The finish line for tunnelling on the eastern end of the Sydney Metro West project is in sight after two tunnel boring machines passed the deepest part of Darling Harbour on their way to Hunter Street.
The tunnel from Pyrmont has reached 35 metres below the water's surface, passing under the Australian Maritime Museum and now heading towards King Street Wharf on the eastern shore of Darling Harbour.
The 1,100-tonne tunnel boring machines Jessie and Ruby each have less than 700 metres left to finish their job at rate of advance of 90 metres a week.
The machines are designed to dig in the high-pressure conditions beneath Sydney Harbour. They move at a slower pace than traditional tunnel boring machines due to the wetter conditions and geological environment they are navigating.
The next section of tunnel will be under some of Sydney's busiest and best-known streets, including York, George and Pitt streets and pass closely underneath Wynyard Station to reach the Hunter Street cavern.
When Sydney Metro West opens in 2032, passengers will have fast, high-frequency and reliable metro services connecting the Sydney CBD with Parramatta in a 20-minute trip - doubling the rail capacity between those two centres.
Sydney Metro West will transform journeys west from the Sydney CBD, with travel times of:
- Hunter Street to Parramatta in 20 minutes
- Hunter Street to Sydney Olympic Park in 15 minutes
- Five Dock to Parramatta in 12 minutes
- Pyrmont to Hunter Street in 2 minutes
More than 5.87 million tonnes of earth will be excavated to build the Sydney Metro West tunnels, equivalent to filling the entire volume of the Sydney Opera House 2.6 times over.
In total, tunnelling is now 97% complete on the project. The first tunnel boring machine finished its work on the western end at Westmead in September.
Track laying and station construction will follow tunnelling, bringing Sydney another step closer to the opening of the new line.
Premier of NSW Chris Minns said:
"We are well on the way, and real, substantial progress is being made on this project underneath the city.
"This is one of the biggest public transport projects in the country, and it will have a major impact on how people get in and out of the city - to Westmead, Parramatta and Olympic Park."
Minister for Transport John Graham said:
"This section of tunnel will provide a two-minute connection between Hunter Street and Pyrmont in future, with Sydney Olympic Park just another 13 minutes from there - a quantum leap for east - west public transport.
"I want to thank the professional team of 210 who are safely guiding these tunnel boring machines through some of the most challenging underground conditions to complete the job."
