The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the future Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport has been released for public comment.
The release of the document paves the way for construction on the project to start before the end of 2020, said Federal Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge.
“Construction will start before the end of the year and will inject billions into the NSW economy and support 14,000 jobs,” he said.
“It’s crucial we get this underway right now to help NSW on the other side of COVID and deliver this game-changing, city-shaping infrastructure as soon as possible.”
NSW Minister for Transport Andrew Constance said that the future 23-km driverless metro would be a turn-up and go service.
“Trains will arrive up to every five minutes in the peak period in each direction as the initial operating capacity so customers won’t need a timetable – they’ll just turn up and go,” he said.
“There will be six new metro stations at St Marys, Orchard Hills, Luddenham, Airport Business Park, Western Sydney International Airport and the Western Sydney Aerotropolis.”
The EIS begins to give a clearer picture of what the line will look like. Three different types of stations will be constructed along the line, including cut and cover stations at St Marys, Airport Terminal and Aerotropolis, in cutting or surface states at Orchard hills and Airport Business Park, and an elevated station along a viaduct at Luddenham.
At St Marys the new station would be constructed alongside the existing train station to the south of the Western Line. Opportunities for the revitalisation of the surrounding station precinct would also be enabled by construction there.
The EIS outlines that two tunnels will be constructed as part of the project. One from St Marks to Orchard Hills, with a dive structure at Orchard Hills, and another from the Airport Business part to the Aerotropolis, with a dive structure near the airport business park.
Local federal member for Hume, Angus Taylor said that once complete, there would be opportunity to add more capacity to the line.
“We expect to be moving up to 7,740 people an hour in each direction when services start, with plenty of room to add more trains as the region grows,” Mr Taylor said.
“Passengers will enjoy a five-minute journey from the airport to the Western Sydney Aerotropolis. It will take around 20 minutes to travel from St Marys to the Aerotropolis and about 15 minutes from the airport to St Marys – where customers can interchange with the T1 Western Line and the rest of Sydney’s rail network.”
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