Dulwich Hill Line

Dulwich Hill Line
Mode	Light rail
Owner	Transport for NSW
Operator(s)	Transdev Sydney
Connects	Central railway station Pyrmont Glebe Annandale Lilyfield Lewisham Dulwich Hill
Length	12.8 km (8.0 mi)
Stations	23
Fleet	Variotram Urbos 3
Depot(s)	Pyrmont light rail depot
Key dates
1997	Line opened to Wentworth Park
2000	Extended to Lilyfield
2014	Extended to Dulwich Hill
Route map

Dulwich Hill Line
Legend
Central Capitol Square Paddy's Market Exhibition Centre depot Convention Pyrmont Bay The Star John Street Square Fish Market Wentworth Park Glebe Jubilee Park Rozelle Bay Lilyfield stabling facility Leichhardt North Hawthorne Marion Taverners Hill Main Suburban railway line Lewisham West Waratah Mills Arlington Dulwich Grove Dulwich Hill Bankstown Line

The Dulwich Hill Line (numbered L1 and also known as the Inner West Light Rail), is a light rail line in Sydney, Australia running from Central railway station through the Inner West to Dulwich Hill. The 23-stop, 12.8-kilometre (8.0 mi) route is the only operational light rail line in Sydney.

Background

Main article: Metropolitan Goods railway line

Diagram of the Metropolitan Goods lines

Most of the alignment of the Dulwich Hill Line had its origins as the Metropolitan Goods railway line. From the time when the Sydney Railway Company was formed in 1848, it had been the intention of the company to build a freight terminal at Darling Harbour. To this end, a railway line was constructed between the Sydney Railway Station (the predecessor to Central railway station) and Darling Harbour, which opened on 26 September 1855. This line was extended to Dulwich Hill via Lilyfield in 1922. A short branch from Lilyfield to Rozelle served another freight terminal.

With widespread use as a freight line throughout the early 20th century, the use of containers and the decentralisation of freight terminals in Sydney to places such as Port Botany and Chullora, Darling Harbour traffic was reduced considerably. The port closed and the area was redeveloped in the 1980s.

Construction

Construction and conversion of the first section of line from Central station to Wentworth Park started on 25 January 1996 and took 16 months to complete. The 3.6 kilometre line reused the former Darling Harbour goods railway line and the tram loop at Central station originally built for Sydney's former tram network, with a new section of track built along Hay Street to connect the two.

The original route opened for public operation with a limited 09:00 to 17:00 service on 11 August 1997 with three weeks of testing. The official public opening was conducted by the then Premier of New South Wales Bob Carr on 31 August.

Buoyed by the success of the original line, a four stop extension of the route opened on 13 August 2000. This saw the light rail reach Lilyfield, which was then the limit of the closed section of the goods line.

Extension to Dulwich Hill

Arlington station under construction in August 2013

In 2009 goods traffic on the line between Rozelle and Dulwich Hill ceased and in February 2010 the Keneally Government announced a 5.6-kilometre (3.5 mi) extension of the light rail from Lilyfield to Dulwich Hill.

Work to upgrade the track and remove the overhead wiring began in August 2010. The project received planning approval in February 2011. The extension was originally scheduled to open in 2012, but in September 2011 the newly elected O'Farrell Government announced that it would not open until 2014, and that the cost had risen from $120 million to $176 million. The Greenway walking and cycling path which was to run alongside much of the route was deferred. The new government blamed hasty planning by their predecessor for the delay and cost overruns, and the lack of an active transport masterplan for the deferral of the Greenway.

John Holland Group was announced as the successful tenderer for the infrastructure works on 31 May 2012, covering the design and construction of the nine stations, bridge works, signalling and power supply. The extension opened on 27 March 2014.

Ownership & operation

Standard facilities at each station

In March 1994 the Sydney Light Rail Company was formed. It was owned by Australian Infrastructure Fund (39%), Utility Trust of Australia (39%) and Legal & General (22%) and was awarded a 30 year concession to operate the light rail system until February 2028 when ownership would pass to the State Government. The service was originally operated by TNT Transit Systems.

In August 1998 Sydney Light Rail's investors formed a joint venture named CGEA Transport Sydney to purchase TNT Transit Systems, the owners of the Sydney Monorail. The shareholders in CGEA Transport Sydney were CGEA Transport (51%), Australian Infrastructure Fund (19%), Utility Trust of Australia (19%) and Legal & General (11%). Following this purchase, operations of both the light rail and the monorail became subsidiaries of Metro Transport Sydney, which then contracted out the day-to-day operations to Transdev. In March 2012, Metro Transport Sydney was purchased by the Government of New South Wales.

The line operated without serious incident until 7 October 2013, when two trams derailed within the space of 20 minutes. Sections of track were replaced in September and it is thought the new track damaged the wheels of the trams. All services were suspended and replaced by buses. Services resumed between The Star and Lilyfield on 18 October, and along the full length of the line on 30 October.

In February 2014, three consortium were short listed to build and operate the CBD and South East Light Rail line. The successful bidder will also operate the Dulwich Hill Line. The three shortlisted operators were Keolis (iLinQ consortium), Serco (SydneyConnect consortium) and Transdev (Connecting Sydney consortium). In December 2014, the Connecting Sydney consortium (which was renamed ALTRAC Light Rail) was awarded the contract, meaning Transdev will retain the right to operate the Dulwich Hill Line. The new contract begins in mid 2015.

Naming

As the original line of Sydney's light rail network, the Dulwich Hill Line lacked special branding and was simply known as the Sydney Light Rail - and later Metro Light Rail after the system was re-branded. Following the purchase of Metro Transport Sydney by the NSW Government and the announcement of the CBD and South East Light Rail, the line was referred to as the Inner West Light Rail when it needed to be distinguished from the new line. The line received its current name when it was extended to Dulwich Hill and was also given the number L1.

Patronage

Annual ridership was estimated at 3.5 million in 2007 and 4.2 million in 2013. Before the 2014 extension was opened 58% of daily trips were from the CBD to Pyrmont and 30% from the inner west to the CBD. A feasibility study published in 2010 for the extension projected that ridership would increase to 7.170 million by 2016, compared to 4.079 million if it was not built. In July 2014, Transport for NSW announced that 1.5 million trips had been taken on the line since it was extended to Dulwich Hill and that the number of trips was up by approximately 200 000 (or 15%) compared to the same period in 2013.

Fleet

Variotram in Sydney/Metro Light Rail livery

Urbos 3 in Transport for NSW livery

Main article: Light rail in Sydney § Tram fleet

When the line first opened, a fleet of seven Variotrams were built in Dandenong by Adtranz to operate the services. In conjunction with the opening of the Dulwich Hill extension in March 2014, the Variotrams were supplemented by four leased Urbos 2 vehicles. Twelve Urbos 3 trams have been ordered to boost services and replace the Variotrams and Urbos 2s. The first Urbos 3s entered service in July 2014, with the final tram expected to be delivered by the end of 2015.

Stations

The 23-station route extends for 12.8 kilometres (8.0 mi), including 1.5 kilometres of on-street operation. Apart from Central, Capitol Square and Paddy's Markets, all stops are located on the route of the former railway line. The route sees 4-6 trams per hour between 06:00 and 23:00 from Sunday to Thursday, extending to 00:00 on Friday and Saturday. During the remainder of the day, two trams per hour operate between Central and The Star.

Central

Main article: Central railway station, Sydney

	Opened
	1997
	Transfer
	Central railway station Railway Square, Eddy Avenue & Chalmers Street bus routes
	Location
	33°52′56″S 151°12′23″E

Central is the eastern terminus of the line. It serves Central railway station and is located on the first floor, parallel to, but above, Eddy Avenue. The stop connects to the Grand Concourse, Central station's main waiting area and the departure hall for medium and long distance train services.

The stop consists of a single platform on a unidirectional turning loop around Belmore Park. The use of the loop avoids having to terminate the vehicles and the removes the need for the driver to change ends. This loop was not new; it had been used until 1957 as a route on the former Sydney tramway system, but in the opposite direction. The covered area in which the light rail stop is located was previously used as a staff car-park and bus interchange.

Capitol Square

	Opened
	1997
	Transfer
	George Street bus routes
	Location
	33°52′47.2″S 151°12′20.2″E

Capitol Square is opposite the Capitol Theatre, a large theatre for long-stay, popular shows such as The Lion King. The stop is located on Hay Street, near the intersection with George Street. Hay Street is closed to all other traffic. The CBD and South East Light Rail will run along George Street, creating a tram crossing at the intersection. A connection between the two lines will be created to enable trams from the new line to access a maintenance facility at Lilyfield.

Paddy's Markets

	Opened
	1997
	Transfer
	None
	Location
	33°52′45.5″S 151°12′10″E

Paddy's Markets (formerly Haymarket) is located in Haymarket (near Sydney's Chinatown) outside the flea market type Paddy's Markets. The name also belonged to a stop on the former Sydney Monorail. The monorail stop was located to the west of the light rail stop and was originally called Powerhouse Museum. It was connected to a multi-storey car park, with a footbridge providing access to the Powerhouse Museum and the suburb of Ultimo. In 2005, both stops were renamed Paddy's Markets in a naming rights deal.

The area to the north of the light rail stop forms part of a major redevelopment of the Darling Harbour precinct. A public square exists between the stop and the Sydney Entertainment Centre - a multi-purpose events venue. The redevelopment plans include the demolition of the Entertainment Centre, car park and monorail stop, and the creation of a 'creative quarter' named Darling Square featuring retail outlets, offices and apartments. The public square adjacent to the light rail stop will be replaced with a new square further to the north. A pedestrian boulevard will run through the site of the Entertainment Centre, providing improved access from the stop to Darling Harbour. To prepare for the redevelopment, the monorail closed in June 2013 and demolition of the site commenced in December 2014.

To the west of the stop, the light rail crosses Darling Drive and joins the former freight railway corridor. The section of the corridor not being used by the light rail is being converted to a pedestrian pathway, dubbed The Goods Line.

Exhibition

	Opened
	1997
	Transfer
	None
	Location
	33°52′38″S 151°11′58.7″E

Exhibition is located between Darling Drive and Pyrmont Street. The stop serves the suburb of Ultimo and the Darling Harbour precinct. The former Sydney Exhibition Centre - a complex network of six large exhibition halls for holding expositions and trade fairs - was located on the opposite side of Darling Drive. The Ian Thorpe Aquatic and Fitness Centre is located on the opposite side of Pyrmont Street. The Powerhouse Museum is also nearby. The Exhibition Centre was demolished in 2014, as part of a major redevelopment of Darling Harbour. It will be replaced with a new theatre and events centre, which will itself replace the Sydney Entertainment Centre. A new pedestrian connection - Tumbalong Place - will provide an improved connection to Darling Harbour. The former Sydney Monorail ran parallel to the light rail through the stop.

Convention

	Opened
	1997
	Transfer
	None
	Location
	33°52′22″S 151°11′53″E

Convention is located adjacent to Darling Drive, at the western edge of the Darling Harbour precinct. The stop is accessed by means of a ramp to either platforms. Access to the outbound platform requires crossing the tracks via a pedestrian crossing. The stop is opposite the former Sydney Convention Centre and the Harbourside Shopping Centre. As part of a major redevelopment of the Darling Harbour precinct, the Convention Centre was demolished in 2014. Replacement facilities will be built on the site, alongside a new hotel, which will be located opposite the light rail stop.

A monorail stop with the same name was located a few metres down Darling Drive towards Central. The monorail closed in June 2013.

Pyrmont Bay

	Opened
	1997
	Transfer
	Pyrmont Bay ferry wharf 443 and 448 bus routes
	Location
	33°52′10″S 151°11′51″E

Pyrmont Bay is located underneath an apartment building in Pyrmont. The stop services the north western side of the Darling Harbour precinct. It is close to the Australian National Maritime Museum and the Harbourside Shopping Centre. The stop is also a de facto city stop, as many commuters from the west walk across the Pyrmont Bridge to access the city.

The Star

	Opened
	1997
	Transfer
	443 and 448 bus routes
	Location
	33°52′05″S 151°11′43″E

The Star (formerly Star City) is the primary means of public transport to and from The Star casino and entertainment complex, in Pyrmont. The stop is located underneath the casino alongside a bus and coach stop. It also services commercial offices located in the area. Between 00:00 and 06:00, services from Central terminate at The Star.

John Street Square

	Opened
	1997
	Transfer
	443 bus route
	Location
	33°52′02″S 151°11′31″E

John St Square is located in a cutting which has been partly built over by apartments as part of the conversion process from goods railway to light rail. The stop serves a largely residential area on the northern end of a peninsula in Pyrmont. Since the mid-1990s, the area has been extensively redeveloped with medium density housing.

Fish Market

	Opened
	1997
	Transfer
	501 bus route
	Location
	33°52′15.3″S 151°11′32.7″E

Fish Market is located in a cutting, adjacent to the Western Distributor in Pyrmont. It serves a mixed employment and medium density residential area, and the nearby Sydney Fish Market.

Wentworth Park

	Opened
	1997
	Transfer
	None
	Location
	33°52′27.8″S 151°11′38.5″E

Wentworth Park serves a residential area in Pyrmont. Access is available from Wattle Street and Bridge Road. A third entrance, from Jones Street, is currently under construction as part of an apartment development. The stop is named after the park on the opposite side of Wattle Street and the Wentworth Park greyhound racing track, located within the park.

The stop was the original terminus of the line when it opened with a single platform in 1997. When the light rail was extended to Lilyfield in August 2000, a new platform for Lilyfield bound services was opened. A crossover remains just past the city end of the stop. To the west of the stop, a viaduct carries the light rail over Wentworth Park. A City of Sydney depot lies to the south of the stop. This will be redeveloped as a relocated and expanded Ultimo Public School.

Glebe

	Opened
	2000
	Transfer
	None
	Location
	33°52′38″S 151°11′14.5″E

Glebe is located near the shopping area in Glebe and serves the eastern side of the suburb. A footbridge over Bridge Road connects to the outbound platform. Immediately to the west of the stop is the portal for a tunnel under the suburb of Glebe.

Jubilee Park

	Opened
	2000
	Transfer
	None
	Location
	33°52′31.5″S 151°10′43.5″E

Jubilee Park is located adjacent to Jubilee Park on the western side of Glebe. It serves a residential area. Immediately to the east of the stop is the portal for a tunnel under the suburb of Glebe, and to the west is a viaduct crossing the park and Johnstons Creek. It is situated near the former Rozelle Tram Depot, which was part of the Harold Park Paceway harness racing complex. The paceway closed in 2010 and is currently being redeveloped into medium density housing.

Rozelle Bay

	Opened
	2000
	Transfer
	433 bus route
	Location
	33°52′18.8″S 151°10′22″E

Rozelle Bay serves a residential area in the north of Annandale. It is on the edge of an embankment adjacent to its namesake bay. Access is via a walkway and steps from The Crescent below or level access from Bayview Crescent.

Lilyfield

	Opened
	2000
	Transfer
	470 and 445 bus routes
	Location
	33°52′27″S 151°09′54″E

Lilyfield serves a residential area in Lilyfield. The stop is located at the edge of a wide cutting, beneath the City West Link road which passes overhead. It is the only station on the line to be built as an island platform. The entrance is on Catherine Street, with access to the platform either by stairs or a lift. The stop was the terminus of the line between 2000 and 2014.

During the corridor's time as a freight railway line, a junction between the Darling Harbour and Rozelle branches of the line was located to the west of the stop, with the stop located on what was the Darling Harbour branch. The junction also marked the western edge of Rozelle railway yard, which accounts for the width of the cutting.

Originally, only the stop's citybound platform was used. A set of points was located past the city end of the stop, allowing the outbound track to merge with the citybound track. There was no track adjacent to the outbound platform and the platform face was fenced off.

As part of the extension to Dulwich Hill, a stabling facility for four trams was built in the cutting, to the west of the stop. The track configuration through the stop was also redesigned. In November 2013, the outbound platform was brought into use and the points at the city end were removed. A new crossover past the outbound end of the stop was installed to enable terminating trams to switch tracks and to provide access to the stabling facility.

Leichhardt North

	Opened
	2014
	Transfer
	440, 444 & 445 bus routes
	Location
	33°52′30″S 151°09′15″E

Leichhardt North is located parallel to the City West Link Road and adjacent to Francis Street and Darley Road, serving a residential area in Leichhardt. The platforms are not located opposite one another, but are staggered, with the track crossing located between the platforms. Immediately to the east of the stop is the portal for a tunnel under the City West Link. Leichhardt Oval is a short walk from the station.

Hawthorne

	Opened
	2014
	Transfer
	None
	Location
	33°52′43″S 151°08′51″E

Hawthorne is located at the border of Leichhardt and Haberfield. The stop's name is a reference to the Hawthorne Canal which runs parallel to the line through this area. The stop is also located close to the Hawthorne Canal Reserve and Hawthorne Parade.

The platforms are not located opposite one another, but are staggered, with the track crossing located between the platforms. The stop is located in a residential area, but adjacent to parkland on both the Leichhardt and Haberfield sides. A footpath was built between the closest streets - Hawthorne Parade in Haberfield and Darley Road in Leichhardt - including a bridge over the canal. This improved pedestrian access between the two suburbs which had been limited by the railway.

In the 2014 extension's design phase, the location of the stop was moved 80 metres south and the bridge was moved 160 metres south to avoid an off-leash dog area in Hawthorne Canal Reserve.

Marion

	Opened
	2014
	Transfer
	436, L37, 438/L38 & 439/L39 bus routes
	Location
	33°53′02″S 151°08′42″E

Marion is located on an embankment adjacent to Marion Street and Hawthorne Parade at the border of Leichhardt and Haberfield. The small Lambert Park soccer stadium is located parallel to the line on the opposite side of Marion Street. The MarketPlace Leichhardt shopping centre is a short walk from the stop, along Marion Street.

Taverners Hill

	Opened
	2014
	Transfer
	461, 480 & 483 bus routes
	Location
	33°53′19.49″S 151°8′43.02″E

Taverners Hill is located on an embankment adjacent to Parramatta Road and the Hawthorne Canal at the border of Lewisham, Summer Hill, Haberfield and Leichhardt. The platforms are not located opposite one another, but are staggered, with the track crossing located between the platforms. A footbridge to the south of the stop over Parramatta Road connects to the citybound platform. Taverners Hill is a well known locality name for the area to the east of the stop extending up Parramatta Road to Norton Street.

Lewisham West

	Opened
	2014
	Transfer
	Lewisham railway station 413 bus route
	Location
	33°53′36″S 151°08′37″E

Lewisham West is located on the border of Lewisham and Summer Hill. The platforms are not located opposite one another, but are staggered, with the track crossing located between the platforms. A crossover is located at the city end of the stop. At first, access to the stop was only available from the Lewisham side. An entrance on the Summer Hill side opened in late 2014.

The stop sits in an area which is currently experiencing urban renewal. The area on the Lewisham side of the stop featured various light industrial buildings, with redevelopment of the area as medium density housing commencing around the time of the stop's opening. The Summer Hill side of the stop is dominated by the former Mungo Scott flour mill, which is also proposed for redevelopment. The mill provided the final traffic for the freight railway line, and cessation of traffic after the mill's closure provided the catalyst for conversion of the line to light rail. The stop is located adjacent to the flour mill, within walking distance of Lewisham railway station on the Inner West & South Line. The 2014 extension's Product Definition Report describes the positioning of the stop:

"The site provides the most practical balance between meeting the interchange opportunity with Lewisham Station and the opportunities of the catchment and its two known developments.

Patronage at this location is currently predicted to come approximately equally from walk-up catchment and from interchange. Future redevelopment will see this balance tip significantly in favour of catchment with the stop potentially becoming a focus of the local area."

Access to the city is quickest via the heavy rail line, but the light rail provides north-south transport, in contrast to the heavy rail's east-west route.

Waratah Mills

	Opened
	2014
	Transfer
	None
	Location
	33°53′55.88″S 151°8′24.17″E

Waratah Mills serves a residential area in the northern part of Dulwich Hill. The stop's name is a reference to the former Waratah Mills flour mill located on the opposite side of Davis Street. The mill has been converted to apartments and is a local landmark.

Arlington

	Opened
	2014
	Transfer
	None
	Location
	33°54′06″S 151°08′17″E

Arlington is located adjacent to Constitution Road and Johnson Park in Dulwich Hill. It serves a medium density residential area. The stop's name is a reference to the nearby Arlington Recreation Ground (Oval) - a local sports venue on the opposite side of Johnson Park.

Dulwich Grove

	Opened
	2014
	Transfer
	418, 428/L28, 444 & 445 bus routes
	Location
	33°54′19″S 151°08′20″E

Dulwich Grove is located in a cutting between New Canterbury Road and Hercules Street in Dulwich Hill. Dulwich Grove was the name of one of the area’s two earliest land releases and first use of the name Dulwich.

The original design provided access to the stop from both Hercules Street and New Canterbury Road. The access from Hercules Street was subsequently removed from the design with a pathway provided to New Canterbury Road in its place.

Dulwich Hill

	Opened
	2014
	Transfer
	Dulwich Hill railway station 412 bus route
	Location
	33°54′37.73″S 151°8′24.85″E

Dulwich Hill (known as Dulwich Hill Interchange during planning and construction) is located in the southern part of the suburb of Dulwich Hill, adjacent to Dulwich Hill railway station on the Bankstown Line. The stop sits at the end of Bedford Crescent, where the Rozelle branch line joined the main Metropolitan Goods railway line and is thus the terminus of the light rail.

In the 2014 extension's Environmental Assessment the stop was proposed to be located parallel to the railway station with direct access from Wardell Road. This was to have been achieved by widening the cutting used by the railway lines and removing angle parking on Bedford Crescent. It was proposed to construct an island platform with two tracks.

The design was altered after a review favoured moving the stop to the end of Bedford Crescent. This final design includes a single side platform and is further away from the railway station than the original proposal, but includes a connection to Jack Shanahan Park on the western side of the light rail alignment, which improved access to the park from the east and access to the stop from the west. Other improvements cited were reduced construction cost and environmental impact due to the elimination of the extensive work required to widen the cutting under the original proposal, and the reduced need to interface with RailCorp assets.

The quickest access to the city is via the heavy rail line. The light rail runs to the north, in contrast to the heavy rail's east-west route.

External links

• Media related to Dulwich Hill Line at Wikimedia Commons
• Media related to Inner West Light Rail extension to Dulwich Hill at Wikimedia Commons
• Official Website of the light rail operator Transdev Sydney
• Photos of the extension to Dulwich Hill