Politicians and lucky locals took the first trip on the Newcastle Light Rail this morning.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian was joined by Transport Minister Andrew Constance, Newcastle Liberal Candidate Blake Keating and Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot Macdonald for the ride from Newcastle Beach to Newcastle Interchange.
It was the first complete trip for the tram while carrying a load of passengers, which included a host of excited schoolchildren.
Concerns were raised about the expected efficiency of the service last week after it was revealed one tram was yet to finish testing and another was still yet to arrive from Spain, but Andrew Constance dismissed these, saying it won't make any difference.
"There will be a tram every ten minutes and then they'll get the final vehicle in place and that will then deliver the optimum seven and a half minute frequency over the next couple of weeks," said Mr Constance.
The premier said the project's completion comes after years of hard work.
"I remember when I first became the transport minister nobody used public transport in the CBD of Newcastle, the buses ran around empty, the services didn't connect," said Gladys Berejiklian.
"This frequency and the value for money is going to attract people like never before."
Residents will be able to ride the tram for free on Sunday as part of a community event to launch the service before paid services begin on Monday morning.
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| Andrew Constance, Gladys Berejiklian and Blake Keating. Image: Gemma Ferguson/2nurfm News |
