But documents attached to Transdev's contract show plans, at least, for an improvement in services. In 458 pages, they also include Transport for NSW specifications on fares and tickets. The documents show Transdev predicts it will take 36 minutes to travel from Dulwich Hill to Central on the line but Transport for NSW and Transdev say that is only a preliminary estimate.

In contrast, it takes about half that time to travel by train from Dulwich Hill train station, which is adjacent to the light rail terminus, to Central. The contract also shows the government plans to phase out all paper tickets when the Opal public transport smart card is bedded in.

Transport for NSW is planning to install Opal technology on all trams, buses, train and ferries by the end of next year. Eventually, the contract with Transdev says, electronic ticketing will be used ''to the exclusion of all other ticketing''.

The current fare structure for the light rail line is broken into two zones - charging people $3.50 if they travel in one zone, or $4.50 if they travel in two. The contract documents show the government had been planning to introduce a third zone for the extension to Dulwich Hill. But they also say that concession fares would finally be introduced on the light rail, which currently does not offer them.

Transport for NSW would not confirm the details included in the contract. A spokesman said the start date for the extension to Dulwich Hill would be announced in coming months, as would the government's policy on fares and how frequently trams would run.