Sydney's new underground CBD metro railway stations are taking shape about 25 metres under the centre of the city where new platform caverns and pedestrian tunnels are being excavated.
The game-changing Sydney Metro City & Southwest project is the first new rail line through Sydney since the 1970s and will massively cut travel times for commuters across the whole system.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance today met workers and had the first look at major construction work at the Martin Place Metro Station.
"It's incredible to see the progress that's been made by machines and workers underground with thousands of pedestrians moving aboveground," Ms Berejiklian said.
"Two roadheader tunnelling machines are working 24-7 to excavate the new Martin Place station, which stretches underground between Hunter Street and Martin Place.
"This project is really taking shape and when it opens, customers in the heart of Sydney's CBD will be more connected than ever before."
Mr Constance said the Martin Place metro platform caverns will be about 220 metres long, 16 metres high and 14 metres wide when fully lined with concrete.
"Roadheaders and about 95 workers have already excavated more than 166,620 tonnes of crushed rock at Martin Place – enough to fill about 26 Olympic swimming pools," Mr Constance said.
"They are also digging underground pedestrian connections to the existing Eastern Suburbs Line, making it easier to get around our great city.
"This once again shows that only the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government will deliver Metro rail across Sydney.
"When Labor was last in office they announced 12 rail projects. They did not deliver one in full and they are already promising to cancel the Sydenham to Bankstown Metro upgrade."
Sydney Metro will deliver a turn-up-and-go train service up to every two minutes to the four train stations being built in the Sydney CBD – Martin Place, Pitt Street, Barangaroo and Central.
Sydney Metro Northwest is on track to open in the coming months and is at least half a billion dollars under budget. It includes 13 Metro stations and 4000 commuter car parking spaces.
Metro rail is being extended from the north west, into the CBD and beyond to Bankstown in 2024, delivering Sydney 31 metro stations and a 66km standalone metro railway line.
