The South East Light Rail Will Be Up and Running by the End of 2019 (Supposedly)

If you've wandered through Surry Hills or the CBD recently, you've probably seen quite a few passenger-less trams zooming around. And you've probably been wondering, like us, if they'll be taking passengers anytime soon. The answer is yes: by the end of the year (supposedly).

It's been a heck of a long time coming, but after multiple delays, it looks like you might be able to board a tram on Sydney's new light rail by the end of the year. Finally.

To summarise the saga that is the CBD and South East Light Rail project: it was first announced back in 2012, construction began in 2015 and, since then, it's faced legal stouches, cost blowouts and delays galore, due to everything from awry overhead wires and a discovery of thousands of Indigenous artefacts. It was initially meant to be completed in early 2019, but that was pushed out to March 2020.

Now, Transport for NSW is confident the first commuter services will be up and running by December. Just in time for all that Christmas shopping and economy boosting, of course. The project's completion also tidily coincides with the scrapping of the lockout laws in the CBD. Cynics will say it's more than a coincidence.

It's expected just part of the line, from Circular Quay to Randwick, will be up and running, however, with testing kicking off just last week on the Kingsford to Kensington stretch. Speaking of testing, there's a lot of it going on at the moment across the CBD–Randwick stretch of rail, so Transport for NSW is telling pedestrians, cyclists and drivers to keep a keen eye out for the trams. If you want, you can watch a tram safety video here.

Commuter services on the CBD–Randwick stretch of the CBD and South East Light Rail are expected to start in December 2019.