Dear Mr Hodges MP,

I hope you are well. Thank you for consulting your constituents regarding a potential bus service between Cherrybrook Metro and Carlingford Light Rail. I appreciate your openness to public feedback. I would like to propose an alternative—or rather, a complementary—idea for your consideration: extending the Parramatta Light Rail by 4 kilometres from Carlingford Light Rail station to Epping Metro Station.

Below are some arguments, benefits, and possible approaches. I hope you might consider advocating for this extension in your discussions and planning work.

Proposal
Extension: From Carlingford Light Rail Station north-east to Epping Metro Station
Length: ~4 km
Purpose: To create a direct rail/light rail connection between Western Sydney (via Parramatta / Carlingford) and the significant interchange at Epping (Metro + heavy rail).
Mode Options: Traditional light rail, “trackless tram”/autonomous rapid transit; use of shared road corridors or dedicated rights-of-way where feasible.

Rationale & Community Needs
Bridging the “Uncrossable Zone”
Although Sydney’s rail and metro network is extensive, there remains no direct rail/light rail connection between many parts of Western Sydney and Northern / North-West Sydney. Currently, to travel from Carlingford or Parramatta toward Epping/North, commuters often must use buses and make transfers, which increases travel time and inconvenience. An extension would help close this gap, improving connectivity for many.

Improving Resilience & Redundancy
We have seen recent service disruptions on the Sydney Trains network (e.g. outages like those on 20–21 May). While efforts are made to ensure reliability, transport networks that provide alternate routes or mode choices are more resilient. Having a light rail link to Epping would allow Metro / heavy rail users to access Parramatta/light rail without being solely dependent on a single line or bus routes.

Addressing Low Patronage Concerns
One criticism of the Light Rail (Stage 1) is that, as currently designed, with Carlingford as the terminus, usage may be lower outside peak times, and return trips (i.e. empty trams) could reduce efficiency. Extending to Epping—another transport and commercial hub—would likely boost ridership throughout the day, improving the business case and return on investment.

Economic / Employment Growth in Western Sydney
Western Sydney is projected to generate tens or hundreds of thousands of new jobs by 2030. With large residential and commercial growth, better transport infrastructure will be vital to support these communities. The earlier connectivity improvements happen, the more benefit to people’s daily lives, the environment (fewer car trips), and to state/council budgets via increased productivity and lower congestion.

Complement to Sydney Metro West’s Long Timeline
Sydney Metro West is welcome, but it is not scheduled to carry passengers until 2036. In contrast, an extension from Carlingford to Epping, if planned carefully, might be realised sooner. This could help deliver benefits earlier, reducing pressure while longer-term projects are underway.

Growing support for the light rail extension
My petition on Change.org in this regard has received 725 signatures from the community. You may find the petition here - Petition · Extend the Parramatta Light Rail by 4kms to Epping Metro Station!! - Parramatta, Australia · Change.org

Feasibility & Possible Solutions
I recognise there might be challenges—space constraints, cost, engineering (road widths, topography, intersections). However, some approaches and technologies might reduce the barrier:

Trackless Trams / Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART): These systems can use existing roads (or partially upgraded ones), eliminating or reducing the need for heavy track infrastructure or overhead wiring. They are reportedly much cheaper per km to build (some estimates suggest ~60–80% lower capital cost compared to conventional light rail) and can have shorter construction times. (Public Transport Research Group)

Shared Road or Hybrid Corridors: In many places, trams/light rail share roads or run in medians, or via dedicated lanes embedded in roads. This reduces the need for full land acquisition or building entirely separate corridors. Where possible, this approach can lower the footprint and cost (though care is needed regarding traffic impacts). Melbourne is a helpful reference where trams sometimes run in shared or semi-shared road space.

Phased Planning: Start with planning the alignment and major engineering or design studies now; possibly build smaller sections or use interim solutions such as trackless trams while finalising funding for heavier infrastructure if needed.

Key Supporting Data / Considerations
Trackless Rapid Transit (TRT) has been used elsewhere, with claims it can mimic the ride experience of tram/light rail, provide capacity, and do so more cheaply per kilometre. (Monash University)

There exists community support for the extension: in previous public submissions for the Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1 project, many have raised concerns that ending at Carlingford wastes the opportunity to connect to Epping, which is a major hub. (Planning Portal)

Request / Call to Action
I respectfully request that:

You consider formally raising the possibility of extending the Light Rail from Carlingford to Epping in your work with the NSW Government and Transport for NSW.

You advocate that the extension be considered as part of current or upcoming planning (even if it is not delivered immediately), so that land, station design, and interchanges are future-proofed for such an extension.

You explore the viability of trackless tram / ART or other lower-cost alternatives, and consider including them in feasibility studies.

You support ensuring that public transport planning in Greater Western Sydney moves not just toward new metro lines, but also toward better connectivity (east-west, north-south), redundancy, and shorter-term improvements that benefit sooner.

Thank you for considering this suggestion. I believe the extension to Epping would deliver real benefits: better connectivity, better value, and improved resilience for our public transport network.

Yours sincerely,
Nelton D'Souza