Want the chance to be one of the first to take a ride on Canberra’s new light rail?
The ACT Government is offering Canberrans the chance to win one of 150 double passes to ride a light rail vehicle (LRV) in a preview loop, which will see the winners do a full loop of the alignment in a ‘sneak peek’ on Thursday 18 April, two days before the public launch.
“Canberrans have seen the progress of light rail all the way from the planning stages to now seeing LRVs running up and down the route as they complete their final tests. I know many people are eagerly waiting to get on board,” said Transport Minister Meegan Fitzharris.
“This will be an exciting moment in Canberra’s history, and we want to give people the opportunity to experience light rail with this community preview, prior to the official launch.”
The rest of the public will have the chance to ride along the route at the public launch, expected to be Saturday 20 April. Minister Fitzharris encouraged people to “leave the car at home” and utilise the free bus services that will take people to and from the City and Gungahlin terminals.
In announcing the light rail start date, Minister Fitzharris said while Canberra Metro is confident light rail will be operational by the planned start date, timing is still dependent on Canberra Metro meeting all third party rail accreditation requirements.
“As with any complex infrastructure project, there are risks that can affect timing such as weather, the testing and commissioning of rail and signalling systems, and third party accreditations,” she said.
“Ultimately, our number one priority is the safety and quality of the system, so we will need to be flexible if there are issues that push the start date back, and we are working on those contingencies.”
Travel on both the light rail and Canberra’s new bus network will be free for the first month of operations. Passengers will be able to use MyWay cards for travel on LRVs and buses.
Ballot entries close on Wednesday 3 April, and are restricted to one entry per person. For more information or to enter, visit transport.act.gov.au. Charities can email [email protected] for the chance to win in a charity lottery.
For more:
