Stage 1 Frequently Asked Questions

Stage 1 of the Parramatta Light Rail will connect Westmead to Carlingford via the Parramatta CBD and Camellia, with a two-way track spanning 12 kilometres. 

It will connect customers to key areas being transformed by the NSW Government and private investment. This includes the Westmead Health Precinct, Cumberland Precinct, Camellia Town Centre, Telopea Precinct, the redeveloped Arthur Phillip High School; as well as the Western Sydney University campuses at Westmead, Rydalmere and Parramatta.

The Parramatta Light Rail will connect customers to major attractions, including the vibrant Parramatta Square, cafés and restaurants on Church Street, CommBank Stadium, Riverside Theatres, the largest museum in NSW Powerhouse Parramatta and Rosehill Gardens Racecourse.

There will be 16 highly accessible stops; regular services from early morning to late at night, including services every 7.5 minutes from 7am to 7pm on weekdays; integrated NSW Opal card ticketing; as well as modern and comfortable air-conditioned vehicles that can carry up to 300 passengers.

Major construction on the Parramatta Light Rail is almost complete, with 100 per cent of track installed. The team continues to work on road, kerbing, gutter, footpath and landscaping work, as well as the construction of the Stabling and Maintenance Facility at Camellia, which will house the light rail vehicle fleet.

A second phase of work has also commenced to construct the remaining operational assets. These works will involve the installation of light rail stop canopies and infrastructure, power substations, overhead wiring and underground cabling. 

Passenger services are expected to start in 2024. Prior to operations, there will be an extensive testing and commissioning program to ensure the vehicles operate safely on the newly built system, before approval is gained from relevant authorities to commence passenger services.

The Parramatta Light Rail is part of a $2.875 billion program. This budget includes two major contracts to build and operate the light rail, remediation works of the future light rail depot site, road and traffic works and upgrades, new bridges, walking and bike riding paths, urban design, changes to the bus network and project costs since 2015.

The Parramatta Light Rail will use 13 Urbos 100 vehicles developed by CAF, which have been upgraded to incorporate an evolved design based on the fleet performance around the world. These vehicles will provide a modern, fully accessible and comfortable customer experience, with real-time travel information.

Yes. The 5.7km shared pedestrian and bicycle riding path was opened to the public in May 2023.

Works continue on the Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1 alignment, including light rail stop construction and fit-out, installation of power substations, overhead wiring and underground cabling, as well as on-site testing and commissioning of light rail vehicles and systems.

These works may, from time to time, impact where you can enter, exit or travel on the shared path. This is to ensure the safety of the public while carrying out these works.

Be sure to plan ahead and check for any changed access or travel conditions before using the shared path.

We will keep the community and stakeholders notified of any upcoming construction work and associated travel impacts.

Transport for NSW recognises the importance of supporting and managing impacts on business during construction. Dedicated Place Managers continue to engage directly with local businesses along the route to provide information and assistance, and to answer questions about the impacts of construction, such as wayfinding, noise and vibration, and access for deliveries and customers.

This includes responding to preferred work hours and altering construction schedules, where possible, to provide a break in construction during busy meal periods for eateries.

Delivering a major infrastructure project such as the Parramatta Light Rail in an existing environment has resulted in some impacts on parking and trees. Transport for NSW has a Tree Offset Strategy in place, and continues to minimise any loss of parking and trees where possible. Visit parramattalightrail.nsw.gov.au/trees and parramattalightrail.nsw.gov.au/parking to find out more.

The Parramatta Light Rail has been designed to minimise impacts on heritage landmarks and items across the Parramatta region, such as using existing road and rail corridors to limit impacts. While there have been some impacts on Aboriginal archaeological sites and non-Aboriginal heritage items, the project is committed to preserving archaeological, environmental, and Aboriginal heritage across the light rail route. 

The project continues to work closely with NSW Government departments and agencies, including Heritage NSW and City of Parramatta Council, and local community organisations, including the Local Aboriginal Land Council and Registered Aboriginal Parties, to ensure important heritage is preserved and maintained. Visit parramattalightrail.nsw.gov.au/heritage to find out more.

The connection from Carlingford to Epping is not part of the current Parramatta Light Rail program. A transport connection between Parramatta and Epping has been identified in the Future Transport 2056 Strategy, the NSW Government's overarching vision for the Sydney transport network. Visit future.transport.nsw.gov.au to find out more.

Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 will connect Stage 1 and the Parramatta CBD to Camellia, Ermington, Melrose Park, Wentworth Point and Sydney Olympic Park.

It will provide links to existing transport infrastructure, including heavy rail, bus and ferry services, as well as the future Sydney Metro West.

Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 will have 14 full accessible stops over 10 kilometres of new light rail track. Please visit the Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 page for more information.