Sydney's eastern suburbs light rail network has improved its end-to-end run time by 10 minutes since opening, the state government says, but it's still running slower than the 37 minutes promised.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Transport Minister Andrew Constance on Wednesday told a budget estimates hearing when it opened to the public in mid-December, trams from Randwick to Circular Quay took 50 minutes.
The 12-kilometre journey has since been reduced to about 40 minutes but is yet to hit the 37-minute mark.
Mr Constance admitted roughly 40,000 people were using the light rail each day - despite a peak network capacity of 13,500 people per hour.
"Give light rail a bit of a chance to bed down," the minister said on Wednesday.
"We've seen it drop from around 50 minutes to 40 minutes already, so it's not too bad in the first three months of operation. We're bedding the system down, getting people used to catching it."
The line's development marked the return of light rail to George Street for the first time since 1958.
A coupled tram holds up to 450 passengers - the equivalent of nine buses.
Mr Constance promised when the $2.9 billion network opened that trams would run at full speed within six months.
He added on Wednesday that the Kingsford branch line - running down Anzac Parade from Moore Park - would open by early April at the latest.
Australian Associated Press
