CBD Metro plans moving ahead

By Jennifer Perry

New South Wales Minister for Transport, David Campbell said that important steps have been taken in delivering Australias first metro rail system.
He was referring to the lodgement of the Project Application along with a Preliminary Environmental Assessment (PEA) with the Planning Department, on February 16th.
The following day, an industry briefing was held regarding the construction and operation of the $4.8 billion CBD Metro.
With construction of the CBD Metro set to start next year, its crucial that planning work be completed during 2009, Campbell said.
This new phase of the project follows the establishment of Sydney Metro and the appointment of a CEO, the former RTA boss Les Wielinga.
Campbell said that construction is expected to begin on the Metro in 2010 with the first trains due to operate in 2015.
The underground seven kilometre rail line will travel from Rozelle through Pyrmont and on to Central via Barangaroo-Wynyard, Martin Place and Town Hall Square.
There will be a 60-metre wide underground corridor preserved for the CBD Metro, he said.
Campbell said that people around Pyrmont, Rozelle and the CBD who live or have businesses along the corridor of the metro, will soon be receiving letters from Sydney Metro.
Residents and business owners will be given the direct number for an information officer (Place Manager) who will answer their questions about the project.
As well as the dedicated local Place Managers, an information phone service has been established and community information days are also being planned.
Just because a property falls within a corridor, it does not mean there will be a railway tunnel constructed directly beneath them - the tunnels will actually be 20-35 metres below the surface.
It had been reported that the State Government was set to acquire about 30 properties along the proposed route to make space for stations and other above ground facilities, however the NSW Governments Sydney metro website said that media reports of this are incorrect, and that, The properties that may be needed are all zoned for commercial use and most are in the CBD.
Campbell said that there had been a lot of interest in the industry briefing for the CBD Metro, with companies from Australia and overseas attending.
There will be two major contracts, each worth about the same value for the CBD metro, Campbell said.
One will be for the Permanent Route Infrastructure, such as the drilling of the tunnels and excavation of the metro stations [and] the other will be for Integrated Metro Operations, which will include station fit-outs as well as operations and maintenance of the metro.
A call for Expressions of Interest, followed by a call for tenders to both build and operate the CBD Metro will be undertaken this year.