The NSW Government has launched the tender process for the construction of new twin railway tunnels from Chatswood to Sydenham, under Sydney Harbour and the CBD, as part of the second stage of the Sydney Metro project.
NSW minister for transport and infrastructure Andrew Constance made the announcement on Wednesday at an industry briefing in Chatswood.
Constance, who spoke to more than 450 delegates from around 250 Australian and international companies, said the government was looking to award the contract for tunnelling and station excavation works by mid-2017.
The announcement follows a six month process of engagement and consultation with industry on the project, Constance said.
“We’ve now taken the next step and opened expressions of interest for tunnelling, asking industry to partner with us in delivering this city-shaping project,” he said.
“The first of five tunnel boring machines will be in the ground before the end of 2018 to deliver new twin railway tunnels from Chatswood to Sydenham, as we get on with the job of opening Sydney Metro City & Southwest by 2024.”
Sydney Metro City & Southwest is the second stage of the Sydney Metro project.
Construction of the first stage, Sydney Metro Northwest, is already well underway, with tunnelling now complete, and skytrain and station construction ongoing.
The first stage of the project is to build a metro-style rail line from newly-developed housing centres in Sydney’s northwest, to Epping. The existing line from Epping to Chatswood will then be converted to create a single, twin-tunnel metro line between the northwest suburbs and Chatswood.
The tunnelling project announced on Wednesday is for Sydney Metro City & Southwest – the second stage of the project – which will build an extension from Chatswood, under Sydney Harbour, through the CBD and onto the existing line at Sydenham. From there, the line will be converted from Sydenham to Bankstown, to create one, cohesive Sydney Metro line.
“We finished tunnelling on Sydney Metro Northwest in January this year, with services on track to start in the first half of 2019 with a new metro train every four minutes in the peak,” Constance said.
“Sydney Metro isn’t just a city-shaping project – this is a fully-funded state-building and nation-building infrastructure project being delivered right now.
“As we embark on the formal procurement process for Sydney Metro City & Southwest, this is a further opportunity for industry to work with the government in delivering a truly world-class piece of infrastructure.”