More than 1200 members of the public will experience the first ever underground station-to-station walk today, giving them a close up look at Metro West, Sydney's next transformative public transport project.
Between the completion of tunnelling works and the commencement of tunnel fit out, this is a rare window of opportunity to explore the depths of the underground rail line that will reshape transport and housing in Sydney.
Descending by lift into the Bays West station box, the public will enter the 7-metre-high tunnels and walk within 25 metres of the Anzac Bridge footings, beneath Johnstons Bay, reaching the deepest point of 45 metres underground as it approaches the station box at Pyrmont.
While today's 1.3 kilometre walk will take around 15 minutes each way, when Metro West is open in 2032 the journey from Pyrmont to Bays West will take just two minutes, and the journey to Parramatta will take just 18 minutes.
This historic experience comes after the final tunnel boring machine on the Metro West project broke through the sandstone into the Hunter Street station cavern in February.
This brought to an end the entire 128 kilometres of tunnelling across all of Sydney's Metro projects since work began in 2014.
With tunnelling now complete on Metro West, the project's focus will progressively shift to station construction and tunnel fit‑out.
This comes after the NSW Government awarded $11.5 billion worth contracts in December to deliver 60 kilometres of track, rail systems, five Metro West stations, tunnel fit outs, supply and operation of the train fleet and the Hunter Street Station development partner.
In addition to the rapid reliable transport, the $27-29 billion investment will form the backbone of the some of the Government's most significant rezonings and housing reforms, including up to 18,000 homes around Burwood North station, up to 18,000 homes around North Strathfield station, up to 15,000 homes around Sydney Olympic Park station and up to 8,500 homes near Bays station.
When Sydney Metro West begins services in 2032, passengers will enjoy fast travel times including:
- The Bays to Hunter Street in 4 minutes
- Pyrmont to Hunter Street in 2 minutes
- Pyrmont to Parramatta in 18 minutes
- Westmead to Hunter Street in 22 minutes
Minister for Transport John Graham said:
"This is a once-in-a-generation project and today the community has walked through the tunnels that will soon transform how we move between the Sydney CBD and Greater Parramatta.
"Standing deep beneath the city, you get a real sense of the scale and ambition of Sydney Metro West-this is the infrastructure that will shape Sydney's future for decades to come.
"With tunnelling now complete, we're pressing ahead with station construction and fit-out to get another step closer to fast, reliable and world-class metro services for Greater Sydney."
