Work begins on Sydney Metro West

Early works have begun on Sydney Metro West, with site preparation works at the site of the future Bays Station underway.

The immediate works involve road relocation works to prepare the site to be the dive site for tunnel boring machines.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian joined Minister for Transport Andrew Constance and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet in a ground-breaking ceremony.

“Sydney Metro West is a life changing mega project which will transform how we get around Sydney and ensure we have the right transport in place to accommodate the city’s growth,” said Berejiklian.

“This project will help cut crowding on three major train lines and take tens of thousands of cars off the roads every day.”

At the Bays Site, the first of four tunnel boring machines will be launched before the end of 2022.

Tunnelling contracts for the project have been split in two, and the first tunnelling contract is expected to be awarded by the middle of 2021. This contract will involve 11km of twin tunnels between The Bays and Sydney Olympic Park. Three consortiums have been shortlisted for this contract: John Holland, CPB Contractors and Ghella Australia joint venture (JHCPBG JV); Gamuda and Laing O’Rouke Australia joint venture (GALC JV); and Acciona Australia and Ferrovial Australia joint venture (AF JV).

A second contractor will deliver the second tunnelling package from Sydney Olympic Park to Westmead. This contract will be selected from the two unsuccessful contractors in the initial shortlist.

Constance said that once complete, the project would reshape the way people travelling in the city.

“Sydney Metro West will deliver new fully accessible stations at Westmead, Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock, The Bays and the Sydney CBD,” he said.

“This once in a century infrastructure investment will have a target travel time of about 20 minutes between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD, link new communities to rail services and support employment growth and housing supply.”

Perrotet said that the 2020-21 budget had put down the funds needed to get the project started.

“The NSW Government is investing tens of billions of dollars into delivering a new Metro network to connect Greater Sydney, including $2.1 billion in 2020-21 to get the construction of Sydney Metro West underway.”