A report has dumped on plans to extend Canberra’s light rail system, saying it’s the wrong solution to the national capital’s public transport problems.

The costs of ongoing work to extend the network are so excessive that they could affect the future financial position of the ACT, according to the report, which is authored by a team of experts including academics and senior public sector figures with expertise in urban planning, transport logistics, and economics.

The initial 12km light rail line linking Gungahlin in the north to the city centre was built after the 2012 ACT election despite analysis showing a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system would have been cheaper and better, the authors say.

An extension of the line to Woden is currently being planned in two stages. Stage 2A will go to Commonwealth Park and stage B will go to Woden.

But the report argues that the ACT is being locked into a rigid, inflexible and expensive public transport system that is unsuited to its topography.

“There is simply no justification for the ACT Government to be spending massive amounts of money on Light Rail Stage 2A and 2B, to service less than 10 per cent of Canberra’s commuting public,” it says.

Cost blowouts

The authors say the report comes in response to grave concerns about Canberra’s public transport future  and the financial position of the ACT “due to the excessive and disproportionate amount of money” being spent on the light rail project.

The continuing expenditure on Light Rail Stage 2A will only add to the Territory’s growing debt and increasing interest charges, the report says, as well as diverting money from public services like housing, schools, police, womens refuges and roads.

Light rail is an expensive approach to meeting Canberra’s public transport needs. It is inflexible and services only a small percentage of the commuting population. Other options can offer fast, flexible services at lower cost than light rail.

Report: 21^st Century Public Transport Solutions for Canberra

The cost of Stage 2A of the light rail has blown out from $268 million in 2019 to more than $1.2 billion, the report says, and Stage 2B is also likely to top $1 billion with ‘negative’ net benefits and major engineering challenges, including navigating around Parliament House.

Instead of proceeding with the light rail, the ACT should be looking at an integrated system comprising EVs, BRT, trackless trams and high occupancy vehicle lanes, the authors recommend.

Industry peak disagrees

However the project has the backing of the nation’s peak rail industry body, which argues the claims made in the report don’t take into consideration the significant long-term economic benefits of light rail, as well as providing an efficient public transport solution.

“Light rail projects in Australia and across the globe have consistently shown to dramatically transform communities, driving urban renewal and growth along its corridor, supporting better housing and job opportunities,” Australasian Railway Association (ARA) CEO Caroline Wilkie says says.

“Furthermore, light rail will greatly contribute to Canberra’s journey to net zero emissions and offers an accessible, safe, easy-to-use transport solution.”

And while light rail might be more expensive to construct than introducing a new bus route, operationally it is comparatively cheaper to run than other modes, she said.

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