Badgerys Creek Airport on the fast track: High-speed rail line being considered
EXCLUSIVE: A PLAN for a high-speed rail line that would take just 34 minutes to reach Badgerys Creek Airport from the CBD will be considered by the government, Simon Benson reports.
- Sydney’s west to be winner in Badgerys Creek airport boom
- Badgerys Creek won’t fly without a rail link
A PLAN for a high-speed metro rail line that would take just 34 minutes to reach Badgerys Creek Airport from the CBD will be considered by the NSW and federal governments as part of long-term rail options for the west.
The $8 billion project, which would be funded largely by a private consortium, would also offer a 18-minute rapid transport link between the city and Parramatta, and link the major economic zones of Sydney. Beginning at a new Metro station at Central, the Metro West Link would link the CBD with Barangaroo, the Darling Harbour centre, the Bays precinct and Strathfield and Olympic Park with Strathfield, Camellia, Parramatta and Westmead.
Stage two of the project would then extend to the western Sydney employment precinct, Badgerys Creek Creek, dubbed Airport City, and the southwest growth centre. The travel time between Parramatta and the new airport would be just 16 minutes, making it roughly the same time it takes by train between the CBD and Sydney Airport at Mascot.
The plan envisages only $2 billion of state and federal funding — and would take over the role and funding planned for the Parramatta light rail — with the rest funded by private sector.
More than 90 million passenger trips per year have been forecast on the proposed system, with the state government spared the expense of having to spend $11 billion over the next 20 years on the existing heavy rail system.
Centurion China Rail Corp is in discussion with the joint-venture engineering proponents, BG & E and Conybeare Morrison, which have submitted the project to the NSW long-term transport strategy.
Federal Minister for Major Projects Paul Fletcher said the federal government was seeking high-speed rail options for the second airport which also acted as commuter services.
“The Commonwealth is working with the NSW government on a joint study to consider rail options which not only service the airport but which address commuter needs in Western Sydney too,” he said.
NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance’s office has been briefed on the proposal. A spokesman for Mr Constance said that all proposals would be considered for long-term rail options for western Sydney.
“All serious proposals will be given consideration in the future,” the spokesman said.
“We’re a little more than three years away from completing Sydney Metro North West and before that we’ll have construction under way on the next phase of the project through the CBD. There’ll also be an opportunity to consider projects further down the pipeline.”
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