Image: Transport for NSW.
It’s been over a year since the New South Wales government decided on the final route that Newcastle’s highly anticipated light rail service will take, and now it’s on the hunt for a technical advisor to help make it happen.
The development of a light rail service for Newcastle is a big part of the government’s Newcastle Urban Renewal Strategy, which was released in 2012 with $460 million allocated to the revitalisation of the city.
The light rail part of the project was allocated $103 million in the NSW State Budget 2015-16 in what will be a revival of the old Newcastle tram system that operated from 1887 to 1950.
Now Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance has announced the release of a tender for a technical advisor for the Newcastle Light Rail.
Mr Constance said this tender represents the next step towards delivering light rail and follows geotechnical investigations that took place earlier this year.
“Make no mistake, we are getting on with the job of delivering these key revitalisation projects for the people of Newcastle,” Mr Constance said.
According to the state government, the tender calls for “suitably qualified organisations” to fulfill the role of technical advisor.
The government has ordered that tenderers must be able to demonstrate specialist experience in engineering and light rail systems.
“We are committed to getting light rail in Newcastle right. To do this, we need the right people to advise us on a range of technical studies that will feed into the planning process,” Mr Constance said.
He said the delivery of a well-planned light rail network in Newcastle will help reignite confidence in the region, boosting jobs and visitor numbers.
The government expects that there will be further consultation and the release of planning documents for the Newcastle Light Rail in late 2015.
Once built, Newcastle will join the City of Sydney and the City of Melbourne with existing operational light rail/tram systems, with planning underway for similar transport systems in Canberra, Adelaide and Perth.
