The Western Sydney Airport Metro project has taken another important step towards first train services, with all tracks now laid on the line linking St Marys to Bradfield via the new airport.
A total of 92 kilometres of Australian-made steel weighing 6,408 tonnes has been laid by 450 workers over the past 15 months.
More than 76,000 track sleepers have been installed.
The focus of work will now turn to fitting out tunnels and viaducts ahead of introducing power and testing trains along the 23km line.
Construction across the six stations is powering ahead, with all station platforms now complete, and more than half of the 40 escalators installed.
Work is underway to install 108 platform screen doors to safely separate passengers from the rail corridor.
The final piece of track on the new metro line was laid at St Marys Station, which is undergoing its biggest transformation since the railway station opened there in 1862.
St Marys will become a major transport hub connecting metro, suburban rail and bus services.
Jointly funded by the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments, Western Sydney Airport Metro will provide fast, frequent and reliable public transport for Western Sydney's growing population, forecast to reach 3.5 million people by 2036, with capacity to carry up to 7,740 passengers an hour in each direction.
A fleet of 12 new metro trains has been ordered, with the first train expected to be delivered to site by the end of June.
Free public transport will connect to the airport before then, with buses running between metro stops along the route between before any flights land.
Free airport buses will run every 30 minutes between 4.30am to midnight Sunday to Thursday and 4.30am to 1am Friday and Saturday, with an expected journey time of about 30 minutes in normal traffic.
The free airport buses will complement the Minns Labor Government's comprehensive bus plan for Western Sydney, which is set to provide new services every 30 minutes linking the airport to Penrith, Leppington, Liverpool, Campbelltown and Mount Druitt.
The new metro will provide an infrastructure spine that will help the growing region develop, with 120,000 new jobs expected around Bradfield by the mid-2030s.
The toll-free M12 motorway linking the broader Sydney motorway network to the airport opened to traffic in March.
Deputy Premier of New South Wales, Minister for Western Sydney and Member for Londonderry Prue Car said:
"Completing the track for the Western Sydney Airport Metro line represents a huge milestone for our community as we work to connect St Marys with the brand-new international airport and Bradfield City.
"St Marys' revitalised station will be a gateway to NSW for international and domestic travellers, improving transport connections across Western Sydney and the rest of the city.
"The Minns Labor Government is delivering the essential infrastructure fast-growing Western Sydney communities need, bringing transport, jobs, and services closer to where people live."
Minister for Transport John Graham said:
"Fifty-six years after Tullamarine Airport opened, they are still waiting for a train to the airport in Melbourne.
"The completion of tracks is a big milestone towards opening this world-class metro line that will not only deliver passengers to the airport but deliver opportunity to Western Sydney as our third major CBD grows up around it.
"The opening of the airport is being supported by new bus services connecting to the precinct from Penrith, Liverpool, Mount Druitt, Campbelltown and Leppington. These are important Western Sydney corridors that were forgotten by the former government as they concentrated on multi-billion motorways."
