Sydney Metro West
Sydney Metro West | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Status | Under construction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Owner | Transport for NSW | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Sydney, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stations | 10[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type | Rapid transit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
System | Sydney Metro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Commenced | November 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Planned opening | 2032 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line length | 24 km (14.9 mi)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electrification | 25 kV 50 Hz AC from overhead catenary[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sydney Metro West is a rapid transit underground rail project currently under construction in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.[3][4][5] It involves constructing a
History
After media reports indicated the project had found favour with Transport for NSW and the New South Wales Government,[9][10] the new rail-line was announced by the Baird government as an official project on 14 November 2016.[11]
Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, the Bays Precinct and the Sydney CBD were initially announced as proposed station locations, with up to 12 stations being considered.[12] The preferred alignment was scheduled to be announced in late 2018,[13] with the line expected to open in the second half of the 2020s. The government proposed a value capture scheme to help pay for the project. The contributions from value capture were expected to amount to between 10 and 15 percent of the capital cost.[14] Construction was originally planned to begin by 2022.[15]
During the state election campaign in March 2019, the Liberal/National coalition government announced a funding of $6.4 billion to the project and commitment to start construction earlier in 2020, if re-elected.[16] The Labor opposition also announced its commitment to fund the project if it won the election, at the expense of cancelling other announced transport and road projects such as the Beaches Link.[17] With the coalition state government re-elected its 2019-2020 state budget reaffirmed the government's commitment and funding of $6.4 billion over four years to the project, with construction to be fast-tracked to start in 2020.[18][19][20]
On 21 October 2019, the locations of seven stations were announced.[21][22][23] Initial work is expected to start in 2020, with tunnelling to begin in 2022. As at December 2023, the line is scheduled to open to in 2032.[24]
Planning approval process of the project was done in stages due to the size of the project. In March 2021, planning approvals were granted to the project concept between Westmead and the CBD, and station excavation and tunnelling between Westmead and The Bays. Future planning stages will seek approval for major civil construction works including station excavation and tunnelling between The Bays and the CBD, tunnel fit-out, station building, and operation of the line between Westmead and the CBD.[25]
Planning
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
In March 2018, the government expanded the project scope, including:[6][26][15]
- an additional station at Westmead
- a new station that will connect to existing stations either at Concord West or North Strathfield.
- an interchange at the western end of the line, connecting with the existing railway stations at either Westmead or Parramatta
Other options for new metro stations included
Media reports indicated that Martin Place would be the main CBD interchange.[27] During the state election campaign in March 2019, the government announced new stations at Five Dock, North Burwood and North Strathfield.[16]
In October 2019, the locations of seven stations were announced:[23][28]
At the time of announcement, the government was considering further stations at Pyrmont and Rydalmere.
On 30 April 2020, the project's Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was released to the public for exhibition. The Rydalmere station option was confirmed scrapped due to the cost of extra 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) of tunneling and the increase in commuter travel times. Parramatta City Council has also urged the government to build a station at Camellia to trigger urban renewal of the precinct.[30]
The Pyrmont station option was confirmed by the government on 11 December 2020.[31] The station is likely to be close to The Star casino, and will likely involve an office and retail development above the station. The station location is subject to further planning and design work. In May 2021, stations at Pyrmont and Hunter Street were announced.[32]
In conjunction with the December 2023 release of the Sydney Metro Review, a station at Rosehill was formally proposed, along with one possible other station west of Sydney Olympic Park.[33] The Rosehill station is slated to be constructed at the current site of the Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, in conjunction with a development plan that includes approximately 25,000 residential units.[34]
Project description
The line will run for 24 km (15 mi) between
As of May 2021, there are nine confirmed underground stations along the alignment:[6][32]
- Hunter Street (in the Sydney CBD)
- Pyrmont
- The Bays
- Five Dock
- Burwood North
- North Strathfield
- Sydney Olympic Park
- Parramatta
- Westmead
Hunter Street will be the only CBD station on the line, interchanging with other
Early construction began in 2020 and tunnelling commenced in 2023. Construction for Metro stations, their precincts and additional rail infrastructure is planned to commence from 2025. The line is planned to open in 2032, however the total cost of the project has not been released by the government, with 2021 reports in the
The project's western end serves a similar area to the Parramatta Light Rail, whose stage 1 alignment runs between Westmead and Carlingford.[10][36] Stage 2 of the light rail project was initially deferred, then redesigned and truncated from Strathfield to Sydney Olympic Park via the suburbs to the north of the Parramatta River.[37]
Possible extensions
The government have announced they will safeguard the ability to extend the eastern section of the line to the south-east via Zetland and Green Square, and also allow for extending the western section beyond Westmead to areas such as the new Western Sydney Aerotropolis.[6]
Construction
Procurement
Construction of the project is split into multiple parts, with separate contracts to build the tunnels, underground stations, rolling stock, signalling and electrical and mechanical systems.[38][39]
Tunnelling
In August 2020, the government announced a shortlist of three consortia to deliver the project's first two major tunnelling packages.
The third tunnelling contract for tunnelling between The Bays and Hunter Street (Eastern Tunnelling Package) was put out to tender in mid-2021.
Stations
In December 2023, the government announced that two bidders were shortlisted to build the Station Package West contract, which includes the design and construction of five stations (Westmead, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock, and The Bays).[39] The construction of remaining stations will be delivered individually as part of integrated station developments.[43]
Trains and Systems
The Trains and Systems contract includes 16 metro trains, signalling and platform screen doors.[39] In December 2023, the government announced that three bidders had been shortlisted:[39]
In December 2023, it was also announced that two bidders were shortlisted for the Linewide Package, which includes the design and construction of 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) of electrical and mechanical equipment along the line.[39]
Operations and Maintenance
The Operations and Maintenance contract includes the operation and maintenance of the line over 15 years. In December 2023, the government announced that four bidders were shortlisted:[39]
- GroWest Metro (a consortium of RATP and John Holland)
- Keolis Downer
- MTR Corporation
- River City Metro (a consortium of ComfortDelGro and UGL Rail)
Major construction and tunnelling
Early works to prepare for tunnelling commenced in 2020 with tunnelling on the central and western sections of the line expected to begin in 2023.[42][44] Early works began in The Bays area in November 2020 to prepare for the arrival of tunnel boring machines in 2022.[38][45] This was later pushed back to 2023.[42] Media reports in 2021 suggested that difficulty in excavation and property acquisition in Sydney CBD for the Hunter Street station risked escalating costs on the project.[46]
In January 2023 it was announced that the emergency exits in tunnels on the Metro West and Metro Western Sydney Airport lines will be spaced at 240 metres (260 yd) where possible, matching the existing lines.[47]
Criticism
The metro line would run under several suburbs that will not be serviced by the line. These include
Past proposals
In the 2000s, there were two previous proposals to link
Western FastRail
Western FastRail was a proposed $2 billion privately funded underground and above-ground train line that would link
The proposal was first made on 11 April 2002 when Col Gellatly, the state's top
In March 2005, the proposal was again brought up,[51] and again in December 2006 by then federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd during a visit to Penrith should the Australian Labor Party win the 2007 Federal Election. The plan received approving comments by the NSW State Government.[52] In September 2007 the proposal was again shown to the NSW Government.[53] Under the proposal, the project is proposed to be funded by the private sector, with Fastrail's assets being returned to the NSW Government after 30 years.[54]
On 18 March 2008, the NSW State Government announced SydneyLink, which included plans for the West Metro.[55] Premier Morris Iemma was asked about the Western FastRail proposal, and said that "the proposal on Penrith has got to stack up," and "the work that has been done shows that it does not stack up, for a number of reasons."[50] On 25 August, the State Government made a public announcement that it had ruled out the project two weeks earlier due to cost concerns, with the head of the consortium saying that the Government has failed to adequately review the proposal.[56][57]
Proposed Alignment
It was proposed that two 26 kilometres (16 mi) tunnels would link Sydney (possibly
There were 10 stations proposed for the Western FastRail:[58]
- Wynyard, Central, Sydney Olympic Park (possible new station), Parramatta, Seven Hills, Blacktown, Mount Druitt, St Marys, and Penrith.
West Metro
The centrepiece of the scheme premier Morris Iemma announced in March 2008 was "Metro Link" with an underground rapid-transit, privately-operated, single-deck, automated trains. After Nathan Rees replaced Iemma later that year, the West Metro was incorporated into Rees's Sydney Metro project, announced in 2009. The West Metro would be the second stage 2 of the project, and would extend CBD Metro (stage 1 – Central to Rozelle) from Central westward to Olympic Park.[59] Stage 5 of the project would further extend the line westward from Olympic Park to Parramatta, planned for completion in 2024.[60]
Rees' Sydney Metro project was cancelled in February 2010 by the government led by newly appointed premier Kristina Keneally. Keneally said "We've listened to the community and made a tough decision," and pledging to reimburse tenderers and property owners for losses incurred as a result of the work that had occurred to that point. Keneally announced a $50 billion transport plan to replace the metro project, including a new heavy rail line under the CBD.[61] Legislation to remove references to the Sydney Metro Authority was enacted later that year.[62] Keneally's alternative was the CBD Relief Line, which would be heavy-rail bypass of the existing city-centre stations.[63] Keneally lost office just over a year later in the 2011 New South Wales state election, and the relief line was cancelled by the incoming government led by premier Barry O'Farrell.[64]
References
- ^ a b "NSW tenders Sydney Metro West tunnelling". Railway Gazette International. 8 April 2020. Archived from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Matt (29 May 2023). "Why Sydney will end up with three incompatible metro train lines". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ "Sydney Metro West construction begins". International Railway Journal. 21 November 2020. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Sydney Metro West officially underway". NSW Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 16 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
- ^ "Sydney's mega Metro West project underway". Infrastructure Magazine. 19 November 2020. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Sydney Metro West Project Overview". Sydney Metro. Transport for NSW. Archived from the original on 21 October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- ^ a b c O'Sullivan, Matt (7 February 2021). "Warning that Metro West risks costing $27b and opening late". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ "Documents | Sydney Metro". www.sydneymetro.info. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- ^ Saulwick, Jacob (1 September 2016). "Revealed: new metro between Sydney CBD and Parramatta". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 16 May 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
- ^ a b O'Sullivan, Matt (2 October 2016). "Change of course looms for multibillion-dollar Parramatta light rail". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 4 October 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
- ^ "Sydney Metro West: a new railway, more trains for Western Sydney". Transport for NSW. 14 November 2016. Archived from the original on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Matt (31 May 2017). "Sydney's new metro line to Parramatta kicks off clamour for stations". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 1 June 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- ^ "A new railway for Western Sydney" (PDF). Transport for NSW. November 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 June 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Matt (27 June 2017). "Cost of new metro line from Sydney CBD to Parramatta set to top $12.5 billion". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- ^ a b O'Sullivan, Matt (23 March 2018). "The Sydney suburbs on list of station sites for new metro line". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 23 March 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ a b "NSW Premier says construction of Metro West line to begin 2020". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 March 2019. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Labor commits $8 billion to fast-track Sydney Metro West". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 February 2019. Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Government getting it done on Metro West". Transport for NSW. 18 June 2019. Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "$3.4bn added to fast-forward Sydney metro west". Global Construction Review (GCR). 18 June 2019. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Infrastructure Statement 2019-2020 Budget Paper No.2" (PDF). NSW Government. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 June 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
- ^ "Construction of the Western Sydney Metro to start next year". Transport for NSW. 21 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- ^ a b "NSW Government confirms seven new Sydney train stations for Metro West project". ABC News. 21 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- ^ a b "Sydney Metro West stations confirmed" (PDF). Sydney Metro. NSW Government. 21 October 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- ^ Metro West to supercharge housing supply across Sydney Government of New South Wales 7 December 2023
- ^ "Green lights for Sydney Metro West". Transport for NSW. 15 March 2021. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Further Sydney Metro West stations revealed". Sydney Metro. Transport for NSW. 23 March 2018. Archived from the original on 23 March 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ Saulwick, Jacob (8 July 2018). "New CBD rail station to link Wynyard and Martin Place". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
- ^ "Sydney Metro Project Overview - October 2019" (PDF). 21 October 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- ^ Sydney Speedway to be Demolished Auto Action 21 October 2019
- Sydney Morning Herald. 14 July 2020. Archivedfrom the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ "New Metro Station for Pyrmont". Transport for NSW. 11 December 2020. Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Sydney's newest metro stations announced". Sydney Metro. 12 May 2021. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "Sydney racecourse set to be replaced by 25,000 homes as state government commits to Metro West project". ABC News. 6 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "Sydney Metro West over-station development proposal" (PDF). NSW Government: Sydney Metro. November 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ Gerathy, Sarah (17 February 2017). "Parramatta Light Rail: NSW Government accused of trying to ditch Sydney Olympic Park". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 20 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
- ^ "Parramatta Light Rail to Sydney Olympic Park". Transport for NSW. 18 October 2017. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Sydney Metro West a step closer". 27 August 2020. Archived from the original on 28 August 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Chan, Ray (18 December 2023). "Contract shortlists for Sydney Metro West". Rail Express. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ a b "First major tunnelling contract awarded for Metro West". Sydney Metro. 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ "Second Sydney Metro West tunnelling contract awarded". Sydney Metro. 1 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Final major tunnelling contract awarded for Sydney Metro West". Sydney Metro. 28 November 2022. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ "A new partnership model for Sydney Metro West". Sydney Metro. 7 November 2022. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ Duboudin, Tony (5 December 2022). "Sydney Metro awards $A 1.6bn Sydney Metro West tunnelling contract". International Railway Journal. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ "Sydney Metro West officially underway". Transport for NSW. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Matt (9 February 2021). "Sydney CBD station looms as biggest challenge for flagship Metro rail project". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Matt (25 January 2023). "Major backflip on emergency exits for Sydney Metro rail tunnels". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ "Lack of stations on $20b Sydney Metro West rail line questioned". news.com.au. 23 October 2019. Archived from the original on 27 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ "Review announced after more cost blowouts on Sydney's new metro train network revealed". abc.net.au. 13 April 2023. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ a b c Linton Besser (23 August 2008). "The boomerang train". The Sydney Morning Herald. www.smh.com.au. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
- ^ Smith, Alexandra (15 March 2005). "Parramatta to city in 11 minutes: now that's a fast train - National - www.smh.com.au". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
- ^ Hildebrand, J. Rudd's road and rail cash. Daily Telegraph Archived 30 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine 19 December 2006
- ^ Besser, Linton (14 September 2007). "New east-west line may cut congestion". The Sydney Morning Herald. www.smh.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
- ^ Leighton Contractors Infrastructure Investment: Western FastRail
- ^ "SydneyLink project: Where could we use a metro rail line?". SydneyLink. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
- ^ Andrew West (25 August 2008). "Please explain: FastRail fumes over rejection". The Sydney Morning Herald. www.smh.com.au. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
- ^ "Please explain: Govt ditched $3.9b 'fast rail'". ABC News. www.abc.net.au. 25 August 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
- ^ Western FastRail
- ^ "Stage 2 Station Locations". Sydney Metro. Archived from the original on 2 November 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
- ^ Sydney Metro Authority (December 2009). Metro network strategy corridor assessment report.
- ^ "Keneally scraps CBD Metro plans". ABC News. 22 February 2010. Archived from the original on 25 May 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
- ^ "Transport Administration Amendment Act 2010".
- ^ Keneally unveils transport blueprint Archived 25 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine ABC News 21 January 2010.
- ^ Saulwick, Jacob; Moore, Matthew (15 June 2011). "No rail plans for Barangaroo's commuters". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
External links
- Sydney Metro West project overview
- Western FastRail – Archived July 2008