Pay attention around Newcastle Light Rail

This week marks the 20th anniversary of Rail Safety Week (11–17 August 2025), and Newcastle Transport is urging Novocastrians to pay attention and “look and listen” for trams.

CCTV vision released today reveals a series of alarming near misses involving the Newcastle Light Rail over the past 12 months. The footage captures incidents where both motorists and pedestrians have narrowly avoided serious injury.

Keolis Downer Hunter General Manager Emmanuel Genlot said the vision is a stark reminder of the risks people take around trams.

“Every near miss leaves a lasting impact – not just for the person involved, but also for our tram drivers, staff, road users and customers,” Mr Genlot said.

“We’ve now been operating the light rail for more than six years, and yet we continue to see incredibly dangerous behaviour. This includes drivers illegally entering tramway lanes, running red lights and ignoring red arrows at key intersections. In some cases, cars have failed to stop at red lights and crashed into trams.”

Mr Genlot said the footage also shows young people running along tram tracks, putting themselves at serious risk.

“Our tram drivers do everything they can to prevent a collision, but the reality is trams can’t stop quickly. We need the community to play their part in keeping everyone safe,” he said.

Tram driver Victoria Tonks echoed the call for caution, stressing that light rail vehicles weigh around 50 tonnes and take time to come to a complete stop.

“We’re asking road users to obey road rules, and pedestrians to only cross at designated crossings and stand behind the line,” Ms Tonks said.

“Cyclists should keep a safe distance from trams and not ride along the tracks. Above all, we want everyone to stay alert and avoid distractions. Just a moment of inattention could have serious consequences.”

Watch the near-miss footage below.