STAGE 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail project in Sydney’s western suburbs will be built in two phases rather than one, the New South Wales government has confirmed.
The government has also confirmed that it will increase funding for the 10km project to $A 3bn ($US 2.1bn), and expects construction of the first phase, Stage 2a, to start in the first quarter of next year. Enabling works, along with construction of a new bridge over the Parramatta River and work on the first 1.3km of the line, are already underway.
Stage 2a comprises 4.5km of double track, a second bridge over the Parramatta River linking the districts of Camellia and Rydalmere, nine new stops, an expanded stabling and maintenance facility near Rosehill Gardens racecourse, and an additional 13 LRVs. The state government has not disclosed the total cost of Stage 2a.
Stage 2b, linking Wentworth Point with Olympic Park, will include five new stops. However, the state government has not indicated when construction will begin. Completion of the whole 10km Stage 2 was originally expected in 2032.
Stage 2 will connect with the 12km first stage of the Parramatta Light Rail network that opened in December 2024, serving 16 stops from Westmead to Carlingford via central Parramatta. It will also provide interchange with Sydney Metro West (currently under construction) and commuter lines in Parramatta and Sydney Olympic Park, as well as ferry services at Rydalmere and Sydney Olympic Park.
Stage 1 attracted an average of 12,000 passengers each day in the initial 11 months of operation between January and November 2025, almost half the 22,000 that the state government had predicted the line would carry by 2026.
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