The Sydney Metro West project has received two major planning approvals, creating thousands of jobs and paving the way for mega tunnel boring machines to be in the ground by the end of next year.
Planning approval has been granted for the Sydney Metro West Project Concept, from Westmead to the Sydney CBD, as well as station excavation and tunnelling between Westmead and The Bays.
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance today visited the site of two future factories at Eastern Creek, which separately received planning approval.
"We are ready to hit the ground running with work on the new Sydney Metro West tunnels and station excavations, between Westmead and The Bays," Mr Constance said.
"The NSW Government is creating local jobs through local manufacturing, with the benefits of the Sydney Metro West project reaching further into the community than just at the station locations.
"These two new factories at Eastern Creek will support 240 local jobs and manufacture 148,000 precast concrete segments for the 24 kilometre twin tunnels that stretch from Westmead to the Sydney CBD."
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the approvals are a huge step forward for Sydney Metro West, which will transform the way we travel across Greater Sydney for generations to come.
"This city-shaping project will have a target travel time of about 20 minutes between Parramatta and the CBD, cut crowding on three major train lines and take tens of thousands of cars off the road every day," Mr Stokes said.
"It will create more than 10,000 direct jobs and around 70,000 indirect jobs, while delivering a vital boost to the local economy."
The project will link new suburbs to rail for the first time, with stations confirmed at Westmead, Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock, The Bays, Pyrmont and the Sydney CBD.
The planning approvals process for Sydney Metro West is being done in stages because of the size of the project.
Future planning stages will seek approval for major civil construction works including station excavation and tunnelling between The Bays to Sydney CBD, as well as tunnel fit-out, station building and operation of the line between Westmead and the CBD. The community will be able to have its say at each stage of the planning process.
Construction started on the Sydney Metro West project in late 2020, with tens of billions of dollars being invested by the NSW Government to deliver a new Metro network across Greater Sydney.
The first of three tunnelling contracts is expected to be awarded in the middle of this year.
