Parramatta Light Rail - TRAM TESTING! 🚋🚋🚋

LOTS OF TRAM TESTING FOOTAGE!!!
This time we take a trip with the new Parramatta Light Rail all the way from Tramway Avenue to Carlingford Station.
This one's a bit special because we share the journey with a test tram all the way from Western Sydney University to the terminus at Carlingford.
There are a few things about the location of this light rail that make capturing mobile video tricky. Most of the route is in a no fly zone for drones plus there are people and houses everywhere so drones are not much use. But there are other ways, and here's my footage - in my opinion it's the best private footage of the PLR to date and likely to remain so until such time as we can actually ride.
Actual footage of the tram test starts at 6:24 if you don't need to see Tramway Avenue, Rosehill Gardens, and the river overpass. But of course you do, right?
Apologies for the wind noise here and there. I decided to leave the audio unedited since it contains sounds of the trams, tracks, hooters and staff.
#australia
#sydney
#parramatta
#trainspotting
#tram
#lightrail
#publictransport

[@douglachman7330]

Congratulations on a job well done. Its easy to see the improved adaption of the old Carlingford rail line and the benefits to the community. Both the workforce and for social mobility. Traffic and parking hassle reduction or even reduced need for a car at all in places. Well done to Transport NSW and those that thought about, planned and promoted this project.

[@DigitalDiabloUK]

So cool seeing the same trams as we have here in the English Midlands, but in the lovely sunshine, and with such a nice paint scheme too. But what seems even better is the building of a foot/cycle path alongside of the rails to give folks a sensible commuting alternative 😮 It seems so obvious but rare here.

[@thevannmann]

Looks great. I hope Perth eventually brings back light-rail in future. Haven't had trams since 1958!

[@kingcoong]

Once metronet finished with the majority of their ongoing projects, we might hear something. Anything related to light rail right now has been postponed.

[@rodfairley1117]

Thank you for the video nice to see a tram operating, I was in Parramatta 1st week in Feb. I was impressed with the workmanship. Back in the UK now.

[@dmbennell1799]

Nice work! Some missing or wrong labels: underpass at 9.05 is Victoria Road, overpass at 12.00 is Kissing Point Road, and underpass at 14.55 is Adderton Road not Kissing Point Road. No big deal of course, and it looks fantastic. Speed, steadiness and coverage is excellent!

[@SydneyFloatProject]

Hey thanks for the corrections, you are totally right of course! I must get around to fixing up the labels. I guess I was excited about how the footage looked and rush it out the door. Thanks for the kind words about the footage. I won't go into details, but the way I filmed it was not easy (no danger to anyone except myself hehe) so I'm happy when anyone likes the results. Now that testing is progressed it is no longer possible to get footage like this since the trams are running at more operational speeds.

[@tregeariansteve-o9685]

Finally someone has posted a Parramatta light rail update,.. thanx mate, great video, hope to see a lot more soon from others, cheers buddy.😊

[@johnmaddox4403]

Nice to hear the grind of the wheels on fresh rusty track, first steps to a good service to carlingford! Jm

[@ThomasNing]

Nice footage (besides the wind), I like your E-scooter filming setup

[@SydneyFloatProject]

Hi Thomas, thanks and glad you enjoyed the footage. The wind was definitely a pest but I figured it was worth it to leave the audio of the trams, operators, horns and so on. And definitely *not* an escooter used for the footage.

[@douglasbrooks7741]

Thank you, I live along the Carlingford line most of my young life it was great seeing the trams being tested.

[@anishapoorwakispotta7754]

I love trains

[@Roadrunnerz45]

look forward to seeing more footage. always interesting because in the drivers cabs the vehicle number is at the bottom (easy to see) but for canberra - same urbos but smaller they made them at the top (harder especially with the blind down for the driver to see).

[@davidelliott5738]

Yes - I enjoyed that. A great idea to follow the tram like you did. I now live in the Northern Rivers Region, so I am missing seeing the development of the light rail. I used to live in Northmead, and worked in Carlingford. I saw the construction start, and made a video of the last day or two of the heavy rail - one of those really hot, smoky days at the time. One small thing - that's Adderton Road just south of Telopea station. Kissing Point Road is just north of Dundas station - the old heritage railway building. Thanks for the ride.

[@SydneyFloatProject]

Thanks for the correction, cheers :)

[@kyletopfer7818]

These trams sound like the newer generations of Berlin S-Bahn trains from Stadler when they take off I feel. I used to live on the line but never used it when it was heavy rail, it was basically useless - this will be so much better, pity it doesn't get to at least Carlingford Court!

[@SydneyFloatProject]

Not extending to Epping via Carlingford Court does seem like a major fail, but it's still good that the old Carlingford line is going to be useful once more I think.

[@kyletopfer7818]

@@SydneyFloatProject yes and I think they should have just bitten the bullet and dug a tunnel all the way to Epping, it would be fast and then you can avoid the surface congestion around Carlingford and Epping plus have an easier interchange to Metro as you are already underground you could link directly to the underground concourse, then back to surface on Epping Road to Macquarie Uni and remove the slow expensive bus services.

[@user-mb3dx3nn5c]

It can still be extended to Epping one day.

[@ForTheBirbs]

Well done. Cheers

[@traingeekfromNSW]

Great footage, going to attempt the same tomorrow!

[@SydneyFloatProject]

Have fun!

[@traingeekfromNSW]

@@SydneyFloatProject Thanks!

[@traingeekfromNSW]

@@SydneyFloatProject Just got back now, mate it was hot lol, done Parramatta-Westmead.

[@7figuretraveller]

Really great footage. Very striking red and white livery. What equipment were you using? Sounded all electric just like the tram.

[@SydneyFloatProject]

Glad you enjoyed the footage, the trams sure do look all new and shiny and colourful don't they. Gonna keep quiet about the equipment for the moment, sorry :) I will say that a very expensive gimbal was involved. Thanks for commenting, cheers!

[@7figuretraveller]

Yep had to be a gimbal involved. Your balance was impressive. Lucky too that not many using the footpaths. Guess not many know about them yet.

[@HitenMumbai]

Gr8 vlogs keep coming love from Mumbai❤

[@moiceplaysroblox6888]

I managed to get a vid of the tram arriving into rhyldmere and departing i was so happy to see it

[@moiceplaysroblox6888]

i was there at like the same time as u but i think u where still in carlingford area when it came back from there

[@exploringsydneysrailways]

Great footage!

[@SydneyFloatProject]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@anguscovoflyer95]

Follow the tram, follow the leader

[@tsetstransport]

Hey mate! Awesome footage! Do you mind if I use a few little snippets from your video of the tram testing? I’m working on a video based on the Parramatta Light Rail at the moment. Full credit will be provided. :)

[@SydneyFloatProject]

Please go ahead and use. I'd be grateful if you could include a link back here somewhere, that would be great. I'm keen to see your video, and thanks for reaching out, appreciate the courtesy to ask :)

[@tsetstransport]

@@SydneyFloatProject No problem. I should have the video out within the next week. Thanks again! :)

[@BDub2024]

Are they running tram and train tracks. Is it just running through parkland? What was there before the tracks. Hopefully it hasn't destroyed parks by cutting through the middle. Do trains run on the tracks too? It doesn't show much of Parramatta and I don't know much about Sydney as I'm not from NSW. Is it part of Sydney?

[@BDub2024]

they have a rugby team don't they?

[@SydneyFloatProject]

Parramatta is part of Sydney. This part of the track repurposed an existing set of heavy rail tracks. The remainder of the track uses existing roadways. No parks harmed. Only these light rail trams use the tracks.

[@BDub2024]

@@SydneyFloatProject In my city they've contemplated trams for 20 years but now off the agenda despite it being a previous election promise and the route being confirmed during the following terms. Now everyone has moved on. I think they're not wanting to remove lanes causing congestion. The other part of the route was going to involve removing hundreds of trees by widening road space and/or removing garden islands in the street. So that's why I was interested the utilisation of rail and other land. I think it would possibly be too difficult to share the heavy rail tracks with trains, though I'm aware that happens in some parts of the world.