Liverpool City Council, New South Wales, and Curtin University have announced a joint research partnership in Western Sydney on trackless trams – driverless, rechargeable electric vehicles guided by GPS that can operate at a fraction of the cost of light rail.
Curtin University will undertake world-leading research for Liverpool on the opportunity that trackless trams present as a new form of public transport in Australia.
Mayor, Wendy Waller, said, “We are leading the way when it comes to future thinking. No other local government in Australia is doing this.
“Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport will be a digital airport. We are its gateway city and we need efficient, environmentally friendly transport options to get people to the airport during its construction and operational phases.
Curtin’s research will particularly focus on the potential to link Liverpool’s central business district (CBD) and the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport by trackless tram along the Fifteenth Avenue corridor.
Curtin University will use Liverpool as a case study for what might be possible with innovative public transport technologies.
The study will be led by world-renowned sustainability expert Professor Peter Newman AO and will draw on cutting-edge research occurring in Australia and around the world.
Liverpool City Council’s aim is to ensure a high-quality, rapid public transport connection for passengers, workers and local residents when the new airport opens in 2026.
