Public transport advocates have welcomed Chief Minister Andrew Barr's enthusiasm for opening light rail to Woden in more stages, while Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee said it showed the government was open to breaking promises.
Ms Lee said Labor and the Greens, which had promised light rail for more than a decade, still had no idea about the final route, cost or when it would be built.
"The fact is, this is a chief minister who is making stuff up as he goes because he has no intention of delivering light rail to Woden," Ms Lee said.
Ms Lee, whose party is opposed to continuing light rail beyond Commonwealth Park, said the project was a "shemozzle".
Mr Barr in March said the government was working towards a construction period of 2028 to 2033 for the Woden light rail project. ACT Labor has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to the project.
However, a staged completion of the complex 2B section could mean passengers are able to catch light rail to the Parliamentary Triangle sooner.
The plan, which would effectively split up completion times for stage 2B between Commonwealth Park and Woden, would depend on further analysis and procurement.
Mr Barr said the idea, first raised by the Public Transport Association of Canberra, was worth exploring.
"Do you look to stage and open the first half, if you like, sooner? And that is an interesting debate to have. I can see merit in the staged opening outcomes," Mr Barr told The Canberra Times.
The Public Transport Association of Canberra had first raised the suggestion, and welcomed Mr Barr's eagerness to consider the idea in the next phase of planning work.
"It's great to see ACT Labor pick up on our recommendation to get light rail operating across the lake this decade. Canberrans love light rail and are frustrated with the slow progress on extending the network to the southside," association chair Ryan Hemsley said.
"That said, this staged opening must be appropriately managed to ensure the full stage 2B extension is not subject to any further delays. 2033 must be the hard deadline for delivering light rail to Woden."
Mr Barr had said taking light rail over Lake Burley Griffin was challenging, but connecting the service to the Parliamentary Triangle would deliver significant benefits.
"The point I make about the national triangle and why that's important, even though it's not going to deliver a housing uplift, is that there's 50,000 jobs and growing. There's one in five jobs," he said.
A $577 million construction contract for stage 2A, between the city and Commonwealth Park, was signed in December 2023.
Construction will start from late-2024 and is expected to take about three years, meaning the 1.7-kilometre extension will open in January 2028, more than 8.5 years after the first stage opened between Gungahlin and the city.
