Of Trams, Light Rail and More . . .

George Street is one of Sydney’s busiest major streets with parts of it now having been closed for works to expand Sydney’s light rail system, artist's impression above of the imagined final result.

The work is expected to take 3 years and, predictably, has caused traffic headaches and delays. Businesses adversely affected may not survive.

Funnily enough, Sydney did have trams until the 1961, when the tracks were ripped up and the trams retired. RIP Sydney Trams 1879-1961. Likewise it had a monorail, also ripped up and retired. RIP Monorail 1988-2013. On the other hand Sydney does now have bicycle lanes where cars previously parked.

Questions remain: Will the expanded light rail system work? Does it take into account that Sydney was never developed with a light rail system in mind? Is it a solution or simply a patch? Time will tell.

Gallery:

Some pics of trams in bygone Sydney.

Horsedrawn tram which ran between Newtown and St Peters stations, c1894

Broadway, 1890’s (Sydney University at the back, St Benedict’s spire on left)

Early model electrified trams on George Street near Hunter Street, c 1900

George Street, early 1900’s

Trams outside the Queen Victoria Building, 1920

George St, 1920’s

Cicular Quay, early 1920’s

Collision tram and truck, early-mid 1940’s

Kings Cross 1950

1950's

Ripping up the tram tracks, Sydney 1961
(Note the lack of barricades, lollipop men and fluoro vests, and the state of the art steamroller)

More artist's impressions of what we are to receive . . .