Tag Archives: Sydney metro area

Sydney Metro – the new poles and wires, and where to for Labor’s transport policies?

For better or for worse, the State Government’s recent victory on power assets means it has both the power and the financial resources to fundamentally reshape Sydney’s public transport infrastructure for the next 30 to 50 years. So instead of continuing my series … Continue reading

Posted in Governance, Growth, Introduction, Public Transport, Sydney metro area, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

A tale of three light rail lines (and two to come) – part 1

Australian cities have come relatively late to the light rail revival which spread across the globe in the latter decades of the 20th century, but lately they seem to be making up for lost ground. There are now three substantially new or … Continue reading

Posted in Growth, Infrastructure, Public Transport, Sydney metro area, Transport | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

NSW State Election 2015: what are the major parties promising to do about transport?

I thought it would be useful to summarise what the major parties – The Liberals/Nationals, Labor and the Greens – are promising in relation to transport in relation to the upcoming NSW state election. The following is drawn from a … Continue reading

Posted in Governance, Infrastructure, Planning, Sydney metro area, Transport, Western Sydney | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Sydney’s light rail project part 3 – trying to do too much?

In my last couple of posts I talked about some of the changes to Sydney’s CBD and South East Light Rail (CSELR) project contained in the Modifications Report (MR) which was released late last year as well as the implications of one … Continue reading

Posted in Infrastructure, Public Transport, Sydney metro area, Transport | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

CBD and South East Light Rail part 2: what is the cost of going wire-free?

After my recent post on the CBD and South East Light Rail (CSELR) the final $2.1 billion cost was revealed with the signing of the contract for the project in December last year. The half-billion dollar increase from the government’s … Continue reading

Posted in Infrastructure, Public Transport, Transport, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

CBD and South East Light Rail – modifications, implications and complications

Recent reports regarding modifications to Sydney’s CBD and South East Light Rail (CSELR)project have highlighted two aspects announced by the NSW Minister for Transport – the move to longer trams and the removal of the World Square stop. These are contained in the CSELR Modifications … Continue reading

Posted in Infrastructure, Public Transport, Sydney metro area, Transport | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Sydney rail network: seven signs of a potential privatisation?

In my last post I discussed the implications of the North West Rail Link (NWRL) for the 2015 and 2019 NSW state elections. This time I thought I’d survey the wider implications of some of the state government’s public transport … Continue reading

Posted in Infrastructure, Public Transport, Transport | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Akbil and the Istanbulkart – lessons from Istanbul in electronic ticketing

Before I post my follow-up to the fare integration post, I thought I’d make a short diversion to Istanbul which is where I am at the time of writing. Apart from its intrinisc fascination as a city, Istanbul is also … Continue reading

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Will the new NSW Transport Authority succeed?

Yesterday’s announcement by the new NSW Government of the creation of a new Integrated Transport Authority (ITA) not only fulfils a major election promise but also highlights the extent of the government’s transport ambitions.   The announcement also echoes many … Continue reading

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Last food orders on the urban frontier?

Recently I was asked to comment for a newspaper article on the plight of the last piggery in the Sydney basin, which is under pressure from urban expansion. The piggery is located in the corridor for the South West Rail … Continue reading

Posted in Environment, Growth, Planning, Population, Sydney metro area, Western Sydney | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment