Approval given to 15.5km Sydney Metro CBD and harbour rail line

THE NSW Government today gave the green light to a $12bn “megaproject” but critics say it’s not the solution to the city’s travel woes.

THE green light has been given to a massive new $12bn rail project in Sydney which the NSW Government has said “will rival any megaproject across the globe”.

But critics have dubbed it an “ill-conceived agenda to rip up our public rail network” from a Government dazzled by megaprojects rather than meeting the transport needs of commuters.

Scores of buildings in Sydney’s CBD, some as high as 22 stories, are now almost certain to be ripped down following planning approval being given for a 15.5km line linking Chatswood, on the North Shore, to Sydenham, in the Inner West.

The new line will be the first railway to dive under Sydney Harbour and will include six wholly new stations at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross in North Sydney, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Pitt St, and Waterloo and a connection at Central. It will link a currently under construction line in north west Sydney with the city’s south and south west.

The new line is stage two of the Sydney Metro project.

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance welcomed the tick of approval.

“This is an unprecedented boost to rail capacity for our great city, he said on Tuesday. “The scale of this project will rival any megaproject across the globe, and today marks the start of even more grunt work.”

Construction sites will be established in the Sydney CBD this year with five tunnel boring machines carving out the new twin tunnels.

When complete, Metro trains will run every two minutes in each direction under the Sydney CBD and 31 metro stations from Rouse Hill to Bankstown.

But Greens NSW MP and Transport spokeswoman Dr Mehreen Faruqi told news.com.au the Government would do better to investing in improving the existing network to reduce travel times.

“The NSW government is steamrollering ahead with its unscrutinised, ill-conceived agenda to rip up our public rail network and replace it with a privately-operated, lower capacity metro which barely expands public transport access,” she said.

Artist impression of the proposed Barangaroo station.

“Instead of investing the $12bn in expanding public transport to underserved areas like Western Sydney, Stage two of the Sydney Metro mostly replaces existing lines and builds stations in the North Shore and City that are already well serviced.

“The Transport Minister is more interested in winning the contests of ‘megaprojects’ than actually meeting the transport needs of the people of NSW.”

Dr Faruqi also criticised the new line for being designed for single decker trains ensuring it is inoperable with rest of the network.

Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Planning Minister Michael Daley said he had no faith the project would remain within budget.

“The Baird Government does not have a good track record of procuring and delivering infrastructure that is value for money and fully transparent for the people of NSW.”

He said no proper case had been made for the Sydney Metro and the decision to proceed was taken “behind closed doors”.

In May 2015, NSW Premier Mike Baird revealed the cost of the new CBD link and the conversion of a rail line in Sydney’s south west, as part of the wider Sydney Metro project, had risen from around $9b to around 12bn.

Twin tunnels will be board beneath Sydney Harbour to carry the line into the city’s CBD.

The announcement brings stage two of the three stage 66km Sydney metro project closer to fruition.

Stage one, an $8bn link from the Hills District to Chatswood is already under construction and due to open in 2019. Stage three, from Sydenham to the city’ south west taking over the current Bankstown rail line is yet to be approved.

Planning Minister Rob Stokes said the go-ahead for the project ensured Sydney was being prepared for the future.

“This project has been approved subject to some of the highest sustainability provisions in the world,” he said.

Among the conditions imposed with the approval is that greenhouse emissions by electricity consumed by the metro’s operation must be fully offset.

The planning process for the conversion and upgrade of the Bankstown line to metro standards will start this year.