Sydney’s West to be the winner in Badgerys Creek airport railway boom

OPTION plans for major new rail links between Western Sydney, the CBD and the second airport at Badgerys Creek will be launched today.

OPTION plans for major new rail links between Western Sydney, the CBD and the second airport at Badgerys Creek will be launched today by the federal and state governments.

A 12-month scoping study has been agreed to and will report on options, routes and funding models for rapid rail services that would link major Western Sydney hubs such as Campbelltown, Liverpool and Penrith to the new airport and the city.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the study would also examine rail needs for the entire Western Sydney region plus priority growth and land release areas in what would be a multibillion-dollar rail network.

The federal government has confirmed it wants the second airport to be “rail ready” when it opens for business in 2025. The scoping study will give options for the routes and predicted costs — said to be potentially several billions dollars — and whether it should be privately funded.

Federal Minister for Major Projects Paul Fletcher said the rail options would not only be a Western Sydney airport link to the CBD but a new commuter network servicing the greater Western Sydney region.

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Federal Minister for Major Projects Paul Fletcher / Picture: Peter Clark

“It’s really about the route, when we build it and how we fund it,” Mr Fletcher said.

“It is now widely accepted that there will be rail, this will give us the when, where and how. The very strong message is that it will provide rail links between the major metropolitan centres of Western Sydney.”

The scoping study will be announced today by Mr Fletcher, Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss and NSW Transport Minister ­Andrew Constance.

“We are getting on with the job of making the proposed Western Sydney airport a reality, with the official declaration of the airport site and community consultation now underway on a detailed draft Airport Plan and draft Environmental Impact Statement,” a statement, to be released today, says. “We know Western Sydney’s population is set to increase from two million to three million over the next 20 years so this options plan will look at rail needs for the airport, as well as surrounding communities …

‘‘Construction has already started on the $3.6 billion Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan of major road upgrades to meet the needs of the community and service the proposed airport.

“This options plan will consider rail as part of the broader transport network needed to support an airport and Western Sydney’s growth.

An environmental-impact statement released last month gave the airport the green light.