Passenger Rail

NSW budget spends billions on Sydney Metro, light rail, new trains

The Berejiklian government’s 2018-19 state budget commits $14.4 billion for public transport and infrastructure, including $3 billion for the planned Metro West project between Sydney CDB and Parramatta and $278 million for the Parramatta light rail project.

The funds for the Metro West project will enable the start of design work on new metro railway stations, and the furthering of the planning approvals process, including community and industry consultation.

State transport minister Andrew Constance said that planning was currently underway to determine the location of stations along the route between the CBD and Parramatta and Westmead via The Bays Precinct and Sydney Olympic Park.

“This massive investment in Sydney’s future will make it faster and easier to get around our great global city,” Constance said.

“We have already begun the work to determine the best underground route between the Sydney CBD and Greater Parramatta with a program of geotechnical drilling, which will continue.”

The budget also provides $4.3 billion for the Sydney Metro network, including $1.9 billion for the Metro City and Southwest projects and $2.4 billion for the completion of the Sydney Metro Northwest line.

$258 million will go towards getting the Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1 construction process underway, while a further $20 million is budgeted for planning Stage 2 of the project, which is to run north of the Parramatta River and link with Sydney Olympic Park.

Newcastle’s light rail project, which is well into its construction phase, will receive $110 million.

$496 million has been set aside for the delivery of the new Intercity train fleet (for the Central Coast, Newcastle, Blue Mountains and Illawarra lines), while $400 million is going towards new trains for the Sydney Trains network.

The budget also includes a $31 million investment for the procurement of a new regional rail fleet to and maintenance facility to replace the XPT, XPLORER and Endeavour trains.

$880 million has been committed towards replacing legacy signalling and train control systems with new “intelligent” digital systems.

“These funds will also be used to plan for the initial stages of capacity improvements for the T4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra and T8 Airport and South lines that will boost frequency on these critical suburban rail lines,” Constance said.

$1.5 billion is going towards Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink Intercity network maintenance, while a further $133 million is heading for the Transport Access Program currently upgrading stations across the state.

The Australasian Railway Association praised the NSW budget, with CEO Danny Broad calling the Metro funding in particular “exemplars government who is committed to recognising the integral role that rail plays as part of a transport solution”.

“The NSW government’s 2018-19 Budget is an important step in continuing rail as a centre piece in transport solutions for the NSW economy,” Broad said.

Infrastructure Partnerships Australia chief executive Adrian Dwyer was also embraced the budget, saying said that it showed the way in its use of asset recycling initiatives to pay for big infrastructure projects.

“This record infrastructure investment, stapled to the largest surplus in the country, surpluses over the forwards and an enviable economic outlook proves that being against asset recycling is now simply untenable,” Dwyer said.

“The resource states like WA and Queensland must now look to the NSW playbook on asset recycling because the results are so compelling, and the opportunities are too big to ignore.”