Sydney has a new train station for the first time in five years, as Waterloo Metro becomes the first to cross the construction finish line for the transformative City & Southwest Metro project, set to welcome passengers this year.
It comes as the NSW Government takes another step forward in addressing the state's housing crisis, with the topping out of a nine-storey building with 70 social homes as part of the Waterloo Metro Quarter development above the new station. The topping out marks construction of this building reaching its highest point.
Nearly 19,000 passengers are expected to use the state-of-the-art Waterloo Station each day when it opens.
Waterloo Station is the first of six new world-class stations on the City Metro line to be complete, and the remaining five are following close behind.
When City Metro services begin in coming months, Waterloo will provide fast, safe and reliable journeys to Central in two minutes, Barangaroo in eight minutes and to Victoria Cross in North Sydney in 11 minutes.
There are several further steps before the official opening of the Sydney Metro City & Southwest later this year. These include approval from the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator, the handover of the line and all stations to the operator, and a period of full trial running. These milestones are all on schedule.
The Waterloo Renewal Project is a major redevelopment that will transform the estate into a modern, sustainable and vibrant community with a mix of social, affordable and private housing, as well as retail, community facilities and public open spaces.
The NSW Labor Government last year increased the number of new social and affordable homes being delivered as part of the renewal of Waterloo South estate from 34 per cent to 50 per cent, resulting in an uplift of up to 500 homes.
Construction of the social housing building in the Waterloo Metro Quarter started in mid-2023 and is due to be completed next year. It will feature 70 social housing units, community room, roof top garden and internal bike storage.
Existing Waterloo South social housing tenants will be given an opportunity to relocate here, allowing residents to stay in their local area while the renewal development is underway.
The Waterloo Metro Quarter development above the new Sydney Metro station will include 220 social, affordable and private residential homes. It will also feature student accommodation, retail outlets and commercial space across four buildings, along with public open space and a car park.
The Waterloo Metro Quarter development will provide well-located apartments near well-connected transport infrastructure, giving people a place to call home where they can move around our city easier.
For more information about Waterloo Station: sydneymetro.info/station/waterloo-station.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said:
"This is an important milestone for Sydney Metro, with construction now complete for the first new station on this line.
"This is a good example of what happens when we link the provision of housing and public transport. Everybody wins.
"More homes close to our train stations means we'll have better connected communities.
"This is a great example of revitalising an inner-city community and incorporating housing and public transport."
Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:
"We're taking a huge step towards opening the next stage of Metro, which is just around the corner and will see tens of thousands of people using these new stations and enjoying faster connections.
"This mega station will be a game-changer for Waterloo, Redfern and Alexandria and significantly reduce traffic on our inner-city roads, while alleviating pressure at nearby Redfern and Green Square stations.
"It took more than 5,000 people five million work hours - more than four years - to complete the new station, including excavation of 330,000 tonnes of material.
"This is a striking station with a design that honours Aboriginal heritage and pays homage to Waterloo's history. Its 170-metre-long platforms will receive a lightning-fast train every four minutes in the peak."
Minister for Housing Rose Jackson said:
"Waterloo Estate is one of the state's largest ever social housing renewals. This is a significant step forward in addressing the injustices of the former government, and ensuring our commitment to providing more homes for those who need them most.
"This construction milestone at Waterloo Metro Quarter is just the start of more social and affordable homes to come in this area.
"As part of the renewal, we have boosted the number of social and affordable housing in Waterloo South to 50 per cent delivering approximately 1,500 to those in need. We know housing plays a critical role in outcomes for Aboriginal communities, so we're dedicating a minimum of 15 per cent of all new social and affordable homes for Aboriginal people to keep communities connected and work towards closing the housing gap.
"Tenants deserve to be with us every step of the journey, which is why we will continue to ramp up efforts to be out and about in the community, and I want to thank people for their patience."
