Five new LRVs from Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) will delivered from 2024. The existing light rail fleet of 14 vehicles will be retrofitted with onboard batteries allowing them to operate on a wire-free extension to Commonwealth Park and the future Stage 2B extension to Woden.
The works will begin after the submission of an environmental evaluation and work approval application for the Stage 2A project. Stage 2A is jointly funded by the Australian and ACT Governments.
“The Australian Government understands the importance of investing in reliable and efficient transport to help commuters and travellers navigate their home. This is another significant step in a project that will reduce congestion and improve travel times,” said local government minister Catherine King.
The project is set to develop three new stations with stops at City West, City South and Commonwealth Park, 1.7km (1.05 miles) of double track with an integrated ticketing system, wire-free track design, traffic signalling, road improvements and tree plantings. The five new LRVs will allow existing vehicles to be temporarily moved out of service, retrofitting them with batteries without impacting current light rail services. The light rail depot at Mitchell will also be expanded for the ongoing maintenance of the larger fleet of LRVs.
“We need to order new LRVs now, and upgrade our existing fleet and depot, to ensure we have enough vehicles manufactured, delivered, tested and ready to start services to Commonwealth Park when construction of the track is completed,” said Chris Steel, ACT minister for transport and city services. “Moving to retrofit all existing LRVs with onboard energy systems for wire-free running shows our commitment to delivering light rail, not only to Commonwealth Park, but right through the Parliamentary Triangle to Woden.”
The depot work is expected to be completed by mid-2024, ahead of the arrival of the LRVs. The next steps in the light rail Stage 2A project are the commencement of main construction works to raise London Circuit. These works will include
It is also expected that the Canberran public will have some level of input into final light rail design in 2023 as part of the works approval application.
“The LRV modifications and depot expansion will increase the network’s capability to improve connectivity for people needing to travel for work or to access services and events in the southern part of the city,” said Alicia Payne, Federal Member for Canberra, adding, “This project and associated works are expected to support up to 1,000 jobs over its life, which is a significant amount of local employment.”