Transport in Canberra is provided by private cars, buses, taxis and light rail (for travel within the city), while rail, air, and long-distance coach services operate for travel beyond
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
. A vast road network also plays a major role in transport within and beyond the city.
Transport Canberra
On 1 July 2016, Transport Canberra, a division of
Transport Canberra & City Services
Transport Canberra & City Services (TCCS) is a directorate of the Government of the Australian Capital Territory of the Australian Capital Territory, responsible for managing roads, footpaths and cycle paths and managing public transport in Can ...
, was formed to manage all public transport operations within the Australian Capital Territory including
ACTION
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
bus services and light rail planning and construction, previously managed by the Capital Metro Agency.
Roads
The automobile is by far the dominant form of transport in Canberra.
The city is laid out so that arterial roads connecting inhabited clusters run through undeveloped areas of open land or forest, which results in a low population density; this also means that idle land is available for the development of future transport corridors if necessary without the need to build tunnels or acquire developed residential land. In contrast, other capital cities in Australia have substantially less green space.
Canberra's districts are generally connected by
parkway
A parkway is a landscaped thoroughfare.''"parkway."''Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (14 Apr. 2007). The term is particularly used for a roadway in a park or ...
s—limited access
dual carriageway
A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
roads
[ with speed limits generally set at a maximum of . An example is the ]Tuggeranong Parkway
Tuggeranong Parkway is an major highway in Canberra, Australia. Often referred to as "The Parkway" by locals, Tuggeranong Parkway links Civic to the southern Canberra metro district of Tuggeranong, and is a bypass road to the Woden Valley-Westo ...
which links Canberra's CBD and Tuggeranong, and bypasses Weston Creek. In most districts, discrete residential suburbs are bounded by main arterial roads with only a few residential linking in, to deter non-local traffic from cutting through areas of housing.
In an effort to improve road safety, traffic cameras were first introduced to Canberra by the Kate Carnell
Anne Katherine Carnell (née Knowlman; born 30 May 1955) is an Australian businesswoman and former Liberal Party politician, who served as the third Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) from 1995 to 2000.
Early life and p ...
Government in 1999. The traffic cameras installed in Canberra include fixed red-light and speed cameras and point-to-point speed cameras; together they bring in revenue of approximately $11 million per year in fines.[
]
Bus
ACTION
The largest public transport operator is the Government of the Australian Capital Territory
The Government of the Australian Capital Territory, also referred to as the Australian Capital Territory Government or ACT Government, is the executive authority of the Australian Capital Territory, one of the territories of Australia. The lead ...
owned ACTION
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
. In July 1926 the Federal Capital Commission
The National Capital Authority (NCA) is a statutory authority of the Australian Government that was established to manage the Commonwealth's interest in the planning and development of Canberra as the capital city of Australia.
Timeline of the ...
commenced operating bus services in Canberra. With the opening of Old Parliament House in May 1927 and the associated relocation of Australian Commonwealth Government departments to Canberra, the frequency of service offered by the Canberra City Omnibus Service increased as the population of the new city grew.
During the early 1950s, bus services were expanded to Narrabundah
Narrabundah () ( postcode: 2604) is a leafy, medium density suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, located in the inner south of the city.
Narrabundah is an established garden suburb, valued for its equal proximity to both Civic and ...
, Yarralumla and O'Connor. These routes were extended further in the late 1950s with the development of Dickson and Campbell Campbell may refer to:
People Surname
* Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell
Given name
* Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer
* Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television ne ...
.
In August 1963 the first Woden Valley
The District of Woden Valley () is one of the original eighteen districts of the Australian Capital Territory used in land administration. The district is subdivided into divisions ( suburbs), sections and blocks. The district of Woden Valley ...
services were introduced. Similar early services were provided for other areas. From 1961 the new Russell Offices
The Russell Offices, also referred to as Russell or RO, is a complex of office buildings located in Russell a suburb of Canberra, constituting the seat of the Australian Department of Defence and part of the administrative headquarters of th ...
complex demanded a growing number of additional peak services, including feeders from the city. The Canberra fleet grew from 25 buses in 1942 to over 90 in 1966.
In March 1968 a reformed bus network was introduced. This involved new bus timetables and driver schedules, based on regular services on all routes throughout the day with synchronised movements through the main centres. In February 1977, a new system was unveiled and the operation renamed Australian Capital Territory Internal Omnibus Network (ACTION).
Today ACTION operates routes throughout the Australian Capital Territory with a fleet of 456 buses.
CDC Canberra
CDC Canberra operates bus services from the neighbouring city of Queanbeyan
Queanbeyan ( ) is a city in the south-eastern region of New South Wales, Australia, located adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory in the Southern Tablelands region. Located on the Queanbeyan River, the city is the council seat of the ...
into Canberra City
Civic is the city centre or central business district of Canberra. "Civic" is a common name for the district, but it is also called Civic Centre, City Centre, Canberra City and Canberra, and its official division name is ''City''.
Canberra's Ci ...
. As well as these services it also has services that can run to the town of Yass
Yass may refer to:
People
* Catherine Yass (born 1963), painter
* Yazz, a British pop singer from the 1980s and 1990s
* Jeff Yass (born 1956), options trader, managing director and one of the five founders of the Philadelphia-based Susquehanna I ...
. It is owned by ComfortDelGro Australia
ComfortDelGro Australia is a major Australian public transport company. Founded in October 2005 as ComfortDelGro Cabcharge, a joint venture between Singapore-based ComfortDelGro (51%) and Australian Cabcharge (49%), today it is a fully owned sub ...
, who purchased the business in August 2012.
CDC Canberra is permitted to carry passengers within the Australian Capital Territory, with the previous restriction being lifted in June 2012.
Coach
Canberra is serviced by a number of long-distance coach operators operating out of the Jolimont Centre
The Jolimont Centre is a commercial building in Canberra, Australia. It is also the city's long-distance coach station.
History
In the late 1920s, a timber building named the Jolimont Building was erected in Civic, on a block bounded by Northbo ...
.
*Greyhound Australia
Greyhound Australia is an Australian coach operator that ran services in all mainland states and territories until reduction of services in the 2000s.
It is owned by KordaMentha (85%) and the Chapman Group (15%). The company was established i ...
operate services to Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
and Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
*Murrays
Murrays Coaches is an Australian express and coach charter company.
History
Murrays was founded by Bill Murray in the early 1950s as a school bus operator in Canberra. The operation was taken over by Ron Murray in 1970 by which time it was op ...
operate services to Narooma
Narooma is a town in the Australian state of New South Wales on the far south coast. The town is on the Princes Highway, which crosses the Wagonga Inlet to North Narooma. The heritage town of Central Tilba is nearby to the south.
The name Naro ...
, Sydney and Wollongong
Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near wate ...
*NSW TrainLink
NSW TrainLink is a train and coach operator in Australia, providing services throughout New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, along with limited interstate services into Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. Its primary interc ...
operate services to Bombala
Bombala is a town in the Monaro region of south-eastern New South Wales, Australia, in Snowy Monaro Regional Council. It is approximately south of the state capital, Sydney, and south of the town of Cooma. The name derives from an Aboriginal ...
, Cootamundra
Cootamundra, nicknamed Coota, is a town in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia and within the Riverina. It is within the Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council. At the 2016 Census, Cootamundra had a population of 6,782. ...
and Eden[Southern New South Wales tiametable]
NSW TrainLink
NSW TrainLink is a train and coach operator in Australia, providing services throughout New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, along with limited interstate services into Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. Its primary interc ...
*V/Line
V/Line is a statutory authority that operates regional passenger train and coach services in Victoria, Australia. It provides passenger train services on five commuter lines and eight long-distance routes from its major hub at Southern Cross ...
operate services to Albury
Albury () is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Hume Highway and the northern side of the Murray River. Albury is the seat of local government for the council area which also bears the city's name – the ...
and Bairnsdale
Bairnsdale () ( Ganai: ''Wy-yung'') is a city in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia in a region traditionally owned by the Tatungalung clan of the Gunaikurnai people.
The estimated population of Bairnsdale urban area was 15,411 at Ju ...
Rail
Heavy
Walter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin (November 24, 1876February 11, 1937) was an American architect and landscape architect. He is known for designing Canberra, Australia's capital city and the New South Wales towns of Griffith, New South Wales, Griffith and ...
's masterplan for Canberra included a railway that was to run from Queanbeyan
Queanbeyan ( ) is a city in the south-eastern region of New South Wales, Australia, located adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory in the Southern Tablelands region. Located on the Queanbeyan River, the city is the council seat of the ...
to the current Canberra railway station
Canberra railway station is located on thNSW TrainLink Regional Southern Linein the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. It is located in the Canberra suburb of Kingston.
History
In March 1913, work began on a new 8.5 kilometre rail link ...
in Kingston
Kingston may refer to:
Places
* List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated:
** Kingston, Jamaica
** Kingston upon Hull, England
** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia
** Kingston, Ontario, Canada
** Kingston upon Thames, ...
then north along the causeway and over the Molonglo River
The Molonglo River, a perennial river that is part of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Monaro and Capital Country regions of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, in Australia.
Lo ...
to Russell
Russell may refer to:
People
* Russell (given name)
* Russell (surname)
* Lady Russell (disambiguation)
* Lord Russell (disambiguation)
Places Australia
*Russell, Australian Capital Territory
*Russell Island, Queensland (disambiguation)
**Ru ...
, along Amaroo Street to Civic
Civic is something related to a city or municipality. It also can refer to multiple other things:
General
*Civics, the science of comparative government
*Civic engagement, the connection one feels with their larger community
*Civic center, a comm ...
and then north out of the city along Lonsdale and Ijong Streets. But aside from the current section, the only other part constructed was the line as far as Civic, albeit to temporary standards to carry construction materials, this was removed in 1940.
Canberra has been serviced by trains from Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
since March 1927 with the ''Federal City Express
The Federal City Express was an Australian passenger train operated by the New South Wales Government Railways between Sydney and Canberra from September 1936 until May 1955.Canberra Monaro Express
The Canberra Monaro Express was a passenger train operated by the New South Wales Government Railways between Central railway station, Sydney, Sydney, Canberra railway station, Canberra and Cooma from May 1955 until September 1988.
It was forme ...
'', ''Southern Highlands Express
The Southern Highlands Express was an Australian passenger train operating on the Main South line in New South Wales from Sydney to Goulburn.
It was the last service out of Sydney rostered to be hauled by steam locomotive, 3801 hauling the fi ...
'' and ''Canberra Express
The Canberra Express was an Australian passenger train operated by the State Rail Authority between Sydney and Canberra via the Main South line
The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a ...
'' all having provided this link, the latter being operated by an XPT from August 1983 until February 1990. An overnight service was provided with a carriage detached from the ''Cooma Mail
The Cooma Mail was an Australian passenger train that operated from May 1889 until May 1986 between Sydney and Cooma.
History
The ''Cooma Mail'' commenced operating following the opening of the line from Michelago to Cooma in May 1889. The s ...
'' at Queanbeyan
Queanbeyan ( ) is a city in the south-eastern region of New South Wales, Australia, located adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory in the Southern Tablelands region. Located on the Queanbeyan River, the city is the council seat of the ...
. From April 1962 until March 1975 a through carriage was detached from the ''Spirit of Progress
The ''Spirit of Progress'' was the premier express passenger train on the Victorian Railways in Australia, running from Melbourne to the New South Wales border at Albury, and later through to Sydney.
Route
From its introduction in November 1 ...
'' at Goulburn
Goulburn ( ) is a regional city in the Southern Tablelands of the Australian state of New South Wales, approximately south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Canberra. It was proclaimed as Australia's first inland city through letters pate ...
providing a connection with Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
.[
Today Canberra is serviced by three daily ]NSW TrainLink
NSW TrainLink is a train and coach operator in Australia, providing services throughout New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, along with limited interstate services into Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. Its primary interc ...
Xplorer services each way with three carriages to Sydney.[
]
Light
The Canberra light rail
The Canberra light rail network, also known as Canberra Metro, is a light rail system serving the city of Canberra, Australia. The initial line links the northern town centre of Gungahlin to the city centre (Civic) and has 14 stops. Services ...
stage 1 operates between Gungahlin Place
Gungahlin Place is a transport interchange located in the Gungahlin Town Centre. It is the northern terminus of the Canberra Metro R1 Civic to Gungahlin line and is an important connection point between light rail and bus transport. The current ...
and Canberra City
Civic is the city centre or central business district of Canberra. "Civic" is a common name for the district, but it is also called Civic Centre, City Centre, Canberra City and Canberra, and its official division name is ''City''.
Canberra's Ci ...
, travelling along Flemington Road and Northbourne Avenue
Northbourne Avenue is a major road in Canberra, Australia. It extends from City Hill in the south, to the Federal Highway in the north.
It is a north–south running road which has three lanes for motorised traffic, and one lane for bicyc ...
. An extension to Woden Valley
The District of Woden Valley () is one of the original eighteen districts of the Australian Capital Territory used in land administration. The district is subdivided into divisions ( suburbs), sections and blocks. The district of Woden Valley ...
(stage 2) is under construction.
High speed
Canberra has been on the map of various high-speed rail proposals since 1984. The last serious attempt with government backing was terminated in December 2000.
Ticketing
Canberra has an integrated ticketing Integrated ticketing allows a person to make a journey that involves transfers within or between different transport modes with a single ticket that is valid for the complete journey, modes being buses, trains, subways, ferries, etc. The purpose o ...
system between bus and light rail using the MyWay, a smartcard
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card (ICC or IC card) is a physical electronic authentication device, used to control access to a resource. It is typically a plastic credit card-sized card with an embedded integrated circuit (IC) c ...
system introduced in 2011 by ACTION.
Air
Canberra Airport
Canberra Airport is an international airport situated in the District of Majura, Australian Capital Territory serving Australia's capital city, Canberra, as well as the nearby city of Queanbeyan and regional areas of the Australian Capital Te ...
is serviced by Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited ( ) is the flag carrier of Australia and the country's largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations. It is the world's third-oldest airline still in operation, having been founded ...
, QantasLink
QantasLink is a regional brand of Australian airline Qantas and is an affiliate member of the Oneworld airline alliance. It is a major competitor to Regional Express Airlines and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines. As of September 2010 Qantas ...
, Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia, the trading name of Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd, is an Australian-based airline. It is the largest airline by fleet size to use the Virgin Group, Virgin brand. It commenced services on 31 August 2000 as ''Virgin Blue ...
and FlyPelican
Pelican Airlines Pty Ltd, operating as FlyPelican, is an Australian regional airline. It initially operated air charter services and subsequently commenced scheduled flights on 1 June 2015. The airline is based in Newcastle in New South Wales. ...
with services to Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
, Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
, Gold Coast
Gold Coast may refer to:
Places Africa
* Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana:
** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642)
** Dutch G ...
, Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
, Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
and Dubbo
Dubbo () is a city in the Orana Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre in the Orana region, with a population of 43,516 at June 2021.
The city is located at the intersection of the Newell, Mitchell, and Gol ...
. In September 2016, Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines (abbreviation: SIA) is the flag carrier airline of the Republic of Singapore with its Airline hub, hub located at Singapore Changi Airport. The airline is notable for highlighting the Singapore Girl as its central figure in ...
commenced operating international flights to Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
and Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
, and in February 2018, Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. ( ar, القطرية, ''al-Qaṭariya''), operating as Qatar Airways, is the state-owned flag carrier airline of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, the airline operates a hub-and-spoke netw ...
commenced operating international flights to Doha
Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...
.Now flying daily from Canberra
Qatar Airlines Accessed 20 October 2019
References
External links
ACT Government - Transport for Canberra
{{Canberra public transport
Transport in Canberra