Cumberland Council calls for Metro West station at Silverwater, reveals 64,000 extra residents expected by 2036

It’s more synonymous with the jail, but a western Sydney council is calling for a Metro station to be built at Silverwater as it braces for a population explosion and overcrowded roads.

Silverwater is known for its jail but a council says a metro stop should be built in the suburb.

It conjures images of barbed wire fences and jail cells – but a western Sydney council bracing for 64,000 extra residents by 2036 is leading calls for a Metro West station to be built at Silverwater.

Despite Silverwater falling in the Parramatta council area, Cumberland Council has made the submission to the Sydney Metro independent Review as it tries to find solutions to cope with a predicted 250,000 extra trips within the Cumberland transport network.

The suggestion was one of several public transport proposals endorsed at its Wednesday night meeting.

A council document states that should extra metro stations be contemplated along the Sydney Metro West corridor, there was potential for a new station at Silverwater, which could potentially alleviate transport strain on Lidcombe station.

Metro also considered another stop at Rydalmere but the former government ruled it out because it will have a light rail stop and its location on the north side or Parramatta River would have a massive bend. Business groups nominate Camellia as an ideal stop.

The council wants a stop to serve commuters in its booming community.

Cumberland Council states it was open to consider Silverwater station only if it provided direct links to the Cumberland area, delivered a commuter carpark, buses and pedestrian and cycling paths.

It would only back the new station if it did not “significantly delay” the opening of the metro line between Westmead and the city.

Business Western Sydney executive director David Borger backed the bid for a station at Silverwater after saying “Cumberland has gotten the short end of the straw when it comes to good public transport’’.

“If Greater Parramatta is to be the true Central City of Sydney it needs stronger transport connections to its surrounding suburbs and to key centres job and economic centres just like the Sydney CBD has,’’ he said.

“Better connections between Cumberland and Parramatta must be part of that.’’

He said the station would fill the “big, unusual’’ 7km gap between Parramatta and Sydney Olympic Park.

“We still believe there is one last opportunity to revisit this and put in additional stations to support housing and jobs. Places like Camellia and Silverwater are obvious candidates given the tunnels for Sydney Metro West go right underneath them.”

Work is already under way at the future Westmead Metro West station.

Public transport advocate Roydon Ng echoed the need for an extra stop between Parramatta and Olympic Park.

“Silverwater not just the jail – there’s people who live in Silverwater,’’ he said.

A Sydney Metro spokesman said metro stations would be considered late this year.

“The NSW Government is currently undertaking a review of the Sydney Metro Project and the next phase of the review, due in Q4 2023, will include an analysis of the existing Sydney Metro West scope, including consideration of station locations,’’ he said.

An extra stop at Silverwater could potentially be built between Parrramatta and Sydney Olympic Park.

The council has also supported more housing to flank the Westmead metro station but needs infrastructure to sustain its population boom, which is set to soar from 236,000 to more than 300,000 by 2036.

“The anticipated levels of demands for public transport services would also be exponentially greater than current demand,’’ a report stated.

Data shows most residents drive as their dominant mode of transport at two-thirds of all trips within the area because of deficient access to public transport, with infrequent bus and rail services.

“These challenges, if not addressed in a timely manner, can affect the liveability and overall wellbeing of the Cumberland community,’’ the report stated.

Roydon Ng at Regents Park, one of the stations in the Cumberland community.

Cumberland Council has also sought a renewed commitment from the government that services west of Bankstown – impacting suburbs such as Berala and Regents Park – would be maintained when the west and southwest metro starts operating.

The calls come amid revelations this week that a state government department developed a plan to permanently shut nine train stations west of Bankstown – serving 19,000 commuters – once the contentious Southwest Metro line to Sydenham opens.

There are calls for an additional metro station along the west line at Silverwater. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett)

It has also requested the reinstatement of the direct Regents Park-city line which was cut in 2013.

The council will also make its metro submissions to the NSW Parliament Inquiry into public transport.

Auburn state Labor MP Lynda Voltz said she had long supported a stop at Silverwater.

“As chair of the transport and infrastructure committee, we are currently holding an inquiry into why so much taxpayers’ funds are being spent on a metro that delivers no stations between Parramatta and the nine kilometres to Sydney Olympic Park,’’ she said.

Originally published as Cumberland Council calls for Metro West station at Silverwater, reveals 64,000 extra residents expected by 2036