*Construction of Parramatta light rail to commence next year after $200
million injection*

Construction of stage two of the Parramatta light rail is on track to begin
next year with $200 million to be allocated towards the project in
Tuesday’s budget. See the designs.Madeleine Bower

less than 2 min read
Daily Telegraph, September 17, 2023 - 5:42PM
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/construction-of-parramatta-light-rail-to-commence-next-year-after-200-million-injection/news-story/d68037d9f30d08cb2567ae6b9bd4b86f#share-toolsConstruction
of stage two of the Parramatta light rail is on track to begin next year
with $200 million to be allocated towards the project in Tuesday’s budget.

The stage two extension will connect Parramatta to Sydney Olympic Park with
14 new stops in Camellia, Rydalmere, Ermington, Melrose Park and Wentworth
Point.

The first phase of construction will see a 320-metre-long light rail bridge
built over the Parramatta River between Wentworth Point and Melrose Park in
2024. The new bridge will also form part of a new 8.5 kilometre walking and
bike riding path which will run alongside the light rail line.

In response to feedback on the initial route, changes have been made along
three sections of the track including from the Camellia foreshore to
Rydalmere in order to reduce the environmental impacts to sensitive
mangrove vegetation along the Parramatta River and reduce journey length
times.

The $200 million will come from the Restart NSW fund, which is funded in
part from sale of the state’s poles and wires and makes good on an election
promise Premier Chris Minns made back in January to see construction for
the project begin in the government’s first term.
[image: Artist impression of the new bridge from Melrose Park to Wentworth.
Image: Supplied]
Artist impression of the new bridge from Melrose Park to Wentworth. Image:
Supplied
[image: The proposed route of the Parramatta light rail extension will be
altered in three areas. Picture: supplied.]
The proposed route of the Parramatta light rail extension will be altered
in three areas. Picture: supplied.
[image: Route changes from Camellia to Rydalmere. Picture: Supplied]
Route changes from Camellia to Rydalmere. Picture: Supplied
[image: Proposed route changes on Hill Road. Picture: supplied.]
Proposed route changes on Hill Road. Picture: supplied.
[image: Proposed route changes from Wentworth Point to Melrose Park.
Picture: supplied]
Proposed route changes from Wentworth Point to Melrose Park. Picture:
supplied

The costs of the entire project, which was first announced by the former
Coalition government, were never revealed. NSW Transport Minister Jo
Haylen’s office could not provide a total price tag for the light rail
extension and it is understood they will not do so until planning approvals
are completed in early 2024. Former Parramatta MP Geoff Lee last year
estimated the total project cost to be around $3 billion.

It is understood this first financial injection will pay for project
planning and alignment, which refers to planning where the tracks will go.
The government will be required to make future investments to fully
complete construction.

The Premier said the $200 million injection would give the project the
impetus it needed.

“People bought into growing communities in the centre of our city on the
promise of future public transport links,” Mr Minns said.

“The previous government couldn’t deliver on that promise, we will.”

Tony P

On Thursday, 14 September 2023 at 11:37:39 UTC+10 Greg Sutherland wrote:

>

> https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/parramatta-light-rail-extension-to-olympic-park-to-cost-3-9-billion-20230913-p5e491.html

>

> The cost of the long-delayed second stage of Parramatta’s light rail line

> will hit $3.9 billion, hundreds of millions of dollars more than the bill

> for Sydney’s CBD and south-east line which almost doubled its original

> forecast.

>

> A major shortfall in funding for the second stage has sparked calls for

> the Minns government to commit extra money to the project in Tuesday’s

> state budget to guarantee it is built.

>

> Transport for NSW’s estimated cost of the planned 10-kilometre extension

> https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/second-stage-of-parramatta-light-rail-line-will-not-open-until-2031-20221109-p5bwrd.html

> of the Parramatta light rail line from Camellia to Sydney Olympic Park

> comes on top of the fully funded $2.875 billion price tag for the first

> stage, which blew out

> https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/sydney-s-metro-rail-line-under-harbour-blows-out-by-6b-20220621-p5avem.html

> by $475 million last year.

> [image: The first stage of the Parramatta light rail line between Westmead

> and Carlingford is due to open to passengers in May next year.]

>

> The first stage of the Parramatta light rail line between Westmead and

> Carlingford is due to open to passengers in May next year.Credit: Brook

> Mitchell

>

> It puts the cost of the entire line, which will span 22 kilometres if the

> second stage is built as promised, at $6.8 billion – the equivalent of two CBD

> and southeast light rail

> https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-finally-embraces-cbd-light-rail-as-patronage-surges-20230404-p5cxx3.html

> projects.

>

> About $600 million

> https://amp.smh.com.au/national/nsw/perrottet-sets-aside-more-than-600-million-for-second-stage-of-parramatta-light-rail-20220601-p5aqav.html

> was set aside in last year’s state budget for enabling works for the second

> stage, which will largely fund construction of a 320-metre bridge across

> the Parramatta River from Melrose Park to Wentworth Point.

>

> The Minns government has pledged to commit an extra $200 million to

> expedite the project, but that falls short of the projected $705 million

> needed over just the next three years to start building the actual light

> rail line by 2026.

>

> The transport agency’s cost estimates are contained in advice to the

> parliamentary budget office. Transport for NSW has not previously released

> cost forecasts for the second stage of the project.

>

> Business Western Sydney executive director David Borger said Tuesday’s

> budget was a chance for the government to deliver on its commitment to

> start constructing the second stage.

> Advertisement

>

> “Every year we must wait for construction to start ... is just more delay

> and risks the future of the project. What we want to see in the NSW budget

> next week is a plan to sign a contract to lay light rail tracks in the

> ground,” he said.

>

> “A bridge between Melrose Park and Wentworth Point, while an important

> enabling project, is not Parramatta light rail stage two in the minds of

> the residents.”

> Related Article

>

> https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-metro-farms-out-jobs-worth-2000-a-day-20230904-p5e1vy.html

> Exclusive Sydney Metro https://www.smh.com.au/topic/sydney-metro-1ml9

> Sydney Metro farms out jobs worth $2000 a day

> https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-metro-farms-out-jobs-worth-2000-a-day-20230904-p5e1vy.html

>

> A spokesperson for Transport Minister Jo Haylen declined to say whether

> the government would inject extra funding into the project, saying it stood

> by its election commitments and would have more to say in the budget on

> Tuesday.

>

> When the proposed route of the second stage was unveiled in 2017, then

> transport minister Andrew Constance said he was hopeful construction would

> start before 2020.

> https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/new-light-rail-route-crosses-parramatta-river-but-stops-short-of-strathfield-20171018-gz30qq.html

> However, the previous government repeatedly delayed making an investment

> decision on the second stage.

>

> Under the existing plans

> https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/second-stage-of-parramatta-light-rail-line-will-not-open-until-2031-20221109-p5bwrd.html,

> Transport for NSW doesn’t expect the second stage to opened to passengers

> until 2031, about five years later than originally planned. About 15 homes

> will be acquired for the line’s extension, which will have 14 stops and end

> at the Carter Street high-rise development next to Olympic Park.

>

> A spokesperson for Transport for NSW said future funding commitments for

> the second stage were subject to the budget process.

>

> The agency said construction of the planned bridge between Melrose Park

> and Wentworth Point would be delivered as a separate package from the rest

> of the second stage, which it was continuing planning and development work

> for.

>

> The Parramatta light rail project is also subject to a broader review by

> former Roads and Maritime Services chief Ken Kanofski of the state’s $115

> billion infrastructure pipeline.

>

> Last year Infrastructure NSW advised the government

> https://www.infrastructure.nsw.gov.au/media/onmb3hy5/state-infrastructure-strategy-2022-2042-full-report.pdf

> to delay the second stage and several other large projects due to skilled

> labour shortages and supply chain disruptions.

>

> The first stage of the light rail line between Westmead and Carlingford

> via the Parramatta CBD is due to open by May next year.

> Related Article

> [image: Chris Minns is facing a huge test of his premiership, with the

> future of the Metro West in his hands.]

>

> https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/with-8-billion-already-gone-minns-faces-a-huge-test-of-his-premiership-20230727-p5drnn.html

> Sydney Metro https://www.smh.com.au/topic/sydney-metro-1ml9

> With $8 billion already gone, Minns faces a huge test of his premiership

> https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/with-8-billion-already-gone-minns-faces-a-huge-test-of-his-premiership-20230727-p5drnn.html

>

> Sydney’s CBD and southeast light rail line opened three years ago at a

> cost of $3.1 billion

> https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/nsw-government-failed-to-update-public-on-true-cost-of-light-rail-20200611-p551l3.html

> – almost double the original forecast of $1.6 billion – following lengthy

> construction delays and legal battles.

>

>

>