At 11:00 on Saturday, the new light rail connecting Circular Quay to Randwick has been opened!
It is one of the most troublesome public transport projects in Sydney.
The light rail has been criticized for its budget blowout, repeated delays in opening to traffic, protracted law disputes and disruptive effects on businesses and residents! Starting on Saturday, Sydney will have a chance to look at what light rail, built along one of Australia`s oldest streets and leading to the East side, will hand over the answers.
How much is the fare?
The new light rail from Circular Quay to Randwick, also known as L2, is free of charge on its first weekend, but the standard distance-based Opal fare will take effect from Monday.
The one-way fare from Circular Quay to Randwick is A $3.73 for adult Opal cards. The L 3 extension, which opened in March, is also a one-way ticket from CBD to Kingsford. )
Short stations such as Circular Quay to George Street, such as Town Hall, cost A $2.24.
Passengers who use adult Opal cards and non-contact payments can enjoy a A $2 transfer discount if they switch to the light rail within 60 minutes of getting off from train, bus or ferry.
The New State Transportation Bureau said the fare was calculated on the basis of the "straight line distance between the boarding and unloading stations."
How long is the trip?
A few months ago, traffic models from the New State Transportation Department estimated that a trip would take 38 to 40 minutes along the entire route between Circular Quay and Randwick.
But the consortium responsible for delivering the project later said the "initial" trip would take about 50 minutes, mainly because tram drivers had to slow down at George Street because "the behavior of some pedestrians near the light rail is still unsafe."
This means that in the first few months of operation, trams will be about 20 minutes slower than buses between Circular Quay and Randwick.
The speed limit for trams in pedestrian areas such as George Street is 20 km / h, Circular Quay to Moore Park is 40 km / h.
Interval departure time?
The running time of the light rail is from 5: 00 a.m. to 1: 00 a.m. every day. Once the branch line to Kingsford is opened, trams in either direction will be available every 4 minutes, with the remaining lines from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every 8 minutes.
Before that, there was a shift between, Circular Quay and Central every 4 to 8 minutes, and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., between Central and Randwick every 8 to 12 minutes.
However, government said it was willing to consider providing services later in the weekend to "meet the needs of night economic" after the curfew was lifted.
How many seats are there?
Each 67-meter-long tram can carry up to 450 passengers, including 96 seats. But counting flipped seats, the number of seats can be increased to 120.
Government forecasts that once the line is fully operational, it will carry 13500 passengers an hour-6750 in a single direction-at the peak of the day.
What is the final cost of this project?
The project has been a political and financial challenge for government.
Budget spending in 2014 was A $1.6 billion, but to this day, the budget has also been blowout and rose sharply for the third time last month, and taxpayer spending will soar to more than A $2.9 billion.
