Dr Byrne said a tramway was opened in 1902 that extended from Parramatta to Baulkham Hills, then on to Castle Hill in 1910.
“In 1923, the tram was replaced by a railway, but as car usage increased, patronage decreased and the railway was closed in 1932 and replaced by buses,” Dr Byrne said.
“A light rail would feel like a case of ‘back to the future’ – but I’m sure residents would welcome any significant improvement for travel between Parramatta and The Hills,” she said.
Mayor Byrne said she hoped the feasibility study would determine the best option to ease congestion.
“Around 8,500 Sydney Hills residents travel to and from Parramatta for work each day – that’s 9.7 per cent of our working residents sitting in traffic on Windsor Road in peak times,” she said.
“I’ve lived in The Hills all my life and each year the traffic on Windsor Road gets more congested,” Dr Byrne said.
Dr Byrne cautioned that while she supports the study, Council’s primary focus is the delivery of the North West Rail Link.
