Track being installed on Northbourne Avenue. Photos: ACT Government.
The first track for Light Rail Stage 2A has been laid, just under a year after work began to extend the network to Commonwealth Park.
The ACT Government marked the milestone by releasing photographs and a video of the work.
It means light rail services between Alinga Street and Sandford Street will return to normal from first service tomorrow (24 January).
But temporary platform arrangements at the city bus interchange will remain in place until Sunday, 1 February.
Construction crews installed the new track this week at the Alinga Street and Northbourne Avenue intersection as part of a month‑long construction blitz connecting the current network with the 1.7‑kilometre extension.
Stage 2A has also necessitated a range of other projects to relocate and upgrade underground utilities on Northbourne Avenue and London Circuit.
The government says it is part of the most significant transformation of the city centre since self-government, and will set up Canberra as a more connected, liveable city for decades to come.
The utility upgrade works are almost complete and the Northbourne Avenue works are reaching their final stages, but it will be some months before it is reopened to traffic.
Further trackwork will next take place across London Circuit West and Commonwealth Avenue.
Other works to be undertaken this year include the light rail stops at Edinburgh Avenue, City South and Commonwealth Park.
Installation of “green track” on London Circuit and Commonwealth Avenue will also begin later in the year.
Sections of turf, groundcover and succulent species will help the track blend into the surrounding landscape, reduce glare, noise and dust, and absorb rainwater.
Other infrastructure on the way includes new traffic signals, street lighting, retaining walls, paving, asphalting and landscaping to complement the light rail extension.
Once complete and commissioned, Stage 2A will provide commuters with better access to City West, the ANU, New Acton, Commonwealth Park and Lake Burley Griffin.
Testing and commissioning will follow construction, with the first passenger services to the new city stops planned for 2028.
While construction on the new line steps up, the light rail fleet is being prepared for wire-free running between the Alinga Street and Commonwealth Park stops.
Five LRVs have been upgraded with new on-board energy storage systems (OESS) to enable wire-free travel, and 14 will eventually be retrofitted ahead of the completion of the light rail extension.
Five new light rail vehicles are pre-fitted with OESS units, with four already in service.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the government was delivering on its commitments to improve public transport, build new facilities and revitalise aging infrastructure in the city centre.
“Extending light rail is a key part of this plan, along with the new Lyric Theatre, the Canberra Aquatic Centre and the UNSW Canberra city campus,” he said.
“These are once-in-a-generation investments that will make our city centre more accessible and create jobs and economic activity.”
Transport Minister Chris Steel said Stage 2A remained on schedule to deliver operational light rail services to Commonwealth Park in 2028.
“I’d like to thank the community for their patience during the construction blitz and use of bus replacement services,” he said.
“Some further construction work will be required on Northbourne Avenue over the coming months, and we will keep the community updated.
“While this work is disruptive now, it is part of a wider vision to improve Canberra’s CBD for generations to come.
“By improving public transport from the city to the lake, the project will provide better access to homes, workplaces, businesses, health services, education and recreation opportunities, including the ANU, the lake, City West and New Acton.”
Light Rail to Woden Stage 2A is jointly funded by the ACT and Australian governments.
