Parramatta Light Rail Wins ARA Sustainability Award
Transport for NSW’s Parramatta Light Rail (PLR) Stage 1 has been awarded the Sustainability Excellence Award at the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) Rail Industry Awards 2025, celebrating its pioneering contributions to sustainable transport infrastructure and urban revitalisation.
PLR Stage 1 was recognised for its innovative and forward-thinking practices that offered creative and practical sustainability solutions, driving meaningful transformation.
Opened in December 2024, the 12-kilometre light rail line connects Westmead to Carlingford via Parramatta’s CBD, featuring 16 fully accessible stops. The project supports the NSW Government’s A Metropolis of Three Cities strategy, delivering on the vision of a “30-minute city” by linking key precincts: the Westmead Health Precinct, Parramatta CBD, and suburbs along the former T6 Carlingford heavy rail corridor.
PLR has set new benchmarks in sustainable design and delivery, earning a record-breaking Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) ‘Leading’ As-Built Rating of 104.35—the highest ever awarded. This was achieved through:
- 28.5% reduction in materials
- 34% reduction in energy use
- 22% reduction in water consumption.
Innovative features include
- NSW’s first ‘green track’ and Australia’s longest across three areas along the alignment (1.3km)
- Micro-tunnelling under Parramatta CBD to reduce disruption
- Digital 3D modelling and augmented reality for utility mapping
- Australia’s first encapsulated rail boot system to reduce noise and vibration
- Western Sydney’s first shared light rail and pedestrian zone at Church Street
- Wire-free zones preserving heritage in the Cumberland Precinct
- Use of macro-synthetic fibres to reduce steel in track slabs
- Installation of the Bidgee Bidgee Bridge—NSW’s second-longest steel arch bridge
- A new 5.7km walking and cycling path from Carlingford to Parramatta
- Over 5,500 trees planted across Parramatta
By 2026, over 130,000 residents will live within walking distance of the light rail, with daily ridership expected to reach 22,000. The project is forecast to remove the equivalent of 25,000 cars from the road, cutting 2.4 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions by 2041.
PLR’s success reflects Transport for NSW’s commitment to integrating transport with green placemaking, heritage preservation, and inclusive urban design. The project has also championed workforce development and embedded lessons from past infrastructure projects into its delivery model.
Find out more about the awards and the award winners and finalists