Construction to begin next year on new ‘Central Walk’ concourse at Sydney’s Central Station

ONE of Australia’s busiest stations is to get a big revamp. But lips are sealed on controversial plans for the long term future of the station.

ONE of Australia’s busiest and oldest transport interchanges is to undergo a revamp that could stretch into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

But the Government is still refusing to be drawn on a much larger multi-billion plan that could see much of the station buried under a forest of skyscrapers.

On Wednesday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the construction of a new underground concourse at Sydney’s Central station.

Called Central Walk, its aim is to relieve congestion at NSW’s busiest rail hub and to deal with an expected increase in passenger numbers from 250,000 a day currently to 450,000 within two decades.

It will connect the current platforms to the CBD and South East light rail, which is under construction, and the $11 billion Sydney City and South West Metro line when it opens in the mid-2020s.

It’s part of a transport building spree in Australian cities including the $10bn Melbourne Metro underground line and Canberra’s new light rail network. Although Brisbane’s Cross River rail project has yet to gain momentum with the Federal Government saying last month “more work” was needed on the $5.5bn project before Canberra committed funds.

A 3D cut through impression of Central Railway Station's Central Walk upgrade announced today by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian

“This is the biggest overhaul the station has had in decades, certainly in my living memory,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“It’s a lovely, historic building but unfortunately too much of the uses inside the building are historic too and that’s why this revamp will improve customer service.”

The Premier declined to say how much they expected the 19 metre wide tunnel with escalators and lifts would cost. But the recently opened, and far less ambitious, Wynyard Walk project that connects Wynyard Station to Barangaroo cost $300 million.

Artist's impression of the interior of Central Walk.

However, the announcement has done little to quell speculation that much of the Central railway lands could be buried underground as part of the multi-billion dollar Central to Eveleigh project.

Dubbed “mid-town” it would see high rise apartments and office blocks, some 20 stories high, stretching over the railway tracks 3km from Central southward to Redfern and Eveleigh.

The huge development comes as the Government struggles with a housing market that is ever more prohibitive for buyers to push their way into. For the three months to December, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed house prices in Sydney had risen 5.3 per cent.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian at Central Station.

The plan has been on the drawing board for several years, with earlier plans showing skyscrapers covering all of Central’s platforms. Artist’s impression showed only the historic station buildings and the terminus’s famous clock tower wouldn’t be tucked under a tower block.

When asked about the Central to Eveleigh project, the Premier was giving little away. “There’s lots of opportunities at Central [and we’ve] been looking at ways to enhance the precinct. If you go to many railways stations around the world they have amazing precincts so I think this has a lot of potential.”

A public consultation was held on the future of Central at the end of last year.

On Wednesday, the Daily Telegraph reported towers could cover a bus depot adjacent to Central and the rail line approaching the station.

Artists impression of the Central to Eveleigh development show skyscrapers covering all the current platforms at Central. Picture: Urban Growth NSW

However, Sydney Business Chamber director Patricia Forsythe said all of Central was ripe for redevelopment.

“The Central Station area is the next large precinct, both around it and over it,” she said.

The plans call for almost one million square metres of space for 20,000 units and enough offices to house 25,000 staff.

Last September, NSW Greens Transport Spokeswoman, Dr Mehreen Faruqi told news.com.au she was concerned long term redevelopment proposals could turn Central into a “mini-Westfield”.

“By all means, let’s make Central Station a more welcoming, open and effective space but the primary purpose of a train station must remain the best possible public transport service for passengers.”

Central Station is one of Australia’s oldest.

Construction of Central Walk is expected to begin in late 2018 and take three years to complete with several platforms taken out of service. However, the Government has said train services will not be affected.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said Central should aspire to be as renowned as London’s St Pancras or New York’s Grand Central stations.

“Central will be the heartbeat of the new Metro,” he said. “This is great news that grand old Central will be revitalised.”

The present station is 110 years old but a station has existed on the site since 1855. The complex has 27 platforms not including two “ghost” underground platforms that were never used.

Much of the station is built upon a former graveyard. Bodies used to be transported from Central to Rookwood Cometary in Sydney’s west on special funeral trains from the decorative Mortuary platform which is still visible just outside the station.