The 12-kilometre Sydney CBD and South East Light Rail network is now complete and operational.
Passenger services are now running on the new L3 Kingsford Line between Circular Quay and Kingsford.
The first passenger tram departed Juniors Kingsford at 5am Friday, April 3 and services on the line will run until 1am on Saturday morning.
This is the second part of the $2.9 billion CBD and South East Light Rail project, which began operating between Circular Quay and Randwick four months ago.
Sydney Light Rail stated that operations will be fine-tuned over a period of time as the L3 Kingsford Line is integrated with the L2 Randwick Line and while services are bedded down.
“With light rail running down Anzac Parade through Kensington and Kingsford, it is vital all road users follow traffic signals and for pedestrians in particular to be aware that there are two-stage crossings to connect to the light rail stops,” Sydney Light Rail said in a statement.
NSW Minister for Transport Andrew Constance didn’t attend the opening due to travel restrictions and opened the line remotely via video message.
“Opening the Kingsford leg is an important completion of the project,” Constance said in his virtual message.
“It’s not a time to get on the light rail for fun.”
Transport for NSW stated that the opening of the new line is focused on benefiting passengers who need to undertake essential travel, giving them another option.
The opening of the new line provides public transport for workers and the community in the south east as it services the important health precinct and the city.
From 4 April 2020, trams on both the L2 Randwick Line and L3 Kingsford Line will operate between 5am and 1am, with weekday services between 7am and 7pm running every 4-8 minutes in the CBD and every 8-12 minutes in the South East.
In Parramatta, work is continuing on the construction of the light rail line there. As construction of public transport is deemed an essential service, the project is progressing as planned.