With the Newcastle Light Rail now up and running in the CBD, civic leaders are already looking ahead to “Light Rail 2.0”.
The second instalment would stretch beyond the CBD, connecting Wickham to Broadmeadow, and thus the heavy rail corridor to the light rail network, according to transport operator Keolis Downer Hunter’s corporate affairs director Andrew Fletcher.
“I think there is unanimous support [for a light rail extension] from our civic leaders; certainly [Newcastle] lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes has been very vocal about the need for Light Rail 2.0 to start being planned,” Mr Fletcher told Newcastle Weekly.
“It would connect to the heavy rail [in Broadmeadow], which would be useful for major events at [McDonald Jones] Stadium, and complement plans to develop the area with affordable, medium-density housing.”
For now, Keolis Downer, and indeed the community, is celebrating the completion of what has been almost five years in the making, from state funding allocation to tools down.
The 2.7-kilometre Newcastle Light Rail has six stops, from Newcastle Interchange on Stewart Avenue, to Honeysuckle, Civic, Crown Street, Queens Wharf, and, finally, Newcastle Beach.
While the sixth and final tram in the fleet is being commissioned, services will run eastbound and westbound every 10 minutes.
When the fleet is fully operational, the frequency will increase to seven-and-a-half minutes, which Mr Fletcher said was classified as a “turn up and go” service.
“This means when somebody turns up, they know [a tram] is coming,” he said.
“This instils confidence in a reliable system, and is world-best practice.”
To ride the light rail, passengers are encouraged to use an Opal card, which guarantees multi-trip discounts.
For instance, if passengers connect via rail, bus or ferry, it only costs an extra 20 cents to hop on the light rail, compared to a $2.20 (adult) or $1.10 (concession) flat fee for light rail only.
However, passengers can buy one-off, single trip tickets from the driver without using an Opal card.
Services kicked off on Monday in what Mr Fletcher termed an “historic” day for the city.
“The commencement of light rail makes Newcastle a truly integrated and multi-modal network,” he added.
For a timetable and further information, go to newcastletransport.info
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