Light rail taking shape in Westmead

Major construction on the Parramatta Light Rail has started in the Westmead Health Precinct to provide crucial access to one of Australia’s largest health, education and research hubs.

Minister for Transport Andrew Constance said the Parramatta Light Rail will provide ‘turn-up-and-go’ services seven days a week, linking Westmead customers to rail, bus, ferries, and the future Sydney Metro West.

“These world-class health services and facilities will be more accessible than ever, taking the Westmead Health Precinct to the next level,” Mr Constance said.

“The precinct will cater to more than 40,000 full-time staff and 30,000 students by 2036 and building this type of infrastructure will be key to our economic recovery and will help get people back to work, important parts of the NSW Government’s COVID Recovery Plan.

“It’s vital we have strong public transport infrastructure in place to support this growth and deliver this legacy project for future generations.”

Upcoming work includes removing the road surface, replacing underground utilities and rebuilding the road.

Mr Constance said the Westmead Redevelopment project is one of the biggest health infrastructure projects in the state, intended to transform the Westmead Health Precinct and deliver an innovative, integrated facility that will continue to deliver high- quality healthcare for decades to come.

“We recently finalised work to prepare for the light rail in the area with the widening of Hawkesbury Road. These are big changes and we ask for your patience as we undertake significant works to create a connected, revitalised Westmead Health Precinct

The $2.4 billion Parramatta Light Rail will connect Westmead to Carlingford via the Parramatta CBD and Camellia, and is set to open in 2023.