Redfern to Chatswood railway line, Sydney
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This article or section contains information about a planned or expected public transportation infrastructure. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the construction and/or completion of the infrastructure approaches, and more information becomes available. |
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| CBD Rail Link | |
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|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Mode | Commuter rail proposed |
| Area | North Sydney Sydney Willoughby |
| Owner | Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation |
| Design | |
| 2005 | Line announced |
| 2006 | Corridors identified |
| Operations | |
The Redfern to Chatswood Rail Link (RCRL) is the name of one of the routes proposed for a new underground railway line in Sydney's central business district. The line, which is part of the planned North West-CBD-South West link, will start at Redfern Station, travel under the Central Business District, cross under Sydney Harbour, pass through the Northern Sydney suburbs and end at the existing Chatswood railway station. Alternate working plans for the planned route have included the "Redfern to Chatswood Harbour Rail Link", "MetroPitt" and "CBD Rail Link".
The proposal was announced by Premier Bob Carr on 15 June 2005 (shortly before his resignation), and forms part of the $8 billion Metropolitan Rail Expansion Project (MREP). The MREP forms part of the New South Wales government's $8 billion North West - CBD - South West line, including the North West Rail Link (to extend from Cheltenham to Rouse Hill), and the spur to Leppington in Sydney's South West. The six kilometre cross-tunnel alone is slated to cost $5 billion. Duplicated tracks will be added on the line between St Leonards and Chatswood.
Currently, southbound commuters heading to work generally alight at either Town Hall or Wynyard stations after crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Both stations and the lines that connect them are considerably crowded and cannot be easily expanded to handle increased capacity. A second railway line transversing Sydney Harbour would ease congestion at both stations, reduce travelling times between the City and North Sydney, and facilitate travel from North Sydney to both the Eastern Suburbs and to the south-west trunk lines.
The RCRL may mean MetroWest is scuttled, the government's previous plan of running a subway line from Haymarket in the city's Chinatown precinct near Darling Harbour, along the western edge of the city under Sussex or Kent Street and either stopping at Wynyard station or crossing the harbour 'strapped' to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This option would not serve the part of the city experiencing the fastest growth of employment, and would have necessitated the destruction of eight office buildings. The previous MetroPitt proposal, travelling further east (and under its namesake Pitt Street) and through the financial district, could also be built deeper underground, limiting the impact on existing infrastructure. However in 2006 the Iemma government hasn't totally ruled out the possibility of using the MetroWest corridor sometime in the future[1].
On 18 February 2006 Premier Morris Iemma said that his government had placed planning buffers along the corridors of both the MetroWest and MetroPitt routes in the city centre to secure future accessibility [2]. Developers who want to excavate deeper than two metres within a 25-metre buffer zone of the corridors will need to seek RailCorp's approval.
A report by the government that states the project will need to connect The Rocks station as soon as possible in order to relieve capacity on Town Hall and Wynyard, and expects the tunnel would be built by 2018. However neither the Carr not Iemma governments have wanted to publically announce an expected date of completion, with some commentators like the State Liberal member for Baulkham Hills Wayne Merton [3] doubting the government will follow through with the promise. Previous projects, such as the Parramatta Rail Link have been either curtailed, delayed or cancelled.
[edit] Stations
In the plan the stations along the RCRL will include[4]:
- Redfern Station: Existing above-ground station. The train lines will connect with the Campbelltown Express Line.
- Central Station: Existing above-ground station. Platforms 26 and 27 will be utilised.
- Park Street: New underground station to connect with Town Hall Station.
- Castlereagh Street: New underground station to connect with Martin Place underground station.
- The Rocks: New underground station at the end of George Street in Sydney's historical precinct, expected to be the deepest underground in Sydney. Alternative name is 'George Street'.
- Victoria Cross: New underground station under the six-way intersection of Mount Street, Miller Street and the Pacific Highway in North Sydney.
- Crows Nest: New underground station in North Sydney.
- Saint Leonards: Existing above-ground station.
- Artarmon: Existing above-ground station.
- Chatswood: Existing above-ground station.
A map [5] of the protected corridors suggests there may be the potential for another station at Macquarie Place, between The Rocks and Castlereagh Street.
[edit] See also
- Sydney Metropolitan Strategy, Department of Planning information and map
- Satellite image of the proposed MetroPitt route, originally prepared by The Sydney Morning Herald
- Rail Link website
