Newcastle Light Rail

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Newcastle Light Rail
File:Transport Light Rail logo.svg
Overview
Garage Wickham
Status In planning
Predecessors Newcastle railway line
Route
Locale Newcastle, Australia
Start Wickham Transport Interchange
Via Newcastle central business district
End Pacific Park
Length 2 km (1.2 mi)
Transfers Bus
Train
Ferry
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The Newcastle Light Rail is a proposed Australian light rail line in Newcastle, New South Wales, running from Wickham Transport Interchange through the central business district to Pacific Park. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2017 and finish in 2019.[2]

Development

For decades the Newcastle railway line had been seen as an impediment to the redevelopment of Newcastle's central business district with many proposals for its closure.[3][4]

In December 2012, the Government of New South Wales announced its intention to close the line east of Wickham with the closure of Wickham, Civic and Newcastle stations.[5] The line closed between Hamilton and Newcastle stations on 25 December 2014, with a new Wickham Transport Interchange to open in late 2016.[6][7]

Two options were put forward for the light rail route - reusing the heavy rail corridor or using an on-street route. In May 2014, it was announced a light rail line would be built using a predominately on-street route. About 500 m (1,640 ft) of the existing rail corridor east of Wickham station will be reused, before the light rail proceeds along Scott and Hunter Streets to terminate at Pacific Park.[8][9][10]

The decision to use a predominately on-street route drew mixed reactions and led to speculation that the railway corridor could be sold to property developers.[11][12][13] It also went against the advice of Transport for NSW, which supported reusing the heavy rail corridor and advised the government that an on-street route could cost almost $100 million extra and deliver a slower service.[14] In December 2014, the Government announced that Newcastle City Council would have the final say in determining any future development in the former rail corridor.[15]

The replacement of the heavy rail line with light rail has also been controversial. Several newspapers in the Hunter region led a campaign to retain the heavy rail link.[16] Newcastle City Council was initially supportive of the light rail project, but following a mayoral by-election in November 2014 the council advocated retaining the heavy rail line instead.[17]

$103 million was allocated towards the project in the NSW Budget for the 2015-16 financial year.[18][19]

In August 2015 Transport for NSW put out a tender for a technical advisor to assist in the development of this project.[20] Registrations of interest for companies to design and construct the Newcastle Light Rail were called in January 2016.[21]

In December 2014 it was estimated that construction would commence in late 2015 but by January 2016 the date has slipped to the second half of 2016.[21][22] In April 2016 it was stated that major construction would start in 2017 and be complete in 2019.[23]

A list of stops along the route was released in April 2016. Stops proposed are at the Wickham interchange, Honeysuckle, Civic, Crown Street, Market Street and Pacific Park. Each light rail vehicle will carry at least 100 passengers and frequency will be every 10 minutes at peak times.[24]

In April 2016 CPB Contractors, Downer Group, John Holland, Laing O'Rourke and McConnell Dowell were shortlisted to bid for the contract to build the infrastructure.[25]

Operation

In November 2015, the Government announced its intention to incorporate the Newcastle Light Rail and Newcastle Buses & Ferries into a new organisation called Transport for Newcastle. The operation of bus, ferry and light rail services is intended to be contracted to a single private operator.[26][27] Keolis Downer and a Transit Systems/UGL Rail consortium have announced their intentions to bid.[28][29]

Potential extensions

Several options to extend the network were released in April 2016. The options are:[30]

Other proposals made by the community include extensions to John Hunter Hospital, University of Newcastle at Callaghan, Newcastle Airport, Glendale, Merewether and a CBD loop. Transport for NSW stated that these routes suffered from high costs and engineering challenges.[30]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Light rail route confirmed as government releases new detail | video The Herald 5 April 2016
  2. ↑ http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-05/nsw-government-releases-further-details-of-new-light-rail/7300302
  3. ↑ Working group releases Newcastle city rail report ABC News 21 November 2003
  4. ↑ Iemma backflips on Newcastle rail decision as Cabinet set to meet ABC News 21 February 2006
  5. ↑ The deepest cut...Newcastle's rail line to go ABC News 14 December 2012
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Tender awarded to design and construct new Wickham interchange Transport for NSW 18 December 2014
  8. ↑ Newcastle Light Rail Announced Transport for NSW 23 May 2014
  9. ↑ Light rail route for city finally unveiled ABC News 23 May 2014
  10. ↑ Map Fairfax Regional
  11. ↑ Light rail decision draws mixed reactions Newcastle Herald 23 May 2014
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Revitalisation of Newcastle: The People's Project Transport for NSW 4 December 2014
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Council switches track on rail plan Newcastle Herald 11 December 2014
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Infrastructure Statement 2015-16 Budget Paper #3 Infrastructure Statement, p 4-7, 23 June 2015
  20. ↑ Tender released for light rail technical advisor Transport for NSW 4 August 2015
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ New era for Newcastle Transport for NSW 26 December 2014
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/transforming-newcastle-community-have-its-say-next-steps-revitalise-city-transport
  25. ↑ Shortlist announced for Managing Contractorof Newcastle Light Rail Transport for NSW 27 April 2016
  26. ↑ Building tomorrows Newcastle: A New Approach to Transport Transport NSW 5 November 2015
  27. ↑ Transport for Newcastle: private operator to integrate city’s public transport ABC News 5 November 2015
  28. ↑ Keolis Downer eyes acquisitions ahead of Newcastle public transport bid Sydney Morning Herald 3 December 2015
  29. ↑ Transit Systems and UGL announce intention to jointly bid for Newcastle iso Transit Systems 26 February 2016
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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