Newcastle Light Rail

CONTEXT in collaboration with COX Architects was engaged to provide the Urban Design and Landscape Architecture services as part of the Newcastle Light Rail joint venture for this State significant infrastructure project.

CONTEXT was involved from the concept phase through to detailed design and delivery, with the project scope extended to incorporate a broader streetscape improvement vision conceptualised by UrbanGrowth NSW.

The Newcastle Light Rail (NLR) extends through central Newcastle from Stewart Avenue in the west to Scott and Telford Street in the east. The heavy rail was truncated at Newcastle Interchange, allowing passengers to transfer to the light rail for city access.

Location:
Newcastle
Client:
Transport for NSW
Duration:
2015 – 2019
Team:
COX Architecture, WSP, AURECON, DOWNER

The NLR traverses three precincts within the Newcastle CBD:

West End: Commercial Hub.
Civic: Government, Cultural and Educational Heart.
East End: Urban Community with retail, entertainment and residential uses.

The project team developed five key urban design principles based on the Newcastle Urban Transformation and Transport Program (NUTTP) objectives and detailed research into light rail projects around the world. These principles established a framework from which the Newcastle Light Rail could fulfil the Program’s vision for an activated city centre and waterfront:

CONNECTIVITY – Connecting Newcastle’s city precincts
PEDESTRIAN AMENITY – Creating a pedestrian-friendly urban centre
INTEGRATION – Seamless integration with the existing city systems
URBAN FABRIC – Design that is sensitive to the city’s context
URBAN RENEWAL – Light rail as a catalyst for new development

Four character zones were developed in response to the city precincts, adopting design objectives and selecting materials and planting that suited the character of each precinct.

In the Urban Greenway Character Zone the verge width allowed for a more natural landscape character and the incorporation of WSUD, achieved through dense swathes of native grasses and sandstone ballast drainage channels. The coastal planting palette at the Honeysuckle stop embraces its waterfront setting.

Design Features

Newcastle Light Rail proved the testing ground for innovative wire-free technology and was the first in Australia to deliver this technology to the public domain. By removing the overhead wires, the project team was able to plant more street trees, increasing amenity and improving the overall streetscape. The increased comfort for pedestrians brings life to streets, which has flow-on benefits to retail trade, public safety and contributes to a sense of place.