday, the transport union said that drivers were struggling under pressure to meet "wildly optimistic" running targets, with the journey from one end of the line to the other taking several minutes longer than originally forecast.

The second stage of the line, an offshoot to Kingsford, is scheduled to open in March.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1221447240016744454

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/7NewsSydney/status/1227139111510634496

[ozbob]

Rail Express --> New milestones for Sydney Light Rail

The L2 Randwick Line, the newest tram route for Sydney Light Rail, has achieved more than two million trips.

The line opened on 14 December 2019 from Circular Quay, down George Street, and onwards to Randwick.

A new timetable was introduced in late January to make L2 Randwick Line weekday services more regular and improve journey time between Randwick and Circular Quay.

The next line from Kingsford via Kensington is expected to open next month.

Sydney Light Rail stated that the construction team is busy finishing works for the L3 Kingsford Line.

Pram ramp finishing works, sealing pavements, final landscaping, installing remaining tactile pavers in Kingsford, and cleaning footpaths and stops are being concluded in Kingsford and Kensington.

Tram testing and commissioning, and driver familiarisation of the route is progressing so more trams will be travelling along Anzac Parade to the Juniors Kingsford terminus in the coming weeks

On average, around 40,000 passenger trips are taken each day, the most popular trip being between Circular Quay and QVB.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/7NewsSydney/status/1245617111893827593

[ozbob]

SMH --> Final stage of Sydney's CBD light rail opens

The final stage of Sydney's controversial CBD light rail has quietly opened without the usual pageantry a multi-billion dollar project completion would attract.

The second segment of the $2.9 billion light rail, branching off from Anzac Parade to Kingsford, began operating at 5am on Friday morning, four months after trams started running between Circular Quay and Randwick.

Due to open before the 2019 state election, the completion comes a year later than the NSW government first forecast, and almost twice the original cost following several blowouts and contractor disputes.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance wasn't on hand for the first L3 tram to leave Juniors Kingsford given the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in place across the country.

He said the service was opening for essential workers to get to their jobs.

"We need everyone to stay at home, it's not a time to be getting on the light rail for fun," Mr Constance said.

"I would like to thank the tram drivers and workers who will ensure this light rail service runs, providing a direct link to the city from Kingsford as well as connections to the L2 Randwick line which services the Randwick health precinct."

In a pre-recorded message issued to media on Friday, Mr Constance thanked local residents and businesses he said had "endured so much" during the construction.

"It's now behind us and it's a great project," he added.

Originally slated to cost $1.6 billion in 2014, problems with the light rail haunted the Berejiklian government for well over a year.

The price first surged to $2.1 due to mispricings and omissions in the business case and before it blew out to $2.7 billion in mid-2019 after the government settled legal claims with the consortium delivering the project and its Spanish construction contractor.

By November last year, the government had added another $200 million to the cost, with $80 million set aside for contingency costs and $120 million in financial support for small businesses which struggled during construction of the project.

At the time, Mr Constance conceded the build had been "difficult," but said the government had taken "the busiest street in the nation and ripped it up to transform it into the open, inviting boulevard".

Stretching 67 metres, each coupled tram set can transport up to 450 passengers, equivalent to up to nine standard buses.

The first section of the service has been criticised for relatively slow running speeds during its first few months of operation, but Transport for NSW says times will continue to improve as the service beds in.

The new service will operate every 8-12 minutes from 5am to 1am as it beds in. The rest of the Sydney public transport system is still running at normal capacity to assist social distancing measures.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1287781472607248387

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Four new trams promised for Sydney's crowded Inner West line

The NSW government will purchase four new light rail vehicles for Sydney's crowded Inner West line, allowing it to move an extra 1000 people during the post-pandemic peak.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the government would begin the procurement process for the four new trams in coming months, which are expected to arrive within two years.

Patronage was increasing at more than two per cent per year before the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 10 million trips recorded in 2019. And while that dropped during the pandemic, the light rail hasn't been hit as hard as trains, Mr Constance said.

"Patronage is just at a level where crowding is terrible. This thing has gone gangbusters, it's just off the charts, next level," he said.

"People are opting for public transport over cars, that's the thing about Sydney, it has really become a train city, it wouldn't matter if it was light rail, metro or the inter-city trains."

While the government is yet to put a price tag on the four new light rail vehicles, it is expected to cost roughly $40 million.

Peak hour services will increase from every eight minutes to six minutes once the four new trams arrive, increasing capacity by more than 30 per cent and building the fleet from 12 to 16.

Mr Constance said coronavirus had impacted global supply chains, but believed the vehicles would arrive before 2023.

"Timeline will depend, one of the interesting things with COVID is the supply chains in the component parts into vehicles has been affected around the world, so governments are really struggling with that," he said.

"You would hope, like with all light rail vehicles, it would be 18 to 24 months."

Labor MP for Summer Hill Jo Haylen said the Inner West Light Rail was proof that if the government built public transport "people use it".

"These additional services will go a long way to beat congestion and help us all socially distance as we return to work," Ms Haylen said.

"Inner-westies are amongst the highest users of public transport and we love our light rail but too often the trams are full or late."
She said hundreds had signed petitions to lobby the NSW government to increase capacity of the packed service.

Ms Haylen met with Mr Constance and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet in Dulwich Hill on Wednesday to discuss the new trams.

Mr Perrottet said the cost of the light rail vehicles would not be set out in this month's budget, given the procurement process was yet to be completed.

Patronage on the 12.8-kilometre line from Central Station to Dulwich Hill soared from 3.9 million journeys in the 2013-14 financial year to just over 10 million in 2016-17.

The line recorded more than 10.7 million commuters in 2018/19 and 8.46 million trips for 2019/20, with patronage affected by coronavirus restrictions.

The Herald revealed last year that commuters would likely have to wait at least two years for more trams to be running on the Inner West line.

[verbatim9]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Four new trams promised for Sydney's crowded Inner West line

The NSW government will purchase four new light rail vehicles for Sydney's crowded Inner West line, allowing it to move an extra 1000 people during the post-pandemic peak.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the government would begin the procurement process for the four new trams in coming months, which are expected to arrive within two years.

Patronage was increasing at more than two per cent per year before the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 10 million trips recorded in 2019. And while that dropped during the pandemic, the light rail hasn't been hit as hard as trains, Mr Constance said.

"Patronage is just at a level where crowding is terrible. This thing has gone gangbusters, it's just off the charts, next level," he said.

"People are opting for public transport over cars, that's the thing about Sydney, it has really become a train city, it wouldn't matter if it was light rail, metro or the inter-city trains."

While the government is yet to put a price tag on the four new light rail vehicles, it is expected to cost roughly $40 million.

Peak hour services will increase from every eight minutes to six minutes once the four new trams arrive, increasing capacity by more than 30 per cent and building the fleet from 12 to 16.

Mr Constance said coronavirus had impacted global supply chains, but believed the vehicles would arrive before 2023.

"Timeline will depend, one of the interesting things with COVID is the supply chains in the component parts into vehicles has been affected around the world, so governments are really struggling with that," he said.

"You would hope, like with all light rail vehicles, it would be 18 to 24 months."

Labor MP for Summer Hill Jo Haylen said the Inner West Light Rail was proof that if the government built public transport "people use it".

"These additional services will go a long way to beat congestion and help us all socially distance as we return to work," Ms Haylen said.

"Inner-westies are amongst the highest users of public transport and we love our light rail but too often the trams are full or late."
She said hundreds had signed petitions to lobby the NSW government to increase capacity of the packed service.

Ms Haylen met with Mr Constance and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet in Dulwich Hill on Wednesday to discuss the new trams.

Mr Perrottet said the cost of the light rail vehicles would not be set out in this month's budget, given the procurement process was yet to be completed.

Patronage on the 12.8-kilometre line from Central Station to Dulwich Hill soared from 3.9 million journeys in the 2013-14 financial year to just over 10 million in 2016-17.

The line recorded more than 10.7 million commuters in 2018/19 and 8.46 million trips for 2019/20, with patronage affected by coronavirus restrictions.

The Herald revealed last year that commuters would likely have to wait at least two years for more trams to be running on the Inner West line.

I took that inner west LRT line late last year and it was packed to the rafters well past Glebe out of peak. Good move by the NSW Government.

[ozbob]

Daily  Telegraph --> Inner West trams suspended amid safety concerns after cracks found $

Cracks have been identified in a number of Sydney trams, leading to some services in parts of the city being suspended.

Services on Sydney's Inner West light rail will be on hold for several days after cracks were spotted in various trams, raising the alarm for potential risks to staff and passenger safety.

A Transport for NSW alert informed customers that buses will replace tram services along the L1 Dulwich Hill Line until Sunday.

A memo distributed to staff read that a "minor cracking to welding on a limited number of vehicles" had been found during a routine maintenance inspection, resulting in the light rail services being suspended until the end of the week, Nine Newspapers reported.

"We do not believe that the identified cracks pose an immediate threat or major risk to the network," the memo read.

"As a precaution, we will be suspending all services on the line while more detailed inspections take place." ...