A tunnel boring machine has cut through the final metre of sandstone into the future station at Hunter Street, marking the completion of all tunnelling on the 24-kilometre Sydney Metro West line.
The historic breakthrough also brings to a close all tunnelling on four Sydney Metro projects: North West, City, Western Sydney Airport and West.
The mammoth task, which began in 2014 between Epping and Bella Vista, eventually excavated 14.7 million tonnes of rock across the four lines.
In total, 19 tunnel boring machines have created 128kms of metro tunnel underneath Sydney to all points west.
On Sydney Metro West specifically, tunnelling went on around the clock for two years and ten months to create the twin tunnels which connect the Sydney and Parramatta CBDs in a 20-minute trip.
The first of two boring machines reached Hunter Street in December.
The focus of work on Sydney Metro West now shifts to tunnel fit out, with track laying to begin in the 24-kilometre twin tunnels by the end of the year.
Metro West will cut travel times to:
- Westmead - Hunter Street: 22 minutes.
- Sydney Olympic Park to Hunter Street: 15 minutes
- Westmead to Sydney Olympic Park: 7 minutes
- The Bays to Sydney Olympic Park: 11 minutes
The project has so far employed almost 23,000 workers on the nine station line between Hunter Street and Westmead.
More than 141,400 precast concrete segments that line the new tunnel walls were manufactured on site at a purpose-built facility in Eastern Creek.
Sydney Metro West has a target opening date of 2032, with a total investment of $27-$29 billion.
The Metro West line at Hunter Street will connect to the current city line at Martin Place in a busy underground hub.
Passengers from South West and Inner West Sydney will join the city line later in the year when the southwest extension opens.
Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:
"This is a huge moment for the delivery of this city shaping project.
"Metro West will transform Sydney, by joining our two biggest CBDs via a 20-minute train ride.
"Few people would have an idea of what is going on underground, but today marks the end of the massive job that was tunnelling the 24 kilometres between Westmead and Hunter Street."
Minister for Transport John Graham said:
"For those who cut through rock, we salute you.
"This has been another world-class tunnelling job by a highly-skilled workforce. I want to thank the 23,000 workers who toiled underground to bring this massive tunnelling job to a safe completion. Their work has been seen by few but will be appreciated by many.
"These twin tunnels will provide a quantum leap in how our public transport system connects people to the places they need to access as the city's west continues to grow in population and economic importance."
