$3.5b boost to secure start on Western Sydney Airport rail line
Construction will start this year on the new Western Sydney Airport line after Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian pledged a further $3.5 billion to get shovels into the ground.
NSW
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Construction will start this year on the new Western Sydney Airport train line after Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian pledged a further $3.5 billion to get shovels into the ground.
The jointly funded project will cost $11 billion and see trains pulling into stations at the airport at Badgerys Creek when it opens in 2026.
“Getting work started on this project and many other infrastructure projects across NSW and Australia is critical to my government’s JobMaker program as we rebuild the economy during COVID-19,” Mr Morrison said.
“Construction is already well under way on the airport, and later this year works will start on this new Metro service which will link the suburbs of Western Sydney to the rest of Sydney.”
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The jointly funded project was initially estimated to cost around $7 billion and the extra funding announced on Monday is an example of how infrastructure spending will help the economy out of the COVID-19 economic slump.
Monday’s announcement also reveals the location of two new stations — at Luddenham, as part of a future education and innovation precinct, and at Orchard Hills to service a new town centre.
It will also include two stations at the new airport terminal, one in the commercial heart of the Western Sydney aerotropolis and one at St Marys to link into the existing rail system.
Ms Berejiklian said the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport was a critical part of the $100 billion infrastructure pipeline to boost jobs and speed recovery.
“The opportunities this mega project will provide are vital as our economy recovers from the financial impact of COVID-19,” she said. “Now more than ever we need projects that provide jobs to support families and this project is a major economic stimulus in Western Sydney.”