Major milestone on Central Station’s Sydney Metro station revealed

The Metro has hit rock bottom - of Central Station. See inside the tunnel which will turn into Sydney’s new transport system.

It is a dark tunnel buried deep under the city’s streets which will eventually connect Sydney’s northwest and southwest via the CBD as part of the nation’s first metro system.

Workers literally reached rock bottom in the past few weeks after they carved out the rock of the metro line’s station box 27 metres below street level.

That space will eventually be a platform for commuters and sits between two cylindrical tunnels dug by machines. Construction workers and engineers used 14 excavators to smash the sandstone intro debris and remove 280,000 tonnes of it-- or the equivalent of 46 Olympic swimming pools filled with rock.

Using the excavators rather than the tunnelling machine meant the project could be finished faster for commuters.

The entire process was closely monitored by engineers who measured vibrations to make sure other underground infrastructure like the Bondi Junction rail line and the Cross City Tunnel were not affected.

Excavators break through into RT01 at the bottom of the metro station box at Central Station.

The Sydney Metro platforms at Central will connect the station with suburban, intercity and regional rail services, buses, coaches and light rail.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said it was amazing the extensive project had been carried out without a disruption to rail services while providing employment to 5000 people, a figure which is expected to grow to 50,000 as the project is completed.

“What we’re incredibly proud of, and I want to thank Mr Constance and the whole Metro team, is that all this has occurred without disruption to services,” she said.

“Today is a milestone because it demonstrates our capacity to get on with the job even when there are challenges around the state.”

NSW Minister Transport and Roads Andrew Constance and Gladys Berejiklian speak with the media on Sunday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the new Metro stop would eventually form Central Station’s platform 13 and 14.

“It is incredible to see the open heart surgery which has happened to the railway … it has meant minimal disruption to the close to a quarter of million people who travel through Central every day,” he said.

“People are going to be blown away by the new concourse and the connection between the new metro and Sydney trains.”

The new Metro stop will eventually take up two platforms at Central station.

He said a 460 tonne steel structure on the station’s northern concourse will link the metro stop with the rest of the suburban and intercity trains was now complete and 500 louvres were now being installed.

“People are going to be blown away by the new concourse and the connection it will bring between Sydney Trains and the rest of the rail network including (the) Metro,” Mr Constance said.

A 19m wide underground pedestrian walkway linking light rail customers on the eastern side of the station with trains and bus services was still being excavated and was now 75 per cent complete.

Originally published as Major milestone on Central Station’s Sydney Metro station revealed