Tram systems in Canberra
Canberra is the capital of Australia and the country’s largest inland city. It is located within the Australian Capital Territory, approximately 250 kilometres southwest of Sydney. Canberra was established as a purpose-built national capital, with its central layout based on the winning design submitted by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin in the international design competition held in 1911.
Canberra’s public transport network consists principally of buses and light rail, both operating as part of the integrated Transport Canberra network. Canberra railway station in Kingston is served by NSW TrainLink passenger trains to Sydney, while intercity coaches provide connections to other regional and interstate destinations. Canberra Airport handles domestic and international flights.
Canberra’s light-rail system currently consists of a single 12-kilometre line between Gungahlin Place in the north and Alinga Street in the city centre. The route follows Flemington Road, the Federal Highway and Northbourne Avenue and is operated by Canberra Metro Operations as part of the Transport Canberra network.
Passenger services began on 20 April 2019 with 13 stops. Sandford Street opened as an additional stop on 16 September 2021, increasing the total to 14. The line provides an important public transport connection between the growing northern suburbs, Dickson and central Canberra.
Canberra currently has 1 tram line, details of which can be found on the Lines tab.
Electric tramways formed part of Walter Burley Griffin’s original vision for Canberra, with the city’s broad avenues and transport corridors intended to accommodate public transport as the capital developed. Those plans were not implemented, and Canberra instead relied primarily on buses throughout most of the 20th century.
Proposals for a modern light-rail system re-emerged during the 1990s and early 2000s. These included schemes for a route along Northbourne Avenue and public demonstrations using preserved trams, but none progressed to construction.
The modern project took shape after the 2012 Australian Capital Territory election, when construction of a line between Gungahlin and the city became government policy. The business case was approved in 2014 and Canberra Metro was selected in 2016 to design, construct, operate and maintain the system.
Construction began in July 2016, the first rails were laid in October 2017 and testing commenced in June 2018. Passenger services began on 20 April 2019. The original line contained 13 stops, with Sandford Street subsequently opening in September 2021 as the network’s first infill stop.
Canberra currently has 1 tram line, which is listed below. To see more information about the line, click on the link in the table below.
Construction is underway on a 1.7-kilometre extension from Alinga Street to Commonwealth Park. Known as Stage 2A, it will add stops at Edinburgh Avenue, City South and Commonwealth Park and will include a new light-rail bridge over Parkes Way.
The extension will operate without overhead wires between Alinga Street and Commonwealth Park. Canberra’s existing light-rail vehicles have therefore been fitted with onboard batteries, while five additional vehicles were ordered with the same capability. Construction is expected to be completed during 2027, followed by testing and commissioning before passenger services begin in 2028.
Stage 2B would continue the line from Commonwealth Park to Woden town centre, completing a north–south route through central Canberra. The proposed extension would cross Lake Burley Griffin on a new bridge before passing through the National Triangle and continuing along Adelaide Avenue and Yarra Glen.
Nine additional stops are proposed. The alignment has been confirmed, but the project remains within the design, environmental assessment and approvals process and does not yet have a confirmed construction or opening date.
Longer-term planning has identified possible light-rail corridors from Woden to Tuggeranong and between Belconnen, central Canberra and Canberra Airport. These corridors form part of the wider vision for a citywide network, but their routes, construction programmes and opening dates have not been confirmed.