Design Considerations

The upcoming City and Commonwealth Park stage of light rail to Woden gained environmental approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) in February 2021. The EPBC Act provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places.

Light rail between the city and Commonwealth Park will be wire free. This will mean a narrower track built in the middle of the road as light rail will be running in the road median. It will also help preserve heritage vistas along Commonwealth Avenue.

All existing light rail vehicles will be fitted with onboard energy storage to facilitate the transition from the wired Stage 1 project section to the wire-free section.

Light rail to Woden will help deliver a more integrated public transport network for Canberrans. Canberra’s light rail will integrate with the bus network and deliver new pedestrian and cycling connections to encourage active travel. Services will run at least every five minutes during peak hour services.

Active transport is an important part of Canberra’s culture and essential to creating a more sustainable city. Light rail enables keen cyclists to easily embark on a multimodal commute, with vehicles each equipped to carry up to four bikes. Future park and ride facilities will also include bike racks to encourage active transport to and from light rail stops.

Complementary works around light rail precincts will provide pedestrians greater access to community areas via new footpaths. Stops are located on pedestrian desire lines to provide access to major attractions such as the lakefront and provide public transport at future development sites.

Transport Canberra will ensure the bus and light rail timetables work together to give passengers seamless transition between the two services. As demonstrated in Stage 1 (Gungahlin to Woden), future stages of Canberra Light Rail will provide seamless connectivity with buses.

While light rail will form Canberra’s new public transport spine from Gungahlin to Woden, buses will remain an essential way to travel to nearby local areas. Bus services will not be reduced as a result of light rail.

Canberra light rail vehicles have been designed for ease-of-access for people with varying degrees of ability. Each light rail vehicle is fitted with twelve priority seats, two dedicated spaces for wheelchairs, low floors (no steps throughout), double doors, and dedicated areas for bicycles.

Other ways accessibility is considered in the design of light rail vehicles and stops:

• The floor of the light rail vehicle is 350mm above the track, minimising the potential for tripping hazards. The advantage of this design includes a reduced gap and step between the platform.
• Customers of all abilities will be well served through elements such as hearing induction loops, auditory announcements, digital information displays, accessible ramps, near level boarding to light rail vehicles and tactile elements.
• Coloured hand grips are placed on the inside of the light rail vehicles adjacent to the doors to facilitate ease of boarding and alighting for persons with reduced mobility. Audio alarms indicate the activation of the light rail vehicle doors accompanied by lights on their closure
• All stops are designed to be straight, with no curves, meaning the gap between vehicle and platform can be minimised. This helps ensure optimal access for all customers and reduce the risk of trips and falls. If a user is uncomfortable to board unassisted, a ramp is available for deployment by the driver to assist.