The trains of Western Sydney: Time to solve the missing link

WESTERN Sydney community and government leaders have united to campaign for Sydney’s missing rail link — a north/south spine through the west’s booming innovation corridor.

WESTERN Sydney community and government leaders have united to campaign for Sydney’s missing rail link — a north/south spine through the west’s booming innovation corridor.

“The critical thing missing in Sydney’s transport network is the north-south spine, a connection that links to all of the key growth and employment areas,” Christopher Brown, the convener of the new Western Sydney Rail Alliance, told The Daily Telegraph.

The Alliance brings ­together Campbelltown, Liverpool and Penrith Councils, Sydney University, private landowners, and the Committee for Sydney and Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue.

It wants the new line to run through the innovation corridor from Campbelltown/Camden in the southwest through to Marsden Park in the northwest.

The alliance praised the federal and state governments for committing to a $3.6 billion spend over the next 10 years to upgrade road links to the new airport.

They have also praised the two governments for agreeing last month to jointly draw up a rail “options” plan that will not only examine at least three types of train links to the airport, but also how those links can service Western Sydney’s growing population. But the plan will not be ­released until November.

The community leaders want any train line to the airport to have a north-south, rather than east-west, focus so major centres such as Campbeltown, Liverpool, Blacktown and Penrith, as well as the booming residential and industrial areas in between, can be better linked by rail.

“We see a rail connection along the innovation corridor as the catalyst that will drive the smart jobs of tomorrow”

“Make no mistake, this is not just about leveraging the once in a lifetime opportunities that come with the Western Sydney Airport, but about connecting Western Sydney with Western Sydney,” Mr Brown said.

“We see a rail connection along the innovation corridor as the catalyst that will drive the smart jobs of tomorrow and, when integrated with current metro and heavy rail and light rail plans, will form a complete orbital network.”

The alliance has appointed Deloitte and Arup to come up with a blueprint for the rail.

“To maximise Western Sydney’s productivity and ­potential there needs to be more connection between the North West and South West Growth Centres,” Penrith Mayor Karen McKeown said.

Federal Major Projects Minister Paul Fletcher said the new airport would be “rail ready” when it opens in the mid-2020s. So far plans for the airport show space set aside for four rail tunnels allowing two separate train links.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is backing a high-speed line to the CBD, said the link “will need transport connections to the rest of the city and region”.

Mr Brown urged the Prime Minister to “get cracking”.