Future of transport links in doubt amid cost blowouts

Former Transport Minister David Elliott considered scrapping one Metro project to make sure the CBD to Parramatta line could be built in spite of cost blowouts.

Former Transport Minister David Elliott considered scrapping the Sydenham to Bankstown Metro conversion in a bid to ensure the Metro line from the CBD to Parramatta would be built in spite of cost blowouts.

The revelations come as Premier Chris Minns again refused to rule out scrapping Sydney Metro West (from the CBD to Parramatta) which is almost $10 billion over budget.

The Telegraph can reveal that Mr Elliott recently told representatives of the infrastructure industry that he had “seriously considered” recommending that the Sydenham to Bankstown Metro project be scrapped because costs were increasing, and because it was replacing an existing heavy rail line.

However, Mr Elliott told the industry that the case for a Metro line from the CBD to Parramatta was “rock solid” even though costs are blowing out.

Labor Leader Chris Minns has refused to commit to building the Metro line from the CBD to Parramatta. Picture: John Appleyard

In his comments to industry representatives, Mr Elliott said that he considered recommending the Sydenham to Bankstown conversion be scrapped, but decided to let it proceed because taxpayers had already copped significant costs.

In the comments, he suggested that existing contracts for that line could potentially be varied to pay for work on the CBD to Parramatta line.

Mr Elliott - who is now the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia CEO - also told the industry that a Metro line from Tallawong to the airport should be a priority.

The future of multiple metro lines is in doubt. Picture: Supplied.

The comments come amid increasing speculation that the Minns government will scrap, delay, or change the Metro project linking Sydney and Parramatta CBDs.

Mr Minns would not be drawn on whether the CBD to Parramatta Metro line would go ahead on Tuesday.

“I’m not going to make news on it today,” he told ABC Radio when asked if he might dump it.

Chris Minns has raised questions about the future of the CBD to Parramatta line. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

He said that costs have already blown out to $25 billion but that is almost certainly going to increase.

“The project is nearly 60 per cent over budget, it hasn’t begun yet, and the original timeline, which would be a completion date in the mid 2020s is obviously not going to happen,” he said.

“When you’ve got $180 billion worth of debt in the state and real pressure on government services for schools and hospitals, the right thing to do for taxpayers is to make sure that we’ve got the alignment right,” he said.

David Elliott has told industry the business case for the CBD to Parramatta Metro is “rock solid”. Picture: NCA Newswire/ Gaye Gerard

He also suggested the line might need extra stations to justify the cost.

Mr Minns would also not commit on Tuesday to converting the Sydenham to Bankstown rail line to a Metro line as planned.

“A decision on that is coming very soon,” he told ABC Radio.

The Telegraph first revealed fears about the CBD to Parramatta Metro line going ahead on Friday, after Mr Minns declared the project had been subject to “extreme cost creep”.

He told 2SM’s John Laws last week that he would need to make “big calls” on the South West Metro and Metro West.

Business Western Sydney executive director David Borger said it was “imperative” that the Sydney to Parramatta metro went ahead.

“Boring machines are already in the ground and on their way from White Bay towards Parramatta. Let’s just get on with it,” he said.

He also warned against scrapping the Sydenham to Bankstown Metro conversion.

“A lot of money has already been invested in the conversion of the T3 Bankstown Line to metro standard. That line needs to be finished to greatly improve the overall reliability and capacity of the Sydney train network,” he said.