In order to safely carry out critical works for the construction of Light Rail Stage 2A, there will be no light rail services from the first service on Saturday 31 October to the last service on Sunday 1 November 2026.
On this weekend, rail replacement buses operated by CDC Canberra will be operating in both directions along the entire light rail corridor between Alinga Street and Gungahlin Place.
There will be no impacts to the regular Transport Canberra bus network or the platform layout in the City Interchange for the duration of the works. Buses will still be able to cross Northbourne Avenue at Alinga Street and service their regular platforms.
The pedestrian crossings south of Alinga Street light rail stop will be temporarily closed from 8 pm Friday 30 October until 6 am Monday 2 November. Pedestrians, including users of the City bus Interchange, will be directed to cross at the Rudd/Bunda Street intersection to the north, or London Circuit to the south.
Customers are encouraged to allow extra time for travel during this period.
More information regarding the construction works can be found on the Built for CBR website.
Light rail impacts and rail replacement bus services
Rail replacement services will operate at the normal light rail frequency or better.
Rail replacement bus services will be shown in Journey Planner at their scheduled frequency. The services are operated by CDC Canberra and not equipped with MyWay+ technology, therefore real time tracking is not available.
Please be reminded that the actual departure and arrival times may vary slightly from the scheduled frequency displayed in Journey Planner due to road and construction related impacts.
Customers are encouraged to allow extra time for travel and transfers.
For the most accurate rail replacement bus stop location, please refer to the Google Maps links listed in the table below.
Customers can also follow wayfinding maps and signs installed at closed light rail stops and rail replacement bus stops.
Customers are not required to tap on and off on replacement buses. However, if connecting with other Transport Canberra bus services, you are required to tap on and tap off as usual.
There are no impacts to regular Transport Canberra bus services, and no diversions are in place for the duration of the works, with buses still able to cross Northbourne Avenue at Alinga Street.
There are no changes to the City Interchange or to the platform layout for the duration of the works. Bus services will continue servicing their regular platforms.
Pedestrians needing to cross Northbourne Avenue to reach the other side of the City Interchange will need to be aware that the Alinga Street crossing is closed to pedestrians and they will be directed to cross at the Rudd/Bunda Street intersection to the north, or to London Circuit to the south.
Due to changes in pedestrian access in the area, customers are encouraged to allow extra time for travel during this period.
All Park and Ride facilities are unaffected and will remain operational for the duration of the works.
Rail replacement buses are not fitted with bike racks, so customers will not be able to take bikes on board. However, they can secure bikes at racks located near affected light rail stops.
Foldable e-scooters may be brought onto buses at the driver’s discretion. If taken on board, e-scooters must meet Transport Canberra carriage of goods requirements. Please note that shared e-scooters and those which cannot be collapsed are not permitted on board rail replacement buses.
Rail replacement bus services will be operated by CDC Canberra and will be wheelchair accessible.
Items found/lost on board rail replacement bus services will be processed in the same way as when items are left on light rail services. To report lost property please visit www.cmet.com.au and follow links to submit a lost property notification. Items found on the rail replacement bus services will be sent to the light rail depot at 9 Sandford Street, Mitchell.
There will be several road closures along Northbourne Avenue in October and November to facilitate the construction of Light Rail Stage 2A. For more information visit the City Services
Support for non-English speakers: Google Translate can be used to translate all information at transport.act.gov.au and all Customer Service Officers have the Google Translate app on their devices to assist customers who may not speak English as a first language.