Capital Metro, Canberra
Aerial view of Northbourne Avenue looking north from Civic with City Hill & the Vernon Circle in the foreground | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Owner | ACT Government | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Canberra | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Transit type | Light rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of lines | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of stations | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chief executive | Martin Pugh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | Transport Canberra | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operation will start | 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of vehicles | 14 Urbos | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Train length | 33 metres | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
System length | 12 kilometres | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Capital Metro is a light rail system under construction in Canberra - the main city of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The initial line is planned to link the northern town centre of Gungahlin to the city centre (Civic).
History
The construction of the light rail line was part of a deal struck between the Labor Party and The Greens following the 2012 Australian Capital Territory Election, at which Labor required Greens support to form government.[1][2] In the 2013/14 ACT budget, $5 million was allocated for early design work.[3] In September 2014, the business case was approved by the government.
The project was developed by the Capital Metro Agency. Responsibility for the project transferred to a new organisation, Transport Canberra, from 1 July 2016. The new organisation combined the Capital Metro Agency with the city's bus operator, ACTION.[4][5] The line will be delivered under a public private partnership.[6][7] Expressions of interest were received from the following consortia:[8][9]
- ACTivate: Downer Group, Plenary Group, Bombardier and Keolis Downer[10]
- Canberra Metro: Pacific Partnerships, Mitsubishi Corporation, John Holland, CAF, Deutsche Bahn, Aberdeen Asset Management, Leighton Contractors, and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi[11]
- CANGO: Macquarie Capital Group, Obrascon Huarte Lain, SMRT International, UGL Rail and Siemens
- Connecting Canberra: Capella Capital, Transdev, Alstom and Acciona Infrastructure
In March 2015, the government announced that ACTivate and Canberra Metro had been selected to move on to the Request for Proposal stage of the procurement process.[12][13] The bidders submitted their final proposals for the Gungahlin to the city route on 4 September and had an additional four weeks to submit their proposals for a potential expansion of the project, from the city to Russell.[14] The Canberra Metro consortium was announced as the preferred tenderer in February 2016 and the contract was finalised in May.[15][16][17] Under the contract, Canberra Metro will operate and maintain the line for 20 years, after which ownership will pass to the ACT Government.[18][17]
Design and construction costs are budgeted at $707 million.[17] The Federal Government will contribute $67 million to the project.[18] Construction of the depot commenced in July 2016 with major construction of the route itself due to begin at the end of the year.[19] The line is due to open in 2019.[20]
The opposition Liberal Party opposes the project. In April 2015, the party announced it would cancel any contracts for the light rail if it won the 2016 ACT election.[21] A year out from the poll, the light rail project was already predicted to be the election's major issue.[22] The election saw the Labor government returned, with the party claiming the result as an endorsement of the project. As predicted, the light rail project was the major issue of the campaign.[23][24]
Route
The 12 kilometre line will have its northern terminus at Hibberson Street in Gungahlin, and follow Flemington Road, the Federal Highway and Northbourne Avenue to the southern terminus between Alinga and Rudd Streets in the City Centre. It will be double track for its full length.[17] A turnback track will be located to the north of the Dickson stop.[25] There will be 13 stops.[26] The main bus interchanges will be located at Gungahlin, Dickson and City.[17]
Operation
A complete journey will take around 24 minutes.[39] The contract specifies the following minimum service levels for hours of operation and service frequency:[17]
Day | First service | Last service |
---|---|---|
Monday to Thursday | 06:00 | 23:30 |
Friday and Saturday | 06:00 | 01:00 the following day |
Sunday | 08:00 | 23:30 |
The last services from Gungahlin depart half an hour earlier. The first service from the city on Sunday departs half an hour later. |
Day | Departure time | Frequency | |
---|---|---|---|
To the city | To Gungahlin | ||
Monday to Friday | 06:00-07:00 | 15 minutes | 15 minutes |
Monday to Friday | 07:00-07:30 | 6 minutes | 10 minutes |
Monday to Friday | 07:30-09:00 | 6 minutes | 6 minutes |
Monday to Friday | 09:00-16:00 | 10 minutes | 10 minutes |
Monday to Friday | 16:00-17:30 | 6 minutes | 6 minutes |
Monday to Friday | 17:30-1800 | 10 minutes | 6 minutes |
Monday to Friday | After 18:00 | 15 minutes | 15 minutes |
Saturday | All day | 15 minutes | 15 minutes |
Sunday | Not stated |
Fleet
CAF will build and provide twenty years of maintenance for the fleet of 14 Urbos trams that will operate the network.[40] The trams will be 33 metres long and consist of five modules. There will be four doors on each side of the vehicle. The first vehicles are scheduled to be delivered in late 2017.[41] The depot will be located in Mitchell.[42]
Potential extensions
To Woden
The consortia participating in the procurement process for the initial line were asked to develop plans for an expanded route from the City Centre to Russell via London Circuit and Constitution Avenue. This additional 3.2 kilometre section was estimated to boost the patronage of the line as a whole by more than 30%. The proposal highlighted the desire of the National Capital Authority to use wire-free technology to power the trams in areas controlled by the authority.[43][44] The ACT Government decided not to proceed with the expanded route, however it committed to releasing a plan for a second stage of the light rail network prior to the October 2016 territory election. It was considering extending the line not only to Russell but to the broader parliamentary triangle, possibly including Canberra Airport and the Australian National University.[45]
In July 2016, the government released a short-list of four potential routes that could form the second stage of the light rail network. The routes were:[46]
- City to Canberra Airport via Constitution Avenue & Parkes Way
- City to Belconnen Town Centre via Barry Drive past Calvary Hospital & the University of Canberra
- City to the Parliamentary Triangle via either Commonwealth Avenue or Kings Avenue
- City to Mawson via Woden
In September, the government selected a truncated version of the Mawson route that ends at Woden as its preferred second stage project. The route is around 11 kilometres long. Construction is planned to begin shortly after the completion of the first stage.[47][48] The Australian Government will be invited to make a contribution to the project as part of its City Deals program.[49]
Twenty-five year vision
In October 2015, the ACT Government released a plan for a city-wide light rail network that would be built over a period of twenty-five years.[50] The plan includes the following elements:[51]
Corridor | Notes |
---|---|
Gungahlin to City | The first stage of the network |
Parliamentary Triangle | Connecting City to Russell, City to the Parliamentary Zone and Russell to the Parliamentary Zone. High priority corridor. |
Woden to City | Running via Adelaide Avenue. High priority corridor. |
Tuggeranong to Woden (Athllon Corridor) | Running either via the Athllon Drive Corridor or the existing rapid bus alignment along Erindale Drive |
Eastern connections (Fyshwick and Canberra Airport) | Additions to the Parliamentary Triangle routes, from Russell to Canberra Airport and the Parliamentary Zone to Fyshwick. High priority corridor. |
Belconnen to City | Running via Southern Cross Drive and Barry Drive |
Molonglo to City | Woden to City via Hindmarsh Drive, John Gorton Drive and Parkes Way |
References
- ↑ "Parliamentary Agreement for the 8th Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" ACT Greens 2 November 2012
- ↑ Canberrans not completely on board light rail project: poll Canberra Times 3 August 2014
- ↑ "Canberra light rail funding included in budget". Railway Gazette International. 2013-06-10. Retrieved 2013-06-11.
- ↑ "Transport Canberra - Public Transport Improvement Plan 2015" (PDF). ACT Government. p. 6.
- ↑ Lawson, Kirsten; McIlroy, Tom (27 October 2015). "ACTION and Capital Metro Agency to be rolled into one from 2016". The Canberra Times.
- ↑ A Public Private Partnership for Canberra Metro Capital Metro
- ↑ Canberra light rail project moves ahead after business case approved ABC News 16 September 2014
- ↑ Carter, Mark (24 December 2014). "Bidders line up for Canberra LRT tender". International Railway Journal.
- ↑ Major companies vying for chance to build ACT light rail network, ABC News Online, 22 December 2014, accessed 1 February 2016
- ↑ Consortium members ACTivate Canberra
- ↑ John Holland to deliver Canberra light rail project John Holland 17 May 2016
- ↑ Barrow, Keith (19 March 2015). "Two bidders shortlisted for Canberra LRT". International Railway Journal.
- ↑ "Preferred consortia announced for light rail project". ACT Government. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ↑ Belot, Henry (4 September 2015). "Canberra light rail hopefuls submit final bid papers for $783 million contract". The Canberra Times.
- ↑ Canberra Metro selected to build stage one of light rail from Gungahlin to the city ABC News 1 February 2016
- ↑ Capita Metro named as successful light rail consortium Canberra Metro 1 February 2016
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Capital Metro PPP Contract Summary" (PDF). Capital Metro Agency. June 2016. pp. 3, 5, 9, 13.
- 1 2 "Contracts signed for Canberra's first light rail project". Capital Metro. 17 May 2016.
- ↑ Sibthorpe, Clare (12 July 2016). "Construction begins on ACT light rail depot at Mitchell". The Canberra Times.
- ↑ Canberra light rail contract signed Railway Gazette International 18 May 2016
- ↑ "Light rail contract 'will be torn up' if the Canberra Liberals win 2016 ACT election". ABC News. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ↑ "Light rail will dominate next year's ACT election. Both main parties have more explaining to do". The Canberra Times. 11 October 2015.
- ↑ Knaus, Christopher (15 October 2016). "Election win shows comprehensive support for light rail". The Canberra Times.
- ↑ "ACT election: Labor Chief Minister Andrew Barr claims victory, says Canberra has voted for light rail". ABC News. 15 October 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- 1 2 "Capital Metro - Canberra's light rail: design drawings" (PDF). Arup/Hassell/Parsons Brinkerhoff/Capital Metro Agency. pp. 32, 33. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Routes and Stops". Transport Canberra. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Capital Metro - Canberra's light rail: design drawings" (PDF). Arup/Hassell/Parsons Brinkerhoff/Capital Metro Agency. p. 8. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Capital Metro - Canberra's light rail: design drawings" (PDF). Arup/Hassell/Parsons Brinkerhoff/Capital Metro Agency. p. 10. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Capital Metro - Canberra's light rail: design drawings" (PDF). Arup/Hassell/Parsons Brinkerhoff/Capital Metro Agency. p. 13. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Capital Metro - Canberra's light rail: design drawings" (PDF). Arup/Hassell/Parsons Brinkerhoff/Capital Metro Agency. pp. 15, 16. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Capital Metro - Canberra's light rail: design drawings" (PDF). Arup/Hassell/Parsons Brinkerhoff/Capital Metro Agency. p. 43. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Capital Metro - Canberra's light rail: design drawings" (PDF). Arup/Hassell/Parsons Brinkerhoff/Capital Metro Agency. p. 25. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Capital Metro - Canberra's light rail: design drawings" (PDF). Arup/Hassell/Parsons Brinkerhoff/Capital Metro Agency. p. 27. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Capital Metro - Canberra's light rail: design drawings" (PDF). Arup/Hassell/Parsons Brinkerhoff/Capital Metro Agency. p. 44. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Capital Metro - Canberra's light rail: design drawings" (PDF). Arup/Hassell/Parsons Brinkerhoff/Capital Metro Agency. p. 36. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Capital Metro - Canberra's light rail: design drawings" (PDF). Arup/Hassell/Parsons Brinkerhoff/Capital Metro Agency. p. 37. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Capital Metro - Canberra's light rail: design drawings" (PDF). Arup/Hassell/Parsons Brinkerhoff/Capital Metro Agency. p. 40. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Capital Metro - Canberra's light rail: design drawings" (PDF). Arup/Hassell/Parsons Brinkerhoff/Capital Metro Agency. p. 41. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "City to Gungahlin - Stage One". Transport Canberra. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Canberra Metro named as successful light rail consortium". ACT Government. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
- ↑ "CAF awarded the supply of Canberra trams, in Australia". Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles. 1 February 2016.
- ↑ "Nuts and bolts". ACT Government. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
- ↑ Carter, Mark (9 February 2015). "Canberra expands light rail project". International Railway Journal.
- ↑ McIlroy, Tom (10 September 2015). "Underground power plan for Russell light rail extension". The Canberra Times.
- ↑ Knaus, Christopher (7 June 2016). "ACT Budget 2016: Budget shows 'rubbish' claims on tram cost, chief minister says". The Canberra Times.
- ↑ Lawson, Kirsten (21 July 2016). "Labor announces possible Canberra light rail extensions to build in next term of government". The Canberra Times.
- ↑ Knaus, Christopher (2 September 2016). "Labor announces light rail to go to Woden". The Canberra Times.
- ↑ "Canberra light rail's second stage to link Woden and Civic, ACT Government says". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 September 2016.
- ↑ "ACT light rail funding to be discussed at 'City Deals' meeting with Prime Minister". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 November 2016.
- ↑ McIlroy, Tom (26 October 2015). "Woden and Parliament next for light rail lines in Canberra tram master plan". The Canberra Times.
- ↑ "Light Rail Network - Delivering a modern transport system for a growing city". ACT Government.
External links
Media related to Capital Metro at Wikimedia Commons