Newcastle Goes Wireless

The Property Council has advocated clearly and consistently for policy settings and design features to make Newcastle Light Rail a model of sustainability. Above all else, our government submissions have emphasised how the integration of light rail infrastructure within the cityscape must promote quality urban amenity and maximise economic opportunity.

One of our strategic recommendations was a catenary-free operation to reduce visual pollution and preserve the aesthetics of Newcastle’s cultural heritage. And rather than utilise an energised third track such as some sections of Sydney’s CBD, we advocated for the latest on-board power storage systems.

These are exactly the innovative measures announced last week by the NSW Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Unlike the last generation of trams, which relied on a “spaghetti-factory” of overhead wires for motion, Newcastle’s wireless trams will “power-up” each time they stop at a station and will recover the kinetic energy used in braking.

This cutting-edge transit technology makes Newcastle’s Light Rail system the first in Australia to be wireless and reinforces the urban transformation taking place in NSW’s second-city.