Light Rail to Barangaroo
Light Rail to Barangaroo (East Darling Harbour)
View map of proposed Light Rail route
Where and what is Barangaroo?
Barangaroo is the name of the development site to the west of the Sydney CBD that was until recently an industrial wharf area. The 22 ha site is being redeveloped from the ground up into a multi-use precinct incorporating offices, residential, hotels and leisure areas. The redevelopment is being managed by the Barangaroo Delivery Authority on behalf of the NSW Government. When completed approximately 25,000 workers are expected to travel to and from the precinct every day, and significant leisure activities will take place in the extensive parklands being planned. Today, there is virtually no public transport to or within the Barangaroo site. Click here for more information about the Barangaroo site.
Why Light Rail to Barangaroo (East Darling Harbour)?
When Barangaroo is completed there will be a need for substantial public transport links to the site. Not only will 25,000 workers need to make a daily commute, but the anticipated leisure use will put a demand on transport throughout the day and at weekends. Car parking will be restricted, and road links into and adjacent to the sites do not have the capacity to handle extensive car or bus flows.
Neither does the existing public transport system have the capacity to serve Barangaroo, and will have to be enhanced. Improvements are planned to Wynyard station, and a ferry terminal has been suggested. In addition to these improvements, the extension of the existing light rail system to service Barangaroo would be a simple and cost effective way of augmenting public transport capacity to the site. The route could connect to Central Station quite easily, so providing simple interchange onto the rest of the Cityrail and Interurban network.
An extended light rail could provide transport to the precinct from the southern CBD and Central Station, transport within the precinct, and also link Barangaroo to the rest of the foreshore joining together precincts such as the Rocks, Circular Quay and Darling Harbour. The installation of a light rail at the time of redevelopment could shape the development and use of Barangaroo, improve mobility within the western edge of the CBD, and help to integrate this new precinct into greater Sydney.
Light rail is a clean, modern mode of transport with low structural impact, able to stimulate economic activity as well as just provide transport, which is exactly what Barangaroo needs.
Will the tram just go to Barangaroo (East Darling Harbour)?
If the Light Rail is to run to Barangaroo from Central Station it would be sensible to extend the line through the precinct, around Walsh Bay and Dawes Point to Circular Quay. This would improve connectivity to the precinct from multiple nodes, enhance capacity, and give people options of how to travel.
The continuation would be easily completed at comparatively low cost providing alternative mass transit options for getting to Barangaroo (ferry, bus and heavy rail interchange at Circular Quay), link in the leisure/tourism precincts of the north CBD with the new parklands of Barangaroo and Darling Harbour, as well as to provide public transport services to the Walsh Bay precinct.
Will Light Rail replace other public transport?
No, it will integrate with other modes. The Barangaroo Light Rail would connect with Cityrail services at Central and Circular Quay, easing demand on other busy CBD stations. Bus and ferry interchange would be encouraged.
How many passengers can be carried?
Capacity of a light rail system can be flexed by simply adding more vehicles. As the Barangaroo development is built and becomes more successful, more vehicles can be added to increase capacity and match demand. Nine Light Rail vehicles could provide a regular and reliable 4 minute service, with a capacity of 3,200 passengers per hour in each direction. By increasing vehicle length and increasing the number of vehicles to one every 2 minutes, capacity could be increased up to 13,000 passengers per hour per direction, which is a very high demand unlikely to be seen.
The Barangaroo Light Rail Route
The extension could join the existing Light Rail line in Hay Street, continue north on Sussex and Hickson streets, and proceed around Dawes Point, joining George Street in the Rocks and terminating at Circular Quay. In total the extension is 4.1 km long, all on street. The distance from Hay Street to the north of Barangaroo at Town Place is 2.5 km.