Arup provides technical advisory to light rail project in Sydney
Sydney continues to expand as urbanisation continues. To better prepare itself for a future free of congestion, pollution and climate emission, the NSW Government has signed off on a $1 billion+ Parramatta Light Rail project. Once completed, the corridor will connect various cultural and business ends. Arup has been commissioned to provide infrastructure technical advisory to the project.
Australia’s population is set to become almost completely (90%) urban by 2030, while Sydney is set to see its population grow by around a million to 5.3 million in the same period. One of the major growth hubs in Sydney, one of the globe's 25 most sustainable cities, is Parramatta along its western frontier, which too is set to see significant growth.
In a bid to improve the transportation across the area, in the face of increased congestion pressures from growth, and costs, the NSW Government has invested some of its capital into the development of a future-proof, sustainable and eco-friendly light rail network. Parramatta Light Rail provides approximately 22-kilometres of track through the suburbs, and is aimed at improving the connectivity between key social sites, such as Westmead Hospital, Sydney Olympic Park, and the campuses of Western Sydney University.
To provide infrastructure technical advisory services for the light rail track, the NSW Government has hired Arup. The firm will leverage its consultation expertise to support the project across all technical disciplines and urban design aspirations for the corridor. Construction on the project will begin in 2018.
Ryan Andriessen, Project Manager Parramatta Light Rail at Arup, says, “Parramatta Light Rail will activate intra-city accessibility and amenity in a way that other transport modes cannot. It will also connect local areas and catalyse urban uplift in emerging precincts, while delivering an essential and reliable transport service.”
Related projects
Arup has provided a range of technical and advisory services to projects across Australia, including the development of Sydney Opera House, and its current maintenance efforts; the development of the Bruce Highway; and the Australian Rail Track Corporation with technical and engineering advisory regarding the construction of the Australian Inland Rail network.
