Sydney Metro West construction to start in 2020, station locations revealed
Construction of the Western Sydney Metro will begin next year, with tunnelling set to start in 2022. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the new Metro line would improve the lives of millions of people living in western Sydney.
NSW
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Construction of the Western Sydney Metro linking the CBD to Parramatta and Westmead will begin next year and is expected to be completed by 2030.
Construction work will commence at the Bays Precinct in 2020 to prepare the site for major tunnelling works, which will begin in 2022.
Once completed the twin railway tunnels will stretch about 25km — which will slash travel times between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD down to around 20 minutes.
Seven station sites have been confirmed at Westmead, Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock and the Bays Precinct. The government is also investigating whether stations should be built at Pyrmont and Rydalmere, and the government is yet to determine where the new CBD station will be located.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the new Metro line would improve the lives of millions of people living in western Sydney.
“We’ve successfully delivered the North West Metro Line early and $1 billion under budget, the next line from Chatswood to Sydenham and Bankstown is on track to open in 2024, and now the next Metro project is underway,” she said.
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Minister for Transport Andrew Constance said 23 residential properties and 93 business properties will be acquired by the government to build the new train line.
“Western Sydney Metro will more than double the existing rail capacity between Greater Parramatta and the Sydney CBD and slash travel times between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD to around 20 minutes,” Mr Constance said.
“With the T1 Western Line and the T9 Northern Line expected to reach capacity within the next decade, the NSW Government’s commitment to fund this project ensures that tomorrow’s Sydney has the infrastructure it needs to keep moving,” he said.
“In addition to becoming the easiest and fastest way to travel between these two cities, the project is also anticipated to create approximately 10,000 direct and 70,000 indirect jobs,” Mr Constance said.
The government has also kicked off a global search to find suppliers capable of building the two 25km rail tunnels (50km of tunnelling in total) — which will be the longest railway tunnels in Australia once they are completed.
Opposition Leader Jodi McKay said the time frame for the completion of the Western Sydney Metro has blown out from 2028 to 2030.
“This is a major broken promise. Gladys Berejiklian said she’d bring forward Metro West construction — but her timeline has already blown out two years in just six months,” Ms McKay said.
“The tunnel boring machines are running a year late, the project at least two years late – and there is a massive funding black hole.”
Western Sydney Business Chamber executive director David Borger said it was “great news” to have the project finally locked in.
“If we don’t do something soon though the Western Line is going to be buggered. It’s the fastest growing line in Australia, it’s the most congested, high density corridor,” he said.
Committee for Sydney CEO Gabriel Metcalf welcomed the announcement.
“Metro West is the most vitally needed and transformative infrastructure project for Sydney today,” he said.
“It has the potential to fundamentally reshape how Sydney works, moving the economic centre of our city westward, while catalysing places like the Bays Precinct and Olympic Park that will be host the jobs of the future,” Mr Metcalfe said.