Sydney Metro Northwest mastermind says locals did not think it would happen

The mastermind behind the Sydney Metro Northwest says the $8.3 billion project faced strong scepticism from the Castle Hill community who didn’t believe it would ever happen.

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The mastermind behind the Sydney Metro Northwest says the $8.3 billion project faced strong scepticism from the Castle Hill community who didn’t believe it would ever happen.

Secretary of Transport for NSW Rodd Staples said back in 2011 when he was project director of the Sydney Metro the local community was doubtful it would get built.

“I remember meeting with the council here (in Castle Hill) in 2011 and facing a very sceptical, cynical community who thought it would never happen,” he said.

“I actually understand why that was the case, but it is really rewarding to stand here today and be able to look to those people and say we did what we said we would do.”

Mr Staples has been described as the mastermind behind the project and initially led the Metro eight years ago with just one other employee.

Rodd Staples led the project eight years ago with just one other employee. Picture: Supplied

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“I’ve been on the journey of putting the team together, engaging with the contractors, doing all the planning and community consultation — listening, learning and changing the concept a lot over time — and then getting into the delivery, and now we’re getting to the end,” he said.

“We’ve had literally thousands of people work on this job over the course of the last eight years and I think the Metro team now has in excess of 600 people working on it.”

The 36km Metro line from Tallawong station to Chatswood station is opening on May 26 and will initially carry up to 18,000 passengers in each direction, with Metro trains arriving at the 13 stations every four minutes during peak.

The 36km Metro line from Tallawong station to Chatswood will open on May 26. Picture: Supplied

Mr Staples said the railway service — which has been described as the one of the most advanced Metro systems on the planet — was being keenly watched by other cities.

“We’ve had a lot of discussion from other states but also places from overseas have been coming to talk to us about what we have been doing and what successes we have had with the delivery of Northwest and what they can learn from that,” Mr Staples said.

Mr Staples described the new railway service as one of the most advanced on the planet. Picture: Supplied

“Interestingly we’ve seen both Melbourne and Brisbane follow behind us in terms of major rail investments that they’ve announced and committed to over the last few years.”

Mr Staples said the thousands of workers who have taken part in the planning, design and construction of Australia’s first Metro were all “really excited” to finally have the service open in less than three weeks.

Mr Staples said thousands of workers have taken part in the planning, design and construction. Picture: Tracey Nearmy

“We’ve been talking about what Metro is for eight years — driverless, screen doors, automation, and people have had to look at animations and imagine — in coming weeks the imagination can be put behind them and it’ll be real,” he said.

“The thing that I am doing now is making sure the Metro connects really well with everything else (in the Sydney transport system) so from a customer point of view you can navigate your way through the system really easily.”