Parramatta Light Rail

The Parramatta Light Rail is a 12-kilometre (7 mi) standard gauge light rail line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The first stage of the line runs from Westmead to Carlingford via the Western Sydney centre of Parramatta. Construction commenced in 2019, and the first stage opened on 20 December 2024. Services on the first stage run as the L4 Westmead & Carlingford Line.

A second stage is planned for a branch from Camellia or Rydalmere to Sydney Olympic Park. Construction of stage two is expected to commence in late 2024, with major works beginning in 2025.^{[needs update]}

The Parramatta Light Rail network is physically separate from the rest of Sydney's light rail network and hence does not connect with the L1, L2 and L3 lines.

The Main Suburban line, the first railway in Sydney, opened in 1855 between Sydney and Granville and was extended to Parramatta in 1860, making Parramatta railway station one of the oldest in Sydney. In 1883, the Parramatta – Duck River tramway began operation under Sydney Ferries Limited, running between Parramatta Park to the mouth of Duck River, where it connected with the Parramatta River ferry services to Sydney. In 1885, the Carlingford railway line opened between Clyde and Camellia and was extended to Carlingford in 1896, while the Sandown line opened as a branch in 1888. In 1902, the Rogans Hill railway line opened as a steam tramway, was extended to Castle Hill in 1910, and was converted into a railway between 1919 and 1923 with a final extension to Rogans Hill in 1924.

The Rogans Hill railway closed in 1932 due to competition from automobiles and motor buses on adjacent roads. The Duck River tramway ceased passenger service following the cancellation of the ferry service in 1928, operating as a freight railway until its closure in 1943. Passenger service ended on the Sandown line in 1991 and the line closed in 2010. By this time, only the Carlingford and Main Suburban lines were still in operation in the Parramatta area.

In 2013, Parramatta City Council published a $1 million feasibility study into a proposed light rail network for Western Sydney. The study proposed light rail lines from Parramatta and Westmead to Macquarie Centre via Eastwood and Dundas, and to Castle Hill along the original Rogans Hill railway route.

As part of its 2014–15 budget, the New South Wales Government announced Transport for NSW would investigate ten potential light rail routes in Western Sydney. The government allocated $400 million to ensure funds for detailed planning and construction of an initial project would be 'ready to go', should the investigations prove favourable. Six of the ten routes being investigated were eliminated from contention in October 2014. The routes investigated were:

Of the final four routes, the Macquarie Park via Carlingford and the Strathfield via Olympic Park options were perceived as the frontrunners to be selected. The Macquarie Park route was supported by Parramatta, Ryde and The Hills councils. The Strathfield route was supported by The WestLine Partnership, a lobby group consisting of businesses and organisations with a presence in the area. Auburn and Canada Bay councils were later joined by Strathfield Council as members of the group.