Chris Minns urged to keep Sydney’s Metro plans on track

Sydney leaders say a review of the city’s Metro network could be a watershed moment for the state, with the warning that dumping any lines could set NSW back decades.

Chris Minns has been urged to plough ahead with Metro lines.

Sydney leaders say a review of the city’s Metro network could be a watershed moment for the state, with the warning that dumping any lines could set NSW back decades.

The call to keep expanding Sydney’s network comes as the only Metro already operating – the North West line linking Tallawong to Chatswood – recorded its second highest patronage ever in March, with 2,115,000 trips on the driverless train.

It’s the largest number of passengers who have taken the Metro since Covid-19 hit, with March’s soaring figures only behind October 2019 when 2,207,000 took the line.

But question marks remain over the future of the network, with Labor announcing a review into other lines currently under construction after briefings revealed multiple cost blowouts and delays.

Issues include the extended closure of the heavy rail between Bankstown and Sydenham for up to 15 months while it’s converted to Metro standards, while that line is also $6 billion above earlier budgets.

The state of Sydney’s Metro lines.

It comes after testing began last week on the City line linking Chatswood to Sydenham.

Work is also underway on Metro West, due to open in 2030, which links the CBD to Parramatta, and the Western Sydney Airport line linking the new airport to St Marys.

Labor didn’t match the Coalition’s election promise to explore building new Metros between Westmead to the new airport, and Glenfield to Bankstown, but will complete business cases for a line linking the new airport to the Macarthur region and Tallawong to St Marys.

Business Sydney’s executive director Paul Nicolaou said the popularity of the North West Metro showed why Labor couldn’t afford to pump the breaks on other lines.

“The North West Metro has already been a game changer for public transport in that area and we look forward to more of that when the next ambitious stage of the Metro comes on line next year,” he said, referring to the City routes forecast opening in late 2024.

“Business Sydney urges the Minns Government not to walk away from the additional Metro projects and to look for every possible way to make them happen.”

David Borger, executive director of Business Western Sydney, said “Shelving or delaying any of the Sydney Metro projects will set the future of Western Sydney back decades”.

“A short, sharp review of the Sydney Metro program is welcome and should put our Metros back on track. The communities of Western Sydney have waited patiently on the promise for better transport and they deserve nothing less,” he said.

Committee for Sydney Eamon Waterford said the groundwork should be laid now to keep building lines every four years.

“It’s essential we don’t slow down on building new Metro lines. As a city we should be getting used to building a new line every four years, forever. That’s not about a step change, that’s for (catering for) a growing city,” he said.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey told The Telegraph Labor’s preference was to forge ahead with the projects currently proposed.

“We are doing our best to rescue those projects and that's why within weeks of us coming to power we’ve ordered a review into the Metro program … That is a tough job and that will be difficult for us to do. But we’re going to wait the outcome of that Metro review and we’re going to do our level best to rescue those projects,” he said.

Originally published as Chris Minns urged to keep Sydney’s Metro plans on track