Transport for NSW has estimated the entire cost of the 22-kilometre Parramatta line, which is being built in two stages, at $6.8 billion.
Under the latest plans, ALTRAC would finance the upfront design and construction of the new Parramatta-Green Square line, while in return, the government would pay the consortium over an extended period for the delivery of light-rail services.
If accepted, it would be a similar deal to that for the CBD and eastern suburbs light rail, which opened four years ago.
The consortium is a partnership between Aware Super, infrastructure investor John Laing and Spain’s Acciona. It subcontracts French company Transdev to operate and maintain Sydney’s three existing light rail lines.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who is seeking re-election in September council elections, said she would take a proposal to the council next month for a $100 million commitment for public domain improvements alongside a new light rail line to Green Square. It would include footpath widening, tree planting, new street furniture, paving and lighting.
Under ALTRAC’s plans, the light rail line would extend to the City of Sydney’s library at Green Square.
The City of Sydney council has spent $40 million progressively buying land to preserve a four-kilometre corridor from the CBD to Green Square.
Moore said a light-rail line could rejuvenate Parramatta Road after years of successive governments talking about it but failing to take action. “Parramatta Road is nine lanes wide in some sections. With WestConnex now open, traffic there has greatly reduced,” she said.
Light rail along Parramatta Road has been proposed on scores of occasions over the last decade. Disruption to the key arterial traffic route along Sydney’s east-west spine from the construction of a line is one of the major challenges. One lane of traffic in each direction is likely to have to be removed for light-rail tracks.
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Edghill said the consortium was conscious of the need to reduce disruption during construction.
A spokesperson for Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the government was delivering better priority for buses on Parramatta Road while remaining focused on both stages of the Parramatta light rail project.
Inner West Council’s Labor Mayor Darcy Byrne said a major public transport intervention was the one thing that would revitalise Parramatta Road, and open the way for higher-density housing along the corridor.
“The community still feels cheated that the dedicated public transport lanes on Parramatta Road, which were a condition of approval for WestConnex, were never delivered by the former government,” he said.
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