NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has made a major public transport election promise, saying a reelected Liberal-National Government will get to work building four more Sydney Metro rail lines, beyond those already announced.
Berejiklian on March 14 said if voters chose the Liberal-National Coalition at the polls on March 23, planning would begin for four additional Sydney Metro projects:
- An extension for the planned Metro West line, to take it from Westmead to the future Western Sydney Airport
- An extension for the in-development Metro City and South West line, to take it from Bankstown to Liverpool, and
- A pair of extensions for the planned North South Rail Line project: one linking St Marys to Rouse hill via Schofields; the other linking Western Sydney Airport to Macarthur.
The fresh commitments come in addition to the ongoing work towards Sydney Metro West, which is supported by both Labor and the Liberal-Nationals, and would link the Sydney CBD with Parramatta.
It also comes in addition to the North South Rail Line project, committed to by the Liberals at both federal and state levels, which would connect the future Western Sydney Airport to the existing heavy rail network from day one of operations – a goal also supported by Labor.
“The four additional Sydney Metro projects announced today are on top of the five Metro projects the Government already has underway,” Berejiklian said.
“The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government is delivering Australia’s first Metro network. It will provide turn-up-and-go train services up to every two minutes and complement the existing Sydney Trains network.”
Berejiklian noted the first Sydney Metro project, Metro North West between Rouse Hill and Chatswood, was “almost complete and under budget,” and will open in May.
She said the second and third stages, Metro City and South West, were already under construction, and that Metro West and the North South Rail Line were being accelerated.
“The NSW Liberals & Nationals are committed to develop a Metro Rail network across Sydney,” transport minister Andrew Constance added. “When Labor were in office they announced 12 rail projects and only delivered half of one.”