Four million trips as Newcastle light rail marks five years

This weekend will mark the fifth anniversary of the tram. An open day was held on February 17, 2019 and the first public services took place on February 18, about 18 months after track construction began.

Patronage on the six-stop service peaked at 117,958 trips in the month after the light rail opened and dipped to its lowest points during the two major COVID-19 lockdowns. There were just 6,069 trips in April 2020 and 10,607 in September 2021.

Monthly trip numbers have steadily climbed since then to 86,036 trips in January 2024 - a 20 per cent increase on the previous January and the highest monthly usage since February 2020.

An average of 3019 trips were taken per typical weekday in January 2024.

"While we know COVID has changed the way people travel, in 2023 we continued to see strong patronage on Newcastle light rail," a Keolis Downer spokesperson said.

"We are well on track to reach to patronage levels observed when light rail first launched.

"There are many reasons Novocastrians love and are using light rail.

"From its frequent services making it easy to connect with bus, ferry and train services, to being able to easily explore cafes, restaurants, bars and the theatre, getting people to the beach and moving thousands of people across the city for major events such as New Year's Eve and the Newcastle Airshow.

"We also receive great feedback on light rail being fully accessible with real time displays, hearing loops and level access."

Usage of the transport service has continued to grow as time passes since the controversy of the track installation.

Anger about the removal of the heavy rail line and disruption to businesses on the line during construction plagued the project before it had even began.

Another criticism over the years has been the lack of progress on an extension, which took a turn in 2023 when Transport for NSW intervened to stop a development in Newcastle West that would have blocked a potential corridor for a future tram line west of the CBD.

Transport for NSW struck a confidential agreement with the developer, and declined to comment about the process on February 16.

"Property acquisitions for the Newcastle light rail extension corridor are subject to NSW government and Transport for NSW approval processes, which are currently ongoing," a Transport spokesperson said.