Light rail in Parramatta struggling to entice commuters since opening

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Sydney's Parramatta light rail has been operating for 12 months, but the average number of commuters is almost half the projected target. Residential development in areas surrounding the line is forecast to boost passenger numbers long-term.

Transcript

00:00It's been a year since the first passengers boarded the Parramatta light rail.

00:06The state government originally predicted it would have an average of 22,000 people

00:11using it a day by 2026.

00:14From January to November this year, the service averaged just below 12,000 daily trips across

00:19its 16 stops, an uptake that's slower than expected.

00:24It takes time for any light rail to build patronage, but it's lacking a cohesive plan

00:28around land use and events and places to go to drive patronage.

00:35Those who use it regularly say it's convenient.

00:38It's more open compared to the train, so yeah, and not much people use it, so it's alright.

00:42It's very good so far.

00:44I would much rather prefer light rail than Sydney trains.

00:47However, the Parramatta light rail still runs light.

00:50The Rosehill Gardens stop averaged less than 130 trips a day so far this year.

00:56It is also very easy to drive to, but over time that'll area will change.

00:59Uptake on the light rail has increased, but weekend patronage is still low.

01:04What they're showing is it's too dependent on commuters.

01:08There's not enough people using it to travel to the shops.

01:11The data shows the busiest day on the service was in August, with about 13,000 trips that day.

01:17These numbers are expected to gradually increase when stage two of the light rail opens,

01:22connecting Parramatta to Olympic Park.

01:25Transport for New South Wales says its main priority with the light rail is safety,

01:29with near misses across the service.

01:32We have seen a number of collisions with road vehicles at different areas of the

01:36Parramatta light rail, tapping on and off for years to come.

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