Parramatta. 'Are priorities on the mark?'

President of the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce, Stephanie Dale, questions whether the light rail network, proposed by Parramatta City Council, is the answer to the mass transit woes of Western Sydney. “If it is, are the priorities on the mark?”, she asked. Ms Dale instanced the north-west area and yet the Western Sydney Light Rail Link to the area “is still only indicated as ‘proposed’, which means it is a long way off … if ever”. Ms Dale said the first stage of the network would be from Castle Hill to Bankstown, the second from Westmead to Carlingford and the third which joins Macquarie Park to the Carlingford line. Parramatta Lord Mayor, Lorraine Wearne, said a feasibility study into the Western Sydney Light Rail Network would commence early next month after council committed to fund the first stage of the proposal.

Parramatta. Call for light rail funds

Parramatta Lord Mayor, Lorraine Wearne, has called on the federal government to divert part of the $2.1 billion originally set aside for the $8.5 billion Parramatta to Epping rail-link, to help further the development of a Western Sydney Light Rail network. The proposal would improve access to employment in Westmead, Parramatta CB, Macquarie Park and have links to the University of Western Sydney and Macquarie University. It also aims to improve regional connections across Western Sydney, including Castle Hill, Bankstown, Liverpool, Blacktown and Sydney Olympic Park.

Parramatta. Light rail proposal

Parramatta City Council has developed a concept for a Western Sydney light rail/metro network and has applied to the federal government’s Liveable Cities Program for funding to undertake a two-part feasibility study. “When you consider that within the next 20 years, the majority of Sydney’s population will be in the west, we need solutions that recognise the growth of labour markets outside of the city CBD. A light rail or metro system is a viable option for Western Sydney. It is more reliable than buses, cheaper and quicker to implement than heavy rail and can facilitate faster, more regular services,” Parramatta Lord Mayor Lorraine Wearne, said

Light rail network

Council says the Carlingford rail line and the Transitway bus network could form the basis of Western Sydney light rail networks centred on Parramatta, and vacant land at the former Sydney Water site, at Camellia, could be used for a tram dept. The Transitway network was originally designed for later conversion to trams but this was dropped as a cost saving measure. Council said the poor patronage of the Carlingford line and the light rail systems in the Sydney CBD was due to the lack of integration with other public transport