Sydney Metro West: Seven underground stations named
But the construction of Rydalmere station has a question mark over it.
Parramatta
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The Sydney Metro West Metro from Westmead to central Sydney will slash commuting time to 20 minutes and be the “project of the decade” but the State Government has failed to confirm if Rydalmere and Pyrmont stations would be built as part of the underground network.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Transport Minister Andrew Constance spruiked the project that would “transform” Sydney, creating 10,000 direct and 70,000 indirect jobs.
“This is the train line three million people in western Sydney need and the project of the decade,’’ Mr Constance said.
“We’re now going to build a rail tunnel between the city and Westmead that is going to transform the lives of western Sydney.
“This is going to duplicate the T1 line and this … it is going to be the biggest stage of five stages of Metro.”
Construction on the metro is slated to start in the Bays Precinct early next year and be completed by 2030.
Three days after the Parramatta Advertiser exclusively revealed that the Parramatta station would be built at Horwood Place, the government has confirmed the site and released details for the six other station sites (Westmead, Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock and The Bays precinct) on the 25km line.
WESTMEAD
The station will be built on the eastern side of Hawkesbury Rd and south of the existing Westmead station, where there will be an above-ground interchange with the TI western and T5 Cumberland lines.
PARRAMATTA
The station will be built on the Horwood Place block bounded by George, Macquarie, Church and Smith streets. The metro station would integrate with the proposed Civic Link, a green pedestrian-friendly public space from Parramatta Square in the south to Parramatta River in the north.
SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK
The metro is earmarked to the south of the existing Olympic Park station between Figtree Drive and Dawn Fraser Ave.
NORTH STRATHFIELD
This station will be built at Queen St between Shipley Ave and Pomeroy and Beeronga streets.
BURWOOD NORTH
The station will be at the corner of Burwood and Parramatta roads. Entrances will be on the north and south sides of Parramatta Rd.
FIVE DOCK
The station will be off Great North Rd between East St and at the corner of Second Ave and Waterview St. The station entrance will be at Fred Kelly Place off Great North Rd.
THE BAYS PRECINCT
Expect to hop off the train between Glebe Island and White Bay Power Station. The entrance will be to the south side of White Bay. It would provide access to the proposed Bays
Waterfront Promenade. The station would also be the main link into the new precinct as well as serving the communities of Balmain, Rozelle and Blackwattle Bay.
“The people in this corridor will have their lives transformed,’’ Mr Constance said.
However, Rydalmere was listed as an optional station and investigation work is still under way despite the site chosen to cater for the suburb’s Western Sydney University campus.
The government is assessing whether a station at Pyrmont was feasible and is determining a metro station in Sydney’s CBD.
NSW Opposition leader Jodi McKay slammed the government for delaying the Metro.
“This is a major broken promise,’’ she said.
“Gladys Berejiklian said she’d bring forward Metro West construction – but her timeline has already blown out three years in the last six months.
“The tunnel boring machines are running a year late, the project at least three years late – and there is a massive funding black hole.”
Western Sydney Business Chamber executive director David Borger called for immediate solutions to ensure the decade-long construction period would not throw Parramatta businesses into disarray.
He also wants to ease commuting pressures on the TI line.
“It’s great news that the West Metro is being locked in but if you don’t do something soon the western line is going to be buggered,’ he said.
“I think it’s important what happens in that 11-year period. We want to make sure Parramatta is still active. We don’t want to have a deadhole in the city for 10 years.’’
Mr Borger backed the government’s decision to be a “little cautious” about Ryde or Camellia.
“I think they’re right to do some more research on Rydalmere to see if it stacks up,’’ he said.
The government fobbed off questions about whether the second stage of Parramatta Light Rail would be guaranteed and if there was enough funds for the project now the Metro had been given a start date.
Mr Borger labelled it “silly” not to build stage two, which would serve developments such as Carter St at Lidcombe, Wentworth Point, Melrose Park and Olympic Park.
“These are some of the most high density locations in Australia,’’ he said.
“These areas between Sydney Olympic Park and Parramatta has bore the brunt of high density housing so they have got to have good quality transport.’’