West Metro

West Metro
Mode Rapid transit
cancelled
Owner Sydney Metro Authority
Connects Central, Strathfield, Olympic Park, Camellia, Parramatta, Westmead
Length 24.1 km
Stations 12
Key dates
2009 Line announced
2010 Line cancelled
West Metro preliminary environmental assessment alignment

West Metro was a proposed metro line running from the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia to the Sydney CBD. It was to be undertaken by the NSW State Government. The concept was for the metro line to link Parramatta with the Sydney CBD within 25 minutes of travel time.[1] The proposed Euro-style metro, had it been built, would have offered a rail service of one train every four to five minutes (three minutes during peak hours). It would have run on conventional standard gauge track, similar to the existing CityRail network, but was likely to be operated without drivers. It was proposed to run single deck rolling stock along the route of the proposed West Metro.

The West Metro was cancelled on 21 February 2010, by NSW Premier Kristina Kenneally as part of the Metropolitan Transport Plan: Connecting the City of Cities, 2010.[2]

Proposed route

The final proposal revealed had the West Metro running from Westmead to Central station, connecting with the proposed CBD Metro at Central station. The new metro stations would have provided connections with existing CityRail network at Central, Strathfield, Olympic Park, Camellia, Parramatta, and Westmead stations.

The route of the now-defunct Metro proposal included 11 new metro stations in addition to the CBD Metro:

Benefits

The project, although now cancelled, was prompted by congestion on Sydney's westbound trains and roads, the growing importance of Parramatta as a business centre, higher petrol prices, public opposition to tolled roads and environmental concerns. An unreleased government document leaked to The Daily Telegraph suggests that such a train would have eliminated the need of around 18 million car trips per year, reducing between 34,000 and 45,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions being injected into the atmosphere.

History

Concept art for the proposed Western FastRail
Diagram of the original West Metro proposal as part of SydneyLink. The line is marked in light green.
Diagram of the two preferred alignments during the West Metro feasibility study

In 2004, the NSW State Government proposed a $2 billion privately funded underground and above-ground train line Western FastRail that would link central Sydney with Western Sydney. The concept was re-proposed in December 2006 by then federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd during a visit to Penrith should the Australian Labor Party win the 2007 Federal Election. The plan has received approving comments by the NSW State Government.[3] The line was also backed by a consortium led by union leader Michael Easson, which includes Dutch bank ABN AMRO and Australian construction company Leighton Holdings.[4]

The proposed Western FastRail consisted of two 26 km underground tunnels that will link the Sydney CBD with Parramatta, with high-speed trains transversing across the distance in eleven minutes at speeds of up to 160 km/h. The line would continue above-ground to Blacktown in six minutes, and onwards to Penrith in a further eleven minutes. However, with the introduction of Sydney Metro initiative, the role of linking Western Sydney with the Sydney CBD may have been replaced with the proposed West Metro instead.[5]

On 8 March 2008, the then Premier Morris Iemma announced the West Metro as part of the larger SydneyLink initiative which also included the now-defunct North West Metro.[6] This SydneyLink concept had a northern alignment along Parramatta Road costing around $6–8 billion or a southern alignment following CityRail's Main Suburban railway line costing $8–10 billion, either alignment taking 8 to 10 years to complete. However, SydneyLink was subsequently cancelled by Premier Nathan Rees on 11 November 2008. The Australian Federal Government then allocated $20 million to conduct a West Metro feasibility study in the 2008/09 Federal Budget, in conjunction with the NSW State Government. Two new alignments were proposed for the West Metro on 6 January 2009: a northern alignment through North Leichhardt and Five Dock; and a southern alignment following Parramatta Road. Both routes would run via Strathfield station and Olympic Park station.,[7]

The northern alignment would connect with the CBD Metro through:

The southern alignment would have connected with the CBD Metro through:

On 12 May 2009, in the Australian Federal Budget 2009/10 delivered by Treasurer Wayne Swan, a funding of $91 million was allocated to planning, design and land acquisitions for the West Metro.

Other proposed extensions

According to Sydney Metro Authority's publications,[8] the West Metro was intended, when still viable as a project, to connect with the CBD Metro to Rozelle, then extending to Epping via Macquarie Park following a North West metro extension, forming part of the proposed City West Line (Metro Line 1). However, as the current West Metro is now cancelled, further investigation and studies are required to be undertaken for the extensions.

See also

References

  1. ↑ MetroLink Corridors and Potential Travel Times
  2. ↑ Keneally unveils transport blueprint ABC News 21 January 2010.
  3. ↑ Hildebrand, J. Rudd's road and rail cash. Daily Telegraph 19 December 2006
  4. ↑ Smith, A. Parramatta to city in 11 minutes: now that's a fast train. Sydney Morning Herald 15 March 2005
  5. ↑ Ralston, N. Fast train in doubt for Sydney's west. Sydney Morning Herald 11 August 2008
  6. ↑ "Premier Iemma unveils Sydney’s first Euro-style metro rail project" (PDF). Premier of New South Wales Department. 18 March 2008.
  7. ↑ Besser, L and Frew, W. Get ready for High Rise Sydney. Sydney Morning Herald, 6 January 2008.
  8. ↑ Metro: The Future of Transport NSW Government. 30 June 2009

External links