Will the Parramatta Light Rail be a game changer for Sydney’s West?

[@sancheeez]

The canberra trams are getting battery power due to "aesthetic concerns" about overhead wires in the parliamentary zone. Meanwhile a multi storey car park is being built on the other side of said zone which apparently doesn't raise any aesthetic concerns at all.

[@kornkernel2232]

Also there is a 3rd rail option which what newer Sydney Light Rail already using. Or the supercapacitor is another option just like what Newcastle Loght Rail uses, its lie battery powered, but it will still charged in each stop as supercapacitors charge way quicker than batteries.

[@qjtvaddict]

Stop listening to crazy people

[@Nouvellecosse]

Overhead wires look fine to me. I actually like it since electrification is a symbol of cleaner, quieter, more efficient transport and a society that's willing to invest in it. And I happen to find signs of progress to make for a good aesthetic.

[@vincentgrinn2665]

battery powered public transport is a bit of an issue really the main issue is that if youre fully or mostly battery powered, that means you need to charge quickly, and charging quickly destroys the battery faster, not great overhead wires are aesthetically fine and do a much better job at providing power, but i think having a small battery to power the lightrail/bus for a few hundred meters without wire, then slowly recharge once it sback on the wire is a valuable thing to have lets you have small gaps in wires for things like low bridges, tracks running through a covered area or building, or if theres damage to the overhead lines

[@sprigsprog]

Yeah seconding this. Wholly battery powered is a bad idea and technically fraught not to mention overly expensive. But having a small slow charging battery to use for short sections without rail? Frankly that's fantastic, precisely because of the flexibility in infrastructure it afford

[@JDTrain]

The trams in Newcastle are battery powered and they work fine. Although they do only have 2.7km with four stops in between the terminuses.

[@vincentgrinn2665]

​@@JDTrain yeah the newcastle ubos 100 do use supercapacitors in addition to the batteries to reduce wear from the fast charging during stops, but it adds 2.4 TONS per segment of the vehicle while also only charge the batteries to 65% full and discharge to 35% despite that, the batteries are expected to lose 30% of their capacity over their life only 2 segments are able to charge at a time due to the power draw and if im reading this chart right, they only have enough power to run for 10 minutes

[@JDTrain]

@@vincentgrinn2665 Good thing they can get a top up at each station then. I didn't really know about the actually battery levels and all that so I just thought "If they work in Newcastle, they should work in Parramatta".

[@vincentgrinn2665]

@@JDTrain yeah they do get a top up at the station, they charge for 30 seconds, but for some reason the power charts show them draining the battery for 10 minutes, then charging for ~2 minutes, and it doesnt seem to line up with the stops along the route too well either while it does work in newcastle and could work in paramatta, it doesnt work very well

[@whophd]

Game changer - yes for Stage 2. Suburbs like Wentworth Point desperately need the link to Sydney Metro, because it’s the densest suburb in Australia, and only just recently popped into existence. It was an empty row of warehouses 20 years ago, the place where generations of kids learned to drive for the first time - zero traffic, zero people.

[@whophd]

More like “thankfully” both sides of politics in NSW committed to it. And for a time it looked like the gadgetbahn salesmen (think Simpsons monorail episode) had the ear of NSW government, nearly giving us “trackless trams” (bendy buses) for Stage 2. But Sydney told them to buzz off - they ended up selling a package to Brisbane for their bizarelly named “Brisbane Metro”.

[@user-ed4dz8uh1f]

good thing that wentworth is near the t9 and t7 lines

[@s.a.m.9837]

Missing the carlingford epping link is an unprecedented blunder

[@Soundmaster91]

If you try too bug things never get started you need to break up projects into parts get success and usage and expand. This is how Sydney has successfully continued to roll out public transport projects.

[@user-fm4hd3zw3q]

I think you are both correct.

[@FlamencoOz]

Nothing was missed, they didn’t want to spend the money

[@user-mb3dx3nn5c]

It can be built in future if needed.

[@s.a.m.9837]

@@user-mb3dx3nn5c it would have increased the utility and ridership 10 fold. And it should have been done with the momentum of initial construction.

[@trevormichell558]

Building Beautifully mentioned in a video that an alternative right of way to connect to heavy rail and metro does exist branching off north of Dundas and utilising the land gazetted for motorway use via Eastwood to Macquarie Park. Would be an interesting option!

[@michaelcobbin]

This can be built as a Parramatta Light Rail Stage 3 line.

[@banjopiggottwright1802]

Despite the light rail’s failure to connect the people of Carlingford and Epping by light rail. I’m still incredibly hyped for the light rail’s opening as it will finally provide the people of Westmead, Lower North Parramatta, Parramatta & Dundas as well as the frequent visitors that regularly commute to and from the area a reliable and efficient way to get around Sydney’s second CBD and the areas that surround it.

[@markalbert4652]

Not building the missing link between Carlingford and Epping is a huge mistake, and a missed opportunity for the NSW government. Thank you for picking up on this and mentioning it a few times. It would really open up transport options for many people that need to get from the Western suburbs to Epping, Macquarie Park, Nth Ryde and Chatswood. Also one of the new stations you mentioned was Rosehill Gardens, the current site of Rosehill racecourse. The NSW government are pushing a plan to knock it down and build a high rise housing estate on it. It's a terrible idea, but if it goes ahead, connecting all of those 1000's of people to Epping would surely be a must!

[@user-ix4zy2rv1l]

There has to be some sort of conflict of interest dodgy shenanigans going on. There's no reason the line still hasn't been built given geo-technological advances and sufficient financial resources.

[@historydoesntrepeatitselfb7818]

Really love your work, mate!!

[@whophd]

It’s not just batteries versus wires, but also the third option of underground power like in George St CBD. The comparison to Bourke St CBD is a fair one, but now that Sydney has the premium option, I like it.

[@sthnstarrail]

FYI, the Newcastle Light Rail is battery-powered with flash charging at stops

[@whophd]

Capacitors … not technically batteries but yeah, flash charging

[@Leo-hv9mm]

Newcastle tram is a toy

[@qjtvaddict]

@@Leo-hv9mmit should extend and takeover the hunter line

[@oufukubinta]

You're the first channel I've seen to do a video on Parramatta and to use stock footage that's more recent than from 10 years ago

[@BDub2024]

You talk about Carlington to Epping being needed. Why couldn't you just use tunnelling for that stretch. Obviously expensive and dpends on how many people would benefit from it. But a tunnel or trench could deal with that. Even if it was an above ground tunnel in one direction and a below ground in the other. Just an idea. I've never been to Sydney so its only based on your expert video. I am interested in how there seems to be all these corridors that allow the tram tracks to be run generally from what I saw. My city doesn't have that ability and has made all the roads narrow in the last 20 years by widening footpaths and islands and extensive tree planting, street furniture and cycleways. All the making it quite difficult to built tram lines now in CBD and inner areas.

[@patrickr7668]

The Epping connection can follow. Is important to start with a minimum viable section which is fundable, and, well designed, will make trickier connections look obvious and hard to oppose. Agree that catenary is no aesthetic problem, but battery backup is super useful for outages and depot use. Really good for reliability and resilience. Additionally I suggest you reconsider your over-use of the dated term CBD, city centres are now increasingly mixed use, and are no longer just biz districts. This is a term from US exclusionary zoning period, and explicitly does not reflect the aim of successful cities today. Love your work! Ta.

[@yukko_parra]

idk, cbd is still a relatively useful term. sydney cbd and parramatta cbd can reduce confusion when talking about geographical areas. i might be talking about parramatta as just a suburb as opposed to the region. We think of Sydney as the Cumberland county most days, but some times you want to specify that you live in the middle of Sydney. well CBD is a fine term for that. sure city centre or buisness district should be better, but when "city centre" almost universally refers to Sydney CBD when talking in the Cumberland County, using CBD is a fine term, and gets an idea quickly across

[@theurbanistnetwork]

Agreed. I still find CBD to be useful in an Australian context. Sydney is an interesting context because it has multiple centres, although I would probably only call Syd and Parramatta proper CBDs

[@Thatonestrangefella]

I have a proposal extention for the parramatta light rail. Extending the line from carlingford along pennant hills road to pennant hills station.

[@BDub2024]

Wouldn't Benaud be pronounced Benno instead of Bennard. As in the famous Australian Richie Benaud.

[@FishplateFilms]

Marvellous effort that !

[@BDub2024]

@@FishplateFilms "a few sights on the hill". T Greig at the SCG

[@erejnion]

Maybe they can make the connection to Epping grade-separated - for example sub-surface tunneling. That would obv necessitate a separate project just for it but would be a good opportunity. Or, you know, just pedestrianize a few of the streets on the way.

[@TheProteanGeek]

When I lived in the Western Suburbs of Sydney in the 2000s I thought Parra was big enough already with some bad traffic. Going in to UWS via the train regularly I enjoyed stopping over in the shopping centre on the way through. Usually I would get off at Rydalmere to walk over to the campus though. I think something closer to the UWS campus there would have been better than where the existing station is. Things certainly seem to have changed and are continuing to change in Parramatta.

[@user-ix4zy2rv1l]

The idea that Sydney needs a second CBD is a pre-internet one, it's drummed up from the late 80s/early 90s, and has now been programmed to every Sydneysider. This is a totally outdated idea. Every major hub is basically another CBD for Sydney - Chatswood, Mascot, Macquarie Park/Epping, you name it. Rather than just concentrating on Parramatta, resources are better spent on saving dying hub like Leichhardt, gentrifying decaying suburbs, and promoting equity across Sydney - not just for the more affluent.

[@user-ix4zy2rv1l]

we live in the internet age, resources are better spent on battling equity issues, rather than dogmatically focusing on developing a second CBD.

[@sirrah3000]

I like how it took 10 minutes into a 13 minute video before any attempt was made to begin answering the question posed in the title. So much fluff and filler content to bulk this video out. It felt like you were trying to reach a word count for an essay.

[@kyletopfer7818]

The Government appears to be planning something different for Carlingford to Epping, they are planning the New Cumberland Line (NCL) which involves rerouting the Leppington-Glenfield-Liverpool-Fairfield-Merrylands heavy rail line into a new tunnel to Parramatta then Carlingford and Epping. The NCL would be 15 minutes faster than the Parramatta Light Rail connection, it would give Epping+Carlingford direct access to Fairfield, Liverpool and the new Western Sydney Airport, with trains every 5min. Perhaps more importantly, the NCL would remove the conflict of trains at Granville Junction (T1+T2+T5+Blue Mountains InterCity trains) allowing the Western lines full use of the capacity. NCL also reduces some strain on the T9 Northern line and Central Coast & Newcastle InterCity line at its busiest point around Epping, and there will also be a lot of capacity freed up on T2. Getting the Light Rail from Carlingford to Epping would just be too difficult+expensive without providing the big benefits of the NCL. See LINK HERE: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iInceJati9Z3adU

[@jack2453]

No reason not to build 3km Carlingford-Epping while we're waiting 30+ years for NCL.

[@kyletopfer7818]

@@jack2453 The Carlingford-Epping LR extension is going to be difficult and expensive for a fairly slow, low-capacity mode. In fact I suspect when Metro West opens and the Central Coast & Newcastle InterCity train begin stopping at North Strathfield, it will be quicker to go to North Strathfield and change to Metro than it would be to catch a hypothetical LR from Epping to Parramatta Square. Buses won't be much slower either. The documentation is talking about 2036 for NCL. The Granville junction problems are a serious issue, the NCL is a fairly cheap project for the benefits it delivers.

[@jack2453]

@@kyletopfer7818 20 km of metro is tens of $billons and at least 20 years - probably longer if you take into account that the NSW government can't multitask more than one rail project at a time. It might be a worthwhile project but who can wait that long? On the Granville question, it seems a bit of overkill to build a major metro line to fix one junction. Aren't there much cheaper alternatives based on tunnels, overpasses, multitracking etc?

[@kyletopfer7818]

@@jack24531. NSW Government is multi-tasking right now though (Metro West, Metro WSA) 2. Cost is likely to be comparatively low according to the documents. Leppington to Bradfield is above ground without any stations; whilst Merrylands-Parramatta-Carlingford-Epping only has 3 new stations, but Carlingford can be built on public land so is cheaper. Underground stations and purchasing property is what usually drives cost and timelines up. 3. You will almost certainly have to tunnel at least a portion of Carlingford-Epping for a light rail extension anyway so that won't be cheap. 4. 2036 is not that far away really, I doubt a light rail extension could be done too much before then if they haven't even started planning work. 5. They wouldn't necessarily convert this line to automated Metro, they might just run single-deck Metro-style trains with automated train control but have a driver and get rid of the guard, so it is compatible with freight and intercity trains like Melbourne. On your question about Granville junction, the problem is not the junction itself but rather: -six tracks condense down into 4 at Granville right now at one of the busiest parts of the network -and then another 2 tracks join just further down at Lidcombe from Regents Park -the corridor expands back to 6 tracks at Homebush but then another 2 tracks join at Strathfield from North Strathfield. -So by taking the Merrylands tracks and routing them onto their own line, then building another 2 tracks from Homebush to Lidcombe, you can fairly cheaply and effectively separate everything out and give the West, South and North dedicated pairs of tracks through Parramatta. It's actually a really clever solution, I can't see anything that achieves outcomes as good for the low cost.

[@jack2453]

@@kyletopfer7818 2036 is about when the current generation of projects will be delivered. The NCL is probably the generation after next, so I wouldn't expect before 2050.

[@frodosadventures8757]

I think its a bit annoying that light rail often doesn't connect seamsly with trains. Like at Helensvale Station where the Gold Coast Light rail connects with the Gold Cost Train Line. I like the Gold Coast LR, but I think it could have been better. You have to get out of the light rail, walk to the far end of the platform. Go up the lift or steps, across the elevated walkway, then back down to the train platform. They could have easily made it so that the light rail pulls up on one side of the platform and the train is on the other side of the platform. All you'd have to do is walk across the platform. It seems like they have gone to extra effort to not make it connect seamlessly. Maybe I'm just a bit too picky!

[@tangiers365]

Not enough foresight

[@user-fm4hd3zw3q]

Not at all. I think you’re absolutely correct. The thinking needs to always be to prioritise the convenience of the non-car driving commuter. Even from a car driver’s perspective that has to make sense. It is in every car driver’s interest to get the number of other car drivers down. Roads are so congested in SE Qld. And surely we realise that more roads is not the answer. I know that is difficult to understand. Took me long enough 🙄

[@RGC198]

Thanks for another excellent video. i think overhead wires are a better and more reliable option. Battery operation is okay, though providing the distance between charging areas is not too extreme. Otherwise, light rail trams running on batteries could become stranded between stops. Hopefully, it all works successfully.

[@mitch438]

Overhead wires are fine, but it is good to see them experimenting with the batteries. Battery technology is going to get better and so the distances the trams can travel on battery power will increase over time. Maybe they see in the near future that they won't need any overhead wires, instead using rapid charging stations at terminuses like the Brisbane "Metro" and so don't want to electrify the whole route if they don't need to.

[@Matt_JJz]

One thing I am extremely annoyed about Paramatta Light Rail, especially stage 2 is just how LONG it is taking. Trams are not complicated, nor is its infrastructure. Yet it will take 7 years for stage 2 to be completed. That is ridiculous. Light Rail should not take nearly a decade to accomplish. The government needs to fix this issue so these projects stop taking so long!

[@tacitdionysus3220]

Good clip. A fairly lucid summary of the line. I'm always concerned about the 'old' language we use when talking transport in Greater Sydney. We refer to Parramatta, at best, as a 'second CBD', and when we say 'Central Sydney', we mean something like the Quay to Broadway. That was true once, but it isn't now (and hasn't been for a few decades). The population of the Parramatta City Council area is 269,000 with a density of 3210 people per sq km.. Sydney City Council has a population of 218,096 and a density of 2037. So it's arguable that Parramatta is not 'second' at all. Parramatta is not 'rivalling' Harbourside Sydney. In population terms it has already surpassed it. The centre of population of Greater Sydney is currently at Rosehill and moving further west (next stop, Parramatta). That means Parra is not "in Sydney's West", but in Sydney's centre. Perhaps we should be calling Parramatta Sydney's CBD, and the area around Sydney Cove Sydney's Eastern or Harbour Business District. Interestingly, the early colonists seemed to have expected that would happen. The centre of government was moved to Parramatta by the time Bligh was governor. It was the head of navigation, it had much better land for farming and so on. Over the past few decades Harbourside Sydney has divested itself of most of its authentic commerce. It remains a powerful financial centre, a centre for tourism and so on. But it isn't a working harbour in the way it once was (that's now in Botany Bay), and places like Darling Harbour, Barranagaroo and the Bays are no longer big centres of trade. It may be full of coffee shops, restaurants, heroic buildings and events, but most of the 'real' industry is now well to the west. Much of the east has become merely a residential and recreational resort for the well-heeled. Like Dubai, it's becoming more an ornament than a place of productivity (albeit with a prettier biota). RM Transit has an interesting clip at the moment about high speed metros (>100 kph) and their emerging role for speedy connection between moderately distanced urban centres (What we've sometimes called 'Inter-city' or 'Interurban' services). I suggest that's a viable future proposition to better connect 'the six cities', and that Parramatta should be at its centre.

[@jack2453]

I remember the Mayor of Parramatta wanting to rename Sydney as 'Port Parramatta'

[@yukko_parra]

logically on the map, parramatta is the centre of development of the cumberland county. by drive, it takes equal time to get to the edges of the county, so logically it should be the centre

[@tobyb6248]

It still is (and likely will always be) the second CBD in the region. The area around Sydney CBD (not going off archaic LGA boundaries) is far higher than that around Parramatta. The Sydney CBD has such low residential density because it is actually full of offices and space for business - Parramatta does not come close to the office space and number of workers. So yes, Sydney CBD is certainly still the Greater CBD. By a very large margin - it certainly isn't 'old language'.

[@yukko_parra]

@@tobyb6248 ngl someone should start a "Western Sydney is the Greater City" movement.

[@johnhamilton6003]

Disagree slightly about your point about metro passengers having to go via Epping & Strathfield to Parramatta. People in Kellyville, Rouse Hill and Cherrybrook all have relatively direct buses to Parramatta meaning that even if the light rail extension to Epping did exist, it would be far quicker for them to get a bus to Parramatta than get a train to Epping then switch to the light rail

[@ktipuss]

9:00 Yes, correct about the missed opportunity of continuing from Carlingford to Epping Station. That would mean putting tracks along Carlingford Road, but the current Roads division of NSW Transport would sooner agree to having all their teeth pulled out than to allow trams along one of their PRECIOUS (gollum gollum) main roads!

[@frostbyte9175]

Overhead wires seem to come down more often than commuters should have to bear, batteries with inductive charging sure is more future proof. The whole project shows vision for a Sydney metropolis of some 8 million people in 3 decades or so.

[@mnipp]

The CBD and South East Light Rail in Sydney use "Alstom APS" a third rail for power on the street when overhead wire is not appropriate. Interesting that Parramatta Light Rail will go battery instead.

[@rawpowerinmotion]

Castle towers shopping centre will be as big as Chadstone if their proposed upgrades are implemented... potentially Costco

[@FlamencoOz]

I hate what they have done to Castle Hill. Some of the ugliest apartments in Sydney around that Metro plus the half finished apartments because that crook ran off to Lebanon. The Hills Shire council one of the most corrupt in NSW (and the bar was already set pretty low).

[@DavidCranney-q8l]

I expect the section along the old rail line to Carlingford will the quietest part of the LR route. Currently this route serves mostly low density housing and has no significant service hubs (except Western Sydney Uni Parramatta campus near Yallamundi) so traffic will be fairly light. The future stage two to Olympic Park will be a much busier route. Having said this, any future extension from Carlingford to Epping would increase ridership substantially.

[@jack2453]

Removing the Cammelia-Clyde link and not building the Carlingford-Epping link does risk this part if the line being a nowhere to nowhere railway.

[@carisi2k11]

This second CBD is a silly concept since there are allready other CBD's other then Parramatta in Sydney. North Sydney, Chatswood, Liverpool, Hurstville, Bankstown, Campbelltown and Penrith. Aerotropolis is being built within the Liverpool LGA. The trams are hybrids with only some of the line running on battery power.

[@eddielong8663]

So what's wrong with Parramatta being prioritised? As picturesque as Sydney CBD's natural landscape is, if Sydney was to be rebuilt from scratch, Parramatta would be the location of the main CBD as it's simply more centralised in regards to the broader Sydney region.

[@mediocrelifter950]

How long did you live in the UK before you moved? Do you reckon UK public transport in cities is better than Australian cities

[@mgp1203]

that's a no brainer

[@Ram8as]

With the WSA Airport looming, I believe Penrith needs its own Light Rail to reduce congestion on roads. I believe, Penrith will become a 4th City

[@MainTransportvlogs]

Nice video

[@wattsvanes4613]

I live right in the middle of carlingford and parramatta, the light rail completely misses me :/, gonna have to catch the bus still

[@MelodyMan69]

Light Rail / Trams will only work if they are co-ordinated with existing Public Transport. Would love to see the Survey that establishes the NEED. Do you have that or are these plans replacing what routes existed in the 1960s ??

[@tobyb6248]

Yes it’s all in the strategic planning documents. All available online

[@jack2453]

Echoing some other comments, there is a bit of an arms race between overhead wires, battery and other track based delivery systems. This will play out depending on which how delivery, battery and recharging technology develops. Decisions for individual networks can be made now based on cost, æsthetics and compatibility with existing systems but eventually there will be a winner and it doesn't really matter which.

[@martythemartian99]

Based on the last 20 years, I feel it is not a case of how the technology develops, but how fast. Older electric cars sold second hand have ranges of 80 -150km, while I saw a new car (Audi) just this morning with a range of over 700km. Here in Adelaide, the powers that be have canceled further overhead electrification and have converted the last of the diesel railcars (2 motors in each car) to hybrid power (1 motor and 1 battery). It is possible they may soon be two or three car sets with only 1 motor and 3 to 5 batteries, with future replacements being full battery electric. The two lines with overheads are the longest lines, so they can continue for years till the battery tech takes over.

[@pavels470]

They've been spruiking it as the 2nd city ever since they found a steady supply of fresh water there 😂

[@ArtemimiOCE]

I just hope that once they become operational, the businesses around the light rail can be helped because they must be at risk of losing their business due to the construction of the light rail and the whole world getting sick and all.

[@matthewwelfare1605]

The walking connection between the current Westmead Station and the new Westmead Light Rail Station is terrible and dangerous. The construction is only on the light rail side The other side has steep and has uneven pavement. Taking a wheelchair there is taking life into ones hands. The wheelchair nearly tips over. Needs to be spoken about.

[@jzmmm]

Bernard oval? It’s pronounced more like Benno. Pretty sure it’s named after the iconic voice of channel 9s wide world of sport: Richie Benaud.

[@laulapchun3000]

Any exposed wires is inherently hazardous to people and animals, they need to be properly maintained and they extract birds.

[@asjeot]

Sydney's future economic engine is in the west and public transport spending should be directed there or else the only mode of transport will be personal vehicles on clogged up roads.

[@jaskaransidhu5120]

A light rail from Epping to Parramatta would hardly be effective there's already a bus route that runs between both stations and then on to Macquarie Uni I don't see how the light rail would get me there in the same time ecspecially since it's going around Dundas to Carlingford instead of taking the straight route there like the bus.

[@victorsvoice7978]

The extension to Epping to link up with the North West metro is a good idea. But it may never be built. Just like the North West Metro extension from Talawong to St Marys. This may never be built. But they had to turn a perfectly good rail line at Bankstown into a Metro. Whose dump idea was that? The North West Metro should have been completed first to service the passengers from the new western Sydney airport.

[@tangiers365]

Why doesn't it connect carlingford to epping. What a waste just like the metro not connecting to schofields

[@BDub2024]

The trackless trams are battery generated aren't they. You bolster the batteries at each of the tram stops (sorry, trackless trams stops). I've always thought having wires to move trolley buses and trams as old technology.

[@jack2453]

Yes battery buses do exist.

[@dan7564]

I still can't understand what advantage they give over busses? Can someone explain them to me please?

[@tobyb6248]

Far higher potential capacity is the main benefit over buses. They also have a better 'brand' where people would generally favour them higher than a bus.

[@dan7564]

@@tobyb6248 But judging from the ones I see in the video, it's about the size of two busses. Just buy two passes and then the wait between the next one will be halved. I still don't understand.

[@tobyb6248]

@@dan7564 Well no. The average Sydney bus can fit max about 80-90 people. The Parramatta trams can fit 425. So you would require five times the number of buses to match that capacity. Parramatta LR will have 10 services an hour. For buses to reach that capacity you would be needing 50 buses an hour which is just ridiculous. You have that many buses operating on a corridor and you start getting delays too. That plus the better ride quality and people generally prefer trams and its clear.

[@haemolysis]

Not much advantage at all. 4 bendy busses and a light rail service you have overnight! Light rail projects are just about splashing cash and getting a “product to market” faster than heavy rail so politicians can brag… only sometimes that doesn’t even go to plan… the eastern suburbs light rail was a billion $ and 1 year over. Womp womp.

[@jack2453]

​@@dan7564The capacity is quite a bit more than 2 buses. But even then, two buses need two drivers and are up twice as much road. But they cost a lot more than two buses - but they last longer. So it is not an easy choice.

[@BIGIFANDYELLOWCARD]

Stage 2 is going to be a disaster. 50% of the rail is going down already rat run streets in Ermington. Also no connection to meadowbank station where you can catch the ferry or go right to CBD?

[@BDub2024]

How do you get your fares. Do you just scan on and do they have ticket inspectors that regularly check people's tickets/cards?

[@yukko_parra]

as a local (who uses the other light rail lines often), you scan at the station, and there may or may not be guards that check your opal card/credit card. it's based on a trust system.

[@BDub2024]

@@yukko_parra our trains are based on trust system too. but you regularly see inspectors. having said that, people sometimes walk on to the buses free. the bus drivers just don't want an argument.

[@yukko_parra]

@@BDub2024 same here, we both have inspectors for railways (tram and train, maybe metro), but never bus.

[@chickentoucher55]

Their is no game, to change

[@roballen3281]

tunnel the Carlingford to Epping DOH...

[@Soundmaster91]

Battery power saves cost of development, Im for it, nothing about how it looks.

[@KhanPiesseONE]

I’m a Brisbane local so I’m not sure about this but can someone tell me how long it would take to go from Carlingford station to Epping station via bus and how frequently the bus would go?

[@calebmoore1582]

15 minutes and 15 minutes respectively.

[@daveduffy1755]

No its to isolated doesnt meet ip with other tram systems and stops at a part time rail service The carlingford line should have continued underground to epping then joined uptothe greater systems

[@user-ix4zy2rv1l]

Pretty sure it's not the lack of how but the lack of will be the government.

[@adam_nathan]

I am very much against battery powered trams, it’s a cost cutting measure that harms the environmental sustainability of the project, makes it far less energy efficient, and creates an unnecessary fire risk

[@Tmm42s]

Hey is your accent British

[@kylekutasi950]

It's a tram to nowhere... Also, look up Richie Benaud so you can pronounce his name properly.

[@maxwalker1159]

!

[@gordondyer7383]

Great commentary Hello GOVT dig a tunnel 2 CONNECT Missing Link i like your videos

[@ashleyjaytanna1953]

How can it be a game changer if it never opens. Supposed to open 2 months ago...still testing. Means nothing to expect "game changer" if still testing. Money should have been spent on Roads instead

[@jonimiller1954]

Who the heck is the V/O artist - its terrible, sorry, but it detracts from an otherwise excellent Vid.

[@theozziepotato]

Does anybody honestly care about overhead wires?

[@tim7554htp]

Anyone who mispronounces Benaud should be ashamed of themself.

[@nswtrains3153]

And Nnn-gara 😂

[@DJ99777]

Sydney is a wasteland.

[@artoosh2968]

Will it be a game changer? No. It's the same train line which had f all passengers. The busses running down this route are empty. Complete and utter waste of taxpayer money.

[@AnarchyEnsues]

Yay, slow trams , slowing down cars in our cities. For the cost per km, they should of had a state plan of building multiple tunnels across the city instead

[@terencemccarthy8615]

Oh ffs!

[@mediocrelifter950]

If this is a troll comment, then well done. If not, this is such a dumb take, you can move a lot more people on trams then you can with car traffic, also makes urban places more pleasant. Tell me, do you prefer walking around George Street now? Or ten years ago

[@AnarchyEnsues]

@@mediocrelifter950 it's not a troll comment.. surface light rail costs way to much per km... Where possible it should be an underground system. Surface light rail is slow.. has to contest with car traffic which slows it down massively, reality is a bus system with bus lane would of been cheap and potentially more effective. But buses aren't as sexy. I agree spend money. Should have a massive plan more fast underground metro system.

[@chrismckellar9350]

Cars are slowing buses and trams as well. Remove cars, trams and buses have quicker travel times.

[@AnarchyEnsues]

@@chrismckellar9350 dude, live in political reality... That's not going to happen. It's a 40 year project .. we have some parts of it... But it needs to be a 100% commitment to build a real metro everywhere... And underground

[@RichardNeumann-dl2rr]

The Canberra trams are being upgraded with batteries too to run through the Parliamentary Triangle! 🚋🔋