The second stage of the Parramatta light rail has been revived after months of speculation over its future, with the NSW government set to allocate $50 million to the project in next week’s state budget.
The government commitment to the second stage, which will link Camellia and Sydney Olympic Park via Wentworth Point, comes seven months after NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance indicated he was considering a trackless tram option for the route.
Stage one of the Parramatta light rail is set to open in 2023 at a cost of $2.4billion. NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the new money would be spent on stage two planning, geotechnical work and an environmental impact statement.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the tender process for the next stage would begin ahead of the opening of stage one, and estimated the price would reach into the billions.
“We will want to keep rolling into the next stage, absolutely. It’s a project in the billions, not the tens or hundreds of millions,” Mr Constance said.
The NSW government previously announced a preferred route for the second stage of the Parramatta Light Rail that would connect Stage 1 and Parramatta CBD to Ermington, Melrose Park, Wentworth Point and Sydney Olympic Park.
About 50 per cent of the tracks on stage one are expected to have been laid by the end of the month, according to the government.