Fyshwick Business Association pitches plans for light rail corridor, residential development to replace train line

The proposal would see the train station moved and converted into a multi-modal hub at the edge of Fyshwick, replacing parts of the current train line with a light rail corridor that could link into the future City to Airport line.

The railway link between Canberra and NSW would remain intact beyond changes to the line in the ACT.

This would be complemented by a "green spine" featuring pedestrian and cycle paths, as well as two development corridors on either side of the line which could feature medium and high density housing.

Fyshwick Business Association president Rob Evans said development along just half of the proposed line could yield 160,000 square metres of additional developable land in the inner south.

That could accommodate approximately 8000-9000 new dwellings.

The so-called "Eastwick Greenline" light rail corridor would provide access to Manuka Oval, the Kingston Arts Precinct, Kingston Foreshore, East Lake, Jerrabomberra Wetlands, Fyshwick Markets, CIT Fyshwick, Dairy Road, central and east Fyshwick and then on to both Canberra Airport and Queanbeyan along different routes.

"The east end of Fyshwick is the perfect place for a brand-new, multi-modal transit hub where heavy rail meets light rail," Mr Evans said in a statement.

"Which would provide a fitting arrival to the national capital for people travelling by train instead of the brown box with zero amenity or connectivity that is currently Canberra station.

"The hub would also include park-and-ride and end-of-journey facilities for active travellers.

"People could arrive in Canberra and jump on the light rail or bus to wherever they want to go across the city in a seamless public transport network."

The proposal was unveiled at an event on Thursday morning, with business association members in attendance alongside ACT senator David Pocock.

It has not been incorporated into territory government plans, however drafts of Canberra's future planning guidelines have marked the line as a "strategic investigation corridor".

Current plans for a future City to Airport line see a dead-end stop at Fyshwick, and at the airport, leaving parts of the area unconnected.

"Our route now turns left off Wentworth Avenue and goes down the existing railway corridor then around through a multimodal hub at the end of East Fyshwick, through to the airport," Mr Evans said.

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The current train station is in need of an upgrade, Stewart Architecture director Felicity Stewart said.

"If we move it back and have all sorts of other things coinciding, people can come in from Queanbeyan in their car, park and ride, jump on their bike and off they go into Canberra," Ms Stewart said.

"We just think that's so much more important than the retention of the existing railway station."

Mr Evans said potential residential development would be more concentrated towards Kingston, though it is not clear how many dwellings would be delivered.

"We're talking tens of thousands of people along this if you were to do the full corridor, but it's a massive urban renewal project," Ms Stewart said.

"It's about eight times the size of East Lake, it's really worth considering, and that's what we're asking the government to do."

The plans could open Fyshwick, which is not well serviced by public transport, to the rest of Canberra, Mr Evans said.

"Fyshwick continues to go on as it is now, but it's struggling, it's really really difficult in Fyshwick to get from from north to south, for example," he said.

"This will open Fyshwick right up, this will enable Fyshwick to be a better place for all Canberrans."

Mr Pocock said the plans "clearly tick a lot of boxes in terms of infill, green space, active transport" and that he would like to see a proper study into their viability.

A spokesman for the ACT government on Thursday evening said a link to Fyshwick and Queanbeyan could be considered in the future and the government welcomed the Fyshwick Business Association's enthusiasm for light rail.

"It speaks to the success of the project and the willingness of Canberrans to support the extension of the light rail network beyond stage 1," the spokesman said.

The spokesman said the government was refreshing its light rail network plan to inform future land-use planning, particularly on the east-west stage 3 route to Belconnen.

"The Queanbeyan Region Integrated Transport Plan, which was released by Transport for NSW, will also be taken into consideration," the spokesman said.

"Our current focus is to deliver stage 2 of light rail to Woden, starting with the first leg of the extension from Alinga Street to Commonwealth Park. In accordance with the light rail network plan, the next stage for consideration would be out to Belconnen followed by Tuggeranong."

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