Train station commuter tunnel opens, links to Parramatta Square
Westies are eventually getting “what we want” and the opening of a commuter tunnel is the start of Parramatta’s bold transformation.
Parramatta
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Commuters had a reason to celebrate the weekend early with the opening of the underground link connecting Parramatta train station to the $2.7 billion Parramatta Square redevelopment.
After three years of construction the walkway opened on Friday morning, allowing the 40,000 passengers expected to use it daily to reach Western Sydney University and Macquarie St, opposite Westfields.
The link also connects to the Parramatta Square 4 building, which opened in December, and the 6000sq m public domain, which will become an alfresco dining spot.
The walkway features a curved ceiling feature to represent the Parramatta River and forms a link to the first stage of Parramatta Square — a project forecast to bolster Parramatta’s workforce by an extra 23,000 people.
Walker Corporation project general manager Nathan Campbell said the tunnel provided the main access to city’s north from the station.
Walker Corporation says 300,000 passengers catch the train through Parramatta each day to get to work.
Parramatta Lord Mayor Bob Dwyer said Parramatta Square would be a drawcard for western Sydney residents wanting to work closer to home.
“Think of all the westies getting good work life balance without travelling,’’ he said.
“The westies will eventually what we want.
“It’s just a game changer for Parramatta. This development of Parramatta Square is going to transform Parramatta into the city it is.’’
Walker says that, on average, western Sydney residents spend 70 minutes each day trying to reach work, with 27 per cent leaving the region to reach their workplace.
The construction boom coincides with recent Property Council of Australia report that shows Parramatta has the lowest commercial office vacancy rates in NSW at just 3.2 per cent.
“We’ve continued to outdo the other cities with the lowest vacancy rates and we’ve got more than $20 billion developments coming on line,’’ Cr Dwyer said.
“We’re going to overrun the other CBDs including North Sydney. We’re not just Parramatta anymore, we’re the city of Parramatta, in the true sense.’’