By Matt O'Sullivan
Commuters lined up in droves in anticipation of the opening of Sydney's new Wynyard Walk on Tuesday, hoping to catch a glimpse of history as they snapped pictures on their phones.
And as soon as Premier Mike Baird and Transport Minister Andrew Constance had cut the ribbon, the crowd poured through the entrance of the 180-metre pedestrian tunnel linking Wynyard Station to Barangaroo.
About 23,000 workers are eventually expected to be based at the fast-growing precinct on the western edge of Sydney's CBD, while a further 30,000 people are forecast to visit each day.
For them, the new tunnel will halve the time it takes to walk from the train station to Barangaroo - it will take about six minutes. Four years in the making, the nine-metre wide tunnel can handle about 20,000 people an hour, and features escalators, stairs and lifts.
The western entrance to Wynyard Walk in Sydney's CBD.Credit: Peter Rae
Ash Nazim, a management consultant who works at one of three new towers at Barangaroo, said the tunnel would make a difference for workers and visitors.
"I'm looking forward to taking it on rainy days – I can come to work without the umbrella now," he said after walking through the tunnel for the first time.
Mr Constance said the pedestrian tunnel would be the main artery between Barangaroo and the city's transport network.
"We are now looking at a modern-day retrofit of a station coupled with a beautiful tunnel," he said. "You don't have to cross roads or navigate steep inclines."
Wynard Walk has capacity to handle 20,000 people an hour.Credit: Peter Rae
The tunnel opening comes as the first stage of a $160 million upgrade of Wynyard Station is completed. The station features extra ticket gates, a wider concourse and the removal of some shops to create more room for commuters.
Transport for NSW's program director for precincts and infrastructure, Pete Church, said the extra gates and more room enabled commuters to pass through the station quicker and had a calming effect during rush hour.
Commuters file through the new tunnel for the first time on Tuesday.Credit: Peter Rae
"This spreads the load and we can take the capacity quite easy now," he said. "It has a much more open feel about it."
Wynyard is the third busiest station in Sydney, and is expected to grow from about 75,000 commuters a day to up to 110,000 over the next seven years.
Premier Mike Baird and Transport Minister Andrew Constance at the opening.Credit: Peter Rae
As part of the upgrade, Transport for NSW has applied to remove four wooden escalators from the station – three of which were installed in 1932 – and a decision by the Office of Environment and Heritage is expected shortly.
If approval is granted, they will be removed early in the new year.
Wynyard Walk will initially be opened from 5am to 9pm each day. However, it will be extended to 24 hours a day once an entrance to Clarence Street from the walkway is completed later this year.
On Tuesday, the NSW government also awarded engineering company Downer EDI a contract to upgrade Homebush Station in Sydney's west, which will feature renovated stairs, new toilets and better lighting and closed-circuit-TV surveillance.