Proposed railways in Sydney
Encyclopedia
Various railway lines have been proposed for Sydney
, Australia
, including both heavy rail extensions to the existing network, and more recently proposals for metro
style lines.
John Bradfield, engineer and designer of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
, had a grand vision for Sydney
's railway system
that has only been partly fulfilled. After joining the New South Wales Public Works Department in 1891, he submitted a report in 1915 calling for the electrification of the suburban railways, a city underground railway and the Harbour Bridge. World War I
led to the collapse of all three proposals, and it was not until 1922 that the Bridge Bill passed through Parliament, and 1923 until the first sod was turned on the city railway.
Bradfield's overall concept called for the construction of a network of underground city railway lines in association with the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and a new rail terminal, Central
. A larger network of lines was proposed for the western, eastern and southern suburbs (see map) however most of these lines remained concepts only and have never been constructed. The Depression
and later World War II
, along with the growth of the motor car that led to the passenger numbers in Bradfield's plans being grossly overestimated, all prevented the full realisation of the Bradfield scheme. Parts of the city underground were constructed and exist as the present day City Circle
, with small sections built for the additional proposed city lines such as additional platforms at Wynyard
and St James stations which have never been used for heavy rail transport. The underground city loop was constructed originally as a stub line to St James, and the line through Town Hall and Wynyard to the Harbour Bridge. It was not until 1955 that the loop was completed by the construction of Circular Quay station. A line to the eastern suburbs was eventually built, but along a different alignment to that envisaged by Bradfield, who proposed a line along Oxford Street
.
In 1968, the State Planning Authority of New South Wales released the Sydney Region Outline Plan, which was to guide the development of Sydney for the period 1970-2000. In particular, it aimed to develop new growth corridors to areas such as Green Valley, Campbelltown and Blacktown. This was followed in 1974 by the Sydney Area Transportation Study which proposed several new rail lines in the new growth areas as well as several new lines to ease congestion in the established areas of Sydney. The proposed lines were:
The rail plans also involved significant duplication and quadruplication of existing lines. Despite extensive modelling, the vast majority of the proposals outlined were not constructed.
along the western edge of the CBD with a new underground station complex at Central station, new stations in the Haymarket
and Market street
areas, and terminating at a remodelled Wynyard station. The proposal would include platforms suitable to fit longer InterUrban passenger trains from the Central and South Coasts and the Blue Mountains, running through the new line in lieu of terminating at Central. The line underwent a two year feasibility study and the corridor remains protected for possible future development with planning buffers placed along the corridor in 2006, however plans presently remain unrealised.
In 1998, the NSW government released a position paper on various road and public transport projects to be delivered before 2010. The rail projects envisaged were:
Three projects were listed for consideration as additions after 2010:
Of these proposals, only the ones already under construction or advanced planning (the Airport line and the Epping- Chatswood section of the Parramatta Rail Link) are or will be completed. Most of the proposed roads and motorways outlined in the same paper have been constructed however.
to Bondi Beach
. The final proposed version of the line would have seen a single track
extension ending in a station under Bondi Beach park, with a premium (extra $2.50 proposed) added to ticket prices. The Bondi Beach Railway Company, owned by Lend Lease Infrastructure and the Macquarie Bank, proposed to build and maintain the railway at a cost of $197 million and to operate it for a 30-year term. The proposal met with fierce opposition from local residents who were concerned with the loss of parkland, fare premium, and little potential use by residents. After a degree of planning and gaining Federal Government backing, the proposal was dropped in 1999.
In 2002, the Co-ordinator General of Rail, Ron Christie, released a report, the Long-Term Strategic Plan for Rail for Sydney, the Central Coast, Newcastle, the Illawarra, the South Coast and the Blue Mountains, which outlined the critical infrastructure that would need to be built between then and 2050 to ensure the long-term survival and operation of the CityRail network. Christie's report suggested that several "metro
" lines should be built to service new areas and to relieve capacity on existing lines. In particular, Christie suggested lines:
was a privately operated underground rail tunnel proposed to run between the Sydney CBD
and Parramatta
, a distance of 26 km, with the high-speed link continuing to Penrith
on the outskirts of Sydney. First introduced in 2004 by a consortium of Dutch bank ABN AMRO
and developer Leighton Holdings
, the project, dubbed the Penrith High Speed Link, was again floated in December 2006 and received favourable comments by the New South Wales State Government
, and was offered funding by Federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd
should the Australian Labor Party
win the 2007 Federal Election.
The proposed link would ease congestion along the main West-East corridor and reduce the current 29 minute service into the city to just 12 minutes. The service would operate in conjunction with RailCorp, and would use CityRail's existing railway stations and ticketing system, but with an extra fee on top of the normal CityRail ticket price (at approximately $9.90 a trip including a $3.10 surcharge). The train fleet and rail infrastructure would be built and maintained by a private company. The line has been estimated to cost $5 billion.
shortly before his resignation announced the Metropolitan Rail Expansion Programme (MREP). The MREP consisted of three new rail connections:
Estimated to cost about A$8 billion, $5 billion of which was for the building of a new tunnel under the Sydney Harbour Bridge
and the Sydney central business district
, (called the CBD Rail Link). Under this plan, the north-west suburbs would be served by the North West Rail Link
by 2017, the new south-west suburbs would be linked to the network via the South West Rail Link
by 2015, and the rail line would pass through the new growth corridor from Ryde to the airport. Critics of the New South Wales government have criticised what they perceive as a lack of follow through, citing the previously planned Parramatta to Chatswood rail link which has since been truncated to link only Epping to Chatswood, with the Epping to Parramatta portion postponed indefinitely.
It would also have included quadruplicated tracks between St Leonards
and Chatswood on the North Shore line. In 2006, Premier Morris Iemma
placed planning buffers along two potential corridors in the CBD (the MetroWest and MetroPitt routes) to secure future accessibility. 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.
After its original announcement in 1998 for completion in 2010 as part of the Action for Transport 2010 plan, in 2006 the schedule was revised for completion in 2017 and later brought forward to a staged plan for train services to Castle Hill and Hills Centre in 2015, and to Rouse Hill by 2017. It was planned to be 22 kilometres in length, consisting of a 16 kilometre section in tunnel from Epping to the proposed Burns Road Station, followed by a 4 kilometre section above ground from Burns Road to Rouse Hill. Six new stations were proposed to be constructed at Franklin Road, Castle Hill
, Hills Centre, Norwest, Burns Road and Rouse Hill
. A train stabling facility was proposed at the north west of Rouse Hill Town Centre
. The NWRL was to connect with the Epping to Chatswood Rail Link through a direct tunnel between Epping
and Franklin Road stations, although an original proposal connected with the existing Northern Line
north of Cheltenham. The direct route was to use the stub tunnels originally built for the deferred Parramatta Rail Link between Parramatta and Epping
. New stub tunnels for the Parramatta Rail Link were to be constructed so that if the Parramatta line were completed, trains from Parramatta would have also been able to link into the Epping-Chatswood Line.
It was proposed that the NWRL would offer an off peak rail service of four trains per hour, with six to eight trains per hour in peak periods and is expected to carry six to eight million passengers per year.
In 2008, the North West rail line was superseded by the now-cancelled North West Metro (see below). In 2010, the NWRL was resurrected as part of a new Metropolitan Transport Plan (see below). In May 2011, the new Coalition Government released the proposed plan for comment and it was understood the plan would be submitted to Infrastructure Australia
.. However, in August 2011, the Infrastructure Australia
"2011 National Priority List" was released and the North West Rail Link was not included due to the new Coalition Government not submitting an updated application.
at Glenfield. The project also included a train stabling facility to the west of the new Leppington station, and a redesigned and expanded Glenfield station with flyovers to connect with the East Hills line.
On 31 October 2008, the Premier revealed that the South West Rail Link was to be 'indefinitely shelved' due to budetary constraints, and only an upgrade of the Glenfield Station
car park is to proceed. On 14 November 2009, the then-New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees
announced that construction of stage two of the South West Rail Link would begin in mid-2010, with completion scheduled for 2016.
, through the Northern Sydney suburbs and ending at the existing Chatswood railway station. The six kilometre cross-tunnel was slated to cost $5 billion and was to include new or expanded stations at Redfern, Central
, Pitt Street, Martin Place, Circular Quay, Victoria Cross, Crows Nest, St Leonards, Artarmon and Chatswood.
On 13 September 2007, it looked unlikely that the New South Wales government would commit to the line when they announced a proposal for a metro line that would span the harbour, the Anzac Line. (see below) On 19 March 2008 the State Government announced that the line would be on hold after construction begins on the North West Metro
in 2010, its role to be partly superseded by that railway line. In October 2008, the North West Metro line itself was cancelled and replaced with a shorter CBD metro which would partly follow the alignment of the CBD Rail Link.
and Malabar
. The line would have started at West Ryde
station on the Northern Line
before travelling beneath Victoria Road through Top Ryde, Gladesville
, Drummoyne
, Rozelle
and Pyrmont
. The line would then pass through existing city stations at Wynyard
, Martin Place and St James, before heading south beneath Anzac Parade to Moore Park
, the University of New South Wales
in Kensington
, Maroubra Junction
and Malabar
. No detailed design or planning was performed, and the western leg of the line (between West Ryde and the city) was adapted into planning for the North West Metro in 2008 (see below).
In early 2008, the NSW State government announced plans to build a metro line between the North West suburbs of Sydney and the CBD. Known as the North West Metro
, the line would have superseded the North West Line which was to built as part of the Metropolitan Rail Expansion Programme, and included a new section between Epping
and the CBD via Gladesville, approximately along the course of Victoria Road. Controversial from the start, the line was criticised for being too long, too expensive, and inaproppriate for a low density suburban area.
The North West Metro was to have been 37 kilometres in length, with 32 kilometres underground and 5 kilometres above ground. The line was likely to have been operated without drivers. The North West Metro would have incorporate the alignment and stations previously proposed by the North West Rail Link but included the additional benefits of directly linking the North West with Gladesville
, Drummoyne
, Pyrmont
and the CBD. There were proposed to be 17 new metro stations at St James, Martin Place, Wynyard
, Pyrmont, Rozelle, Drummoyne, Henley, Gladesville, Top Ryde, Denistone East, Epping
, Cherrybrook, Castle Hill, Hills Centre, Norwest, Kellyville and Rouse Hill.
According to the State Government press release announcing the North West Metro project, the metro line was to offer a rail service of one train every four to five minutes (three minutes during peak hours). However, there was debate as to whether advertised point-to-point transit times may have been too optimistic. It was to have run on conventional standard gauge track, similar to the existing CityRail network, but with single deck rolling stock.
In October 2008, the NSW Premier cast doubts upon the likelihood of constructing the North West Metro, and instead proposed a short metro line
between Central station and Rozelle via Town Hall and East Darling Harbour (Barangaroo), with the potential for further westwards extension to Macquarie Park and Epping. On 31 October 2008, the Premier announced that the North West Metro would not proceed due to budgetary constraints.
On 23 October 2008, Premier Nathan Rees announced the CBD Metro
, a shortened version of the North West Metro which would run from Rozelle to Central stations. It was submitted to Infrastructure Australia for funding, with construction proposed to commence in 2010. It was also announced that the line may be extended to link from Rozelle Station to Epping
& Macquarie Park in the future. In December 2008, the project was placed on a short-list of projects to be funded by Infrastructure Australia's Building Australia Fund.
), and the potential for a South East Metro along the route of the before-mentioned Anzac Line beneath Anzac Parade. Like the CBD Metro, the West Metro was placed on a short-list of projects to be funded by Infrastructure Australia's Building Australia Fund. in December 2008.
Despite geotechnical work having been performed and the acquisition of properties in progress, in February 2010, the NSW government announced that it had cancelled plans for metro construction (see below).
The proposals were to cost $180 billion over 25 years. In late 2009, Nathan Rees was deposed by Kristina Keneally
casting doubt upon the blueprint.
In August 2010, the Australian Labor Party
announced funding for the Epping- Parramatta rail line as part of its re-election bid for the 2010 federal election, despite it not appearing in the State Government's Transport Plan. In March 2011, the State Election resulted in Barry O'Farrell
elected as premier of NSW who has committed to constructing the North West rail line and the light rail extension. The Western Express and CBD Relief Line were cancelled by the new government.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, including both heavy rail extensions to the existing network, and more recently proposals for metro
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
style lines.
Bradfield railway scheme, 1920s
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
, had a grand vision for Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's railway system
Railways in Sydney
Sydney, the largest city in Australia, has an extensive network of passenger and freight railways. The passenger network is a hybrid metro-suburban railway with a central underground core running at metro style frequencies, which branches out into a suburban commuter type network...
that has only been partly fulfilled. After joining the New South Wales Public Works Department in 1891, he submitted a report in 1915 calling for the electrification of the suburban railways, a city underground railway and the Harbour Bridge. World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
led to the collapse of all three proposals, and it was not until 1922 that the Bridge Bill passed through Parliament, and 1923 until the first sod was turned on the city railway.
Bradfield's overall concept called for the construction of a network of underground city railway lines in association with the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and a new rail terminal, Central
Central railway station, Sydney
Central Railway Station, the largest railway station in Australia, is at the southern end of the Sydney CBD. It services almost all the lines on the CityRail network, and is the major terminus for interurban and interstate rail services...
. A larger network of lines was proposed for the western, eastern and southern suburbs (see map) however most of these lines remained concepts only and have never been constructed. The Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and later World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, along with the growth of the motor car that led to the passenger numbers in Bradfield's plans being grossly overestimated, all prevented the full realisation of the Bradfield scheme. Parts of the city underground were constructed and exist as the present day City Circle
City Circle
The City Circle is a system of largely underground passenger railway lines located in the central business district of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, that make up the heart of the Sydney passenger railway network. The lines are owned by RailCorp, a New South Wales government agency, and...
, with small sections built for the additional proposed city lines such as additional platforms at Wynyard
Wynyard railway station, Sydney
Wynyard is a major underground CityRail station in the central business district of Sydney, Australia, 2.05 km from Central. Wynyard averages 108000 passenger movements per day Monday to Friday.-History:The station opened on 28 February 1932...
and St James stations which have never been used for heavy rail transport. The underground city loop was constructed originally as a stub line to St James, and the line through Town Hall and Wynyard to the Harbour Bridge. It was not until 1955 that the loop was completed by the construction of Circular Quay station. A line to the eastern suburbs was eventually built, but along a different alignment to that envisaged by Bradfield, who proposed a line along Oxford Street
Oxford Street, Sydney
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in Sydney, Australia running from Whitlam Square on the south-east corner of Hyde Park in the central business district of Sydney to Bondi Junction in the Eastern Suburbs. Close to the CBD in particular, the street is lined with numerous shops, bars and...
.
Sydney Area Transportation Study, 1974
- a line linking Parramatta and WindsorWindsor railway station, Sydney-Transport links:Westbus:*608 - to Castle Hill*668 - to Glossodia*669 - to Sackville*673 - to Penrith.*674 - to Berkshire Park*675 - to Bligh Park*676 - to South WindsorThere are many other bus routes....
via the Hills district, - a line between Merrylands and Green ValleyGreen Valley, New South WalesGreen Valley is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Green Valley is located 39 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Liverpool and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.-History:Green Valley was...
, - a line to the Northern beaches, including a new underground section through Crows NestCrows Nest, New South WalesCrows Nest is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Crows Nest is located 5 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council.-History:...
, - the complete Eastern suburbs line to KingsfordKingsford, New South WalesKingsford is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kingsford is located 7 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Randwick...
, already under construction at the time but later truncated to Bondi Junction (opened 1979), - an extension of the East Hills line from East Hills to Glenfield (later constructed and opened in 1987),
- an express line between Redfern and Parramatta, running parallel but north of the existing Main Suburban line,
- a line connecting the Bankstown line at SydenhamSydenham railway station, SydneySydenham railway station is a major interchange station located in the small Sydney suburb of Sydenham, serving the East Hills, Illawarra and Bankstown lines on the CityRail system. The Illawarra line platforms are also used by a very small number of South Coast line services. The station is...
with Redfern via Mascot and Alexandria, with a possible future branch to the airport, - an extension of the Carlingford line to meet the Main North lineNorthern railway line, SydneyThe Northern Line is part of the metropolitan rail network in Sydney known as CityRail. It serves the northern suburbs of Sydney and the Lower North Shore, along with parts of the Inner West and the Hills District. The line utilises the Epping to Chatswood Line and parts of the Main Northern Line,...
at Beecroft, with an intermediate station, - a connection between the Carlingford line at Rosehill and Parramatta
The rail plans also involved significant duplication and quadruplication of existing lines. Despite extensive modelling, the vast majority of the proposals outlined were not constructed.
Eastern Suburbs Railway, 1960-70s
In 1967, the NSW government recommenced construction on the dormant Eastern Suburbs line that had been partly constructed and had lain dormant since 1952. The original proposal was for a line to Kingsford via Bondi Junction, Randwick and the University of New South Wales. In 1976, the project was curtailed to Bondi Junction, and the full line to Kingsford was not constructed.MetroWest proposal, 1990
In 1990, the State Rail Authority undertook a feasibility study into the development of a new underground line along the western edge of the Central Business District. Called MetroWest, the proposal called for the construction of a new underground line between Redfern and WynyardWynyard railway station, Sydney
Wynyard is a major underground CityRail station in the central business district of Sydney, Australia, 2.05 km from Central. Wynyard averages 108000 passenger movements per day Monday to Friday.-History:The station opened on 28 February 1932...
along the western edge of the CBD with a new underground station complex at Central station, new stations in the Haymarket
Haymarket, New South Wales
Haymarket is a locality of Sydney's city centre, New South Wales, Australia. It is located at the southern end of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney....
and Market street
Market Street, Sydney
Market Street is a cross street in the Central Business District of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It runs from Sussex Street near Darling Harbour in the west, to Elizabeth Street at St. James railway station in the east....
areas, and terminating at a remodelled Wynyard station. The proposal would include platforms suitable to fit longer InterUrban passenger trains from the Central and South Coasts and the Blue Mountains, running through the new line in lieu of terminating at Central. The line underwent a two year feasibility study and the corridor remains protected for possible future development with planning buffers placed along the corridor in 2006, however plans presently remain unrealised.
Action for Transport 2010, 1998
- the Airport Line, already under construction at the time and completed in 2000
- an extension of the Eastern Suburbs line to Bondi beach, to be completed by 2002
- the Parramatta Rail Link between Parramatta and Chatswood by 2006 (the Epping to Chatswood section was completed in early 2009)
- a Hornsby to Newcastle High Speed Rail line to have started by 2010
- a North West Rail Link between Epping and Castle Hill by 2010
- a Sutherland to Wollongong High Speed Rail by 2010
- a Hurstville to Strathfield railway line to start by 2010 and be completed in 2014
- a Liverpool 'Y Link' to start by 2010
Three projects were listed for consideration as additions after 2010:
- a line to the Warringah Peninsula
- an extended Eastern Suburbs line towards MaroubraMaroubra, New South WalesMaroubra is a beachside suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Maroubra is located 10 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Randwick. Maroubra is the largest suburb in the area governed...
, - an extension of the North West railway line towards Rouse HillRouse Hill, New South WalesRouse Hill is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Rouse Hill is located 42 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of The Hills Shire...
.
Of these proposals, only the ones already under construction or advanced planning (the Airport line and the Epping- Chatswood section of the Parramatta Rail Link) are or will be completed. Most of the proposed roads and motorways outlined in the same paper have been constructed however.
Bondi Beach railway, 1996-7
In 1996, the NSW government proposed a privately funded extension of the Eastern Suburbs railway from Bondi JunctionBondi Junction, New South Wales
Bondi Junction is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bondi Junction is located 6 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the Waverley....
to Bondi Beach
Bondi Beach, New South Wales
Bondi Beach is a popular beach and the name of the surrounding suburb in Sydney, Australia. Bondi Beach is located 7 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council, in the Eastern Suburbs...
. The final proposed version of the line would have seen a single track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
extension ending in a station under Bondi Beach park, with a premium (extra $2.50 proposed) added to ticket prices. The Bondi Beach Railway Company, owned by Lend Lease Infrastructure and the Macquarie Bank, proposed to build and maintain the railway at a cost of $197 million and to operate it for a 30-year term. The proposal met with fierce opposition from local residents who were concerned with the loss of parkland, fare premium, and little potential use by residents. After a degree of planning and gaining Federal Government backing, the proposal was dropped in 1999.
'Christie' proposals, 2002
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
" lines should be built to service new areas and to relieve capacity on existing lines. In particular, Christie suggested lines:
- between CronullaCronulla, New South WalesCronulla is a beachside suburb, in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cronulla is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Sutherland Shire....
and MirandaMiranda, New South WalesMiranda is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Miranda is located 24 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the Sutherland Shire....
in Sydney's south to Dee WhyDee Why, New South WalesDee Why is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Dee Why is located 18 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Warringah Council, and along with Brookvale is considered to be...
on the northern beaches, via the airport, the CBD and north Sydney, - from ParramattaParramatta, New South WalesParramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
via Top Ryde or Olympic Park to the CBD via DrummoyneDrummoyne, New South WalesDrummoyne is a suburb in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 6 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Canada Bay....
, with potential extension to the University of NSW and SydenhamSydenham, New South WalesFor other places called Sydenham, see Sydenham .Sydenham is a small suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sydenham is located 8 kilometres south of Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Marrickville Council...
, - from Hoxton ParkHoxton Park, New South WalesHoxton Park is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Hoxton Park is located 38 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Liverpool and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.Hoxton Park also had a small...
to Parramatta and Castle HillCastle Hill, New South WalesCastle Hill is a suburb in the north-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Castle Hill is located 31 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Hills District of the Greater Western Sydney region...
.
Western FastRail
Western FastRailWestern FastRail
Western FastRail is a proposed $2 billion privately funded underground and above-ground train line that would link central Sydney with Western Sydney independent from the CityRail network. Western FastRail is being backed by a consortium led by businessman and former union leader Michael Easson,...
was a privately operated underground rail tunnel proposed to run between the Sydney CBD
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...
and Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
, a distance of 26 km, with the high-speed link continuing to Penrith
Penrith, New South Wales
Penrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith...
on the outskirts of Sydney. First introduced in 2004 by a consortium of Dutch bank ABN AMRO
ABN AMRO
ABN AMRO Bank N.V. is a Dutch state-owned bank with headquarters in Amsterdam. It was re-established, in its current form, in 2009 following the acquisition and break up of ABN AMRO Group by a banking consortium consisting of Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Santander and Fortis...
and developer Leighton Holdings
Leighton Holdings
Leighton Holdings is Australia's largest project development and contracting group. It is active in the telecommunications, engineering and infrastructure, building and property, mining and resources, and environmental services industries...
, the project, dubbed the Penrith High Speed Link, was again floated in December 2006 and received favourable comments by the New South Wales State Government
Government of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
, and was offered funding by Federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
should the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
win the 2007 Federal Election.
The proposed link would ease congestion along the main West-East corridor and reduce the current 29 minute service into the city to just 12 minutes. The service would operate in conjunction with RailCorp, and would use CityRail's existing railway stations and ticketing system, but with an extra fee on top of the normal CityRail ticket price (at approximately $9.90 a trip including a $3.10 surcharge). The train fleet and rail infrastructure would be built and maintained by a private company. The line has been estimated to cost $5 billion.
Metropolitan Rail Expansion Programme, 2005
On 15 June 2005, NSW Premier Bob CarrBob Carr
Robert John "Bob" Carr , Australian statesman, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as premier of NSW...
shortly before his resignation announced the Metropolitan Rail Expansion Programme (MREP). The MREP consisted of three new rail connections:
- a North West Rail Link from CheltenhamCheltenhamCheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
to Rouse Hill, - a South West LineSouth West railway line, SydneyThe South West Rail Link is an extension of the CityRail commuter rail network in Sydney, Australia. It is currently under construction and is intended to be the major piece of public transport infrastructure for the Sydney metropolitan area's "South West Growth Centre"...
between Glenfield and Leppington in Sydney's South West and - a new CBD railway line between Redfern and Chatswood.
Estimated to cost about A$8 billion, $5 billion of which was for the building of a new tunnel under the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
and the Sydney central business district
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...
, (called the CBD Rail Link). Under this plan, the north-west suburbs would be served by the North West Rail Link
North West railway line, Sydney
North West Metro was a proposal for a rail link from the north west suburbs of Sydney, Australia to the Sydney CBD. It would have connected Rouse Hill with Epping and the Sydney CBD...
by 2017, the new south-west suburbs would be linked to the network via the South West Rail Link
South West railway line, Sydney
The South West Rail Link is an extension of the CityRail commuter rail network in Sydney, Australia. It is currently under construction and is intended to be the major piece of public transport infrastructure for the Sydney metropolitan area's "South West Growth Centre"...
by 2015, and the rail line would pass through the new growth corridor from Ryde to the airport. Critics of the New South Wales government have criticised what they perceive as a lack of follow through, citing the previously planned Parramatta to Chatswood rail link which has since been truncated to link only Epping to Chatswood, with the Epping to Parramatta portion postponed indefinitely.
It would also have included quadruplicated tracks between St Leonards
St Leonards, New South Wales
St Leonards is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. St Leonards is located 5 km north-west of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of Municipality of Lane Cove, North Sydney Council and the City of...
and Chatswood on the North Shore line. In 2006, Premier Morris Iemma
Morris Iemma
Morris Iemma , is a former Australian politician and 40th Premier of New South Wales, succeeding Bob Carr after he resigned on 3 August 2005. Iemma led the Australian Labor Party to victory in the 2007 election before resigning as Premier on 5 September 2008, and as a Member of Parliament on 19...
placed planning buffers along two potential corridors in the CBD (the MetroWest and MetroPitt routes) to secure future accessibility. 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.
North West Rail Link (NWRL)
Castle Hill, New South Wales
Castle Hill is a suburb in the north-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Castle Hill is located 31 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Hills District of the Greater Western Sydney region...
, Hills Centre, Norwest, Burns Road and Rouse Hill
Rouse Hill, New South Wales
Rouse Hill is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Rouse Hill is located 42 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of The Hills Shire...
. A train stabling facility was proposed at the north west of Rouse Hill Town Centre
Rouse Hill Town Centre
Rouse Hill Town Centre is a sub-regional shopping centre in north-western Sydney, in the suburb of Rouse Hill. The centre is part of a larger development proposal for the Rouse Hill Regional Centre....
. The NWRL was to connect with the Epping to Chatswood Rail Link through a direct tunnel between Epping
Epping railway station, Sydney
Epping railway station is on the Northern Line of the CityRail network in Sydney, Australia. It serves the suburb of Epping, a significant commercial and residential area. Epping is a significant interchange station and is the western terminus of the Epping to Chatswood Line...
and Franklin Road stations, although an original proposal connected with the existing Northern Line
Northern railway line, Sydney
The Northern Line is part of the metropolitan rail network in Sydney known as CityRail. It serves the northern suburbs of Sydney and the Lower North Shore, along with parts of the Inner West and the Hills District. The line utilises the Epping to Chatswood Line and parts of the Main Northern Line,...
north of Cheltenham. The direct route was to use the stub tunnels originally built for the deferred Parramatta Rail Link between Parramatta and Epping
Epping railway station, Sydney
Epping railway station is on the Northern Line of the CityRail network in Sydney, Australia. It serves the suburb of Epping, a significant commercial and residential area. Epping is a significant interchange station and is the western terminus of the Epping to Chatswood Line...
. New stub tunnels for the Parramatta Rail Link were to be constructed so that if the Parramatta line were completed, trains from Parramatta would have also been able to link into the Epping-Chatswood Line.
It was proposed that the NWRL would offer an off peak rail service of four trains per hour, with six to eight trains per hour in peak periods and is expected to carry six to eight million passengers per year.
In 2008, the North West rail line was superseded by the now-cancelled North West Metro (see below). In 2010, the NWRL was resurrected as part of a new Metropolitan Transport Plan (see below). In May 2011, the new Coalition Government released the proposed plan for comment and it was understood the plan would be submitted to Infrastructure Australia
Infrastructure Australia
Infrastructure Australia is a statutory authority of the Commonwealth Government. Its role is to plan and co-ordinate infrastructure projects across Australia, particularly where the works cross state borders. It was established in 2008....
.. However, in August 2011, the Infrastructure Australia
Infrastructure Australia
Infrastructure Australia is a statutory authority of the Commonwealth Government. Its role is to plan and co-ordinate infrastructure projects across Australia, particularly where the works cross state borders. It was established in 2008....
"2011 National Priority List" was released and the North West Rail Link was not included due to the new Coalition Government not submitting an updated application.
South West Rail Link
The South West Rail Link was announced as part of the Metropolitan Rail Expansion Programme to cater to the "South West Growth Centre". It was to consist of a 12-kilometre, twin-track railway running from Leppington and Edmondson Park to connect with the South lineSouth railway line, Sydney
The South Line is a railway line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and is part of the CityRail suburban network...
at Glenfield. The project also included a train stabling facility to the west of the new Leppington station, and a redesigned and expanded Glenfield station with flyovers to connect with the East Hills line.
On 31 October 2008, the Premier revealed that the South West Rail Link was to be 'indefinitely shelved' due to budetary constraints, and only an upgrade of the Glenfield Station
Glenfield railway station, Sydney
Glenfield railway station is an important junction station serving the small Sydney suburb of Glenfield. To the north of the station is a junction between the Main South line and the East Hills Line. To the south, a junction between the Main South and South West lines will be constructed. The...
car park is to proceed. On 14 November 2009, the then-New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees
Nathan Rees
Nathan Rees MP, , an Australian politician, was the 41st Premier of New South Wales and parliamentary leader of the New South Wales division of the Australian Labor Party from September 2008 to December 2009...
announced that construction of stage two of the South West Rail Link would begin in mid-2010, with completion scheduled for 2016.
CBD Rail link
The third component to the MREP was the CBD Rail link, a new underground railway line starting at Redfern Station, travelling under the Central Business District and under Sydney HarbourPort Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
, through the Northern Sydney suburbs and ending at the existing Chatswood railway station. The six kilometre cross-tunnel was slated to cost $5 billion and was to include new or expanded stations at Redfern, Central
Central railway station, Sydney
Central Railway Station, the largest railway station in Australia, is at the southern end of the Sydney CBD. It services almost all the lines on the CityRail network, and is the major terminus for interurban and interstate rail services...
, Pitt Street, Martin Place, Circular Quay, Victoria Cross, Crows Nest, St Leonards, Artarmon and Chatswood.
On 13 September 2007, it looked unlikely that the New South Wales government would commit to the line when they announced a proposal for a metro line that would span the harbour, the Anzac Line. (see below) On 19 March 2008 the State Government announced that the line would be on hold after construction begins on the North West Metro
North West Metro
North West Metro was a proposal for a rail link from the north west suburbs of Sydney, Australia to the Sydney CBD. It would have connected Rouse Hill with Epping and the Sydney CBD...
in 2010, its role to be partly superseded by that railway line. In October 2008, the North West Metro line itself was cancelled and replaced with a shorter CBD metro which would partly follow the alignment of the CBD Rail Link.
Metro proposals, 2008
Anzac Line
In 2007, the NSW government announced the concept of an underground metro line between West RydeWest Ryde, New South Wales
West Ryde is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. West Ryde is located 16 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Ryde and is part of the Northern Suburbs area....
and Malabar
Malabar, New South Wales
Malabar is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Malabar is located 12 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Randwick.-Location:...
. The line would have started at West Ryde
West Ryde, New South Wales
West Ryde is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. West Ryde is located 16 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Ryde and is part of the Northern Suburbs area....
station on the Northern Line
Northern railway line, Sydney
The Northern Line is part of the metropolitan rail network in Sydney known as CityRail. It serves the northern suburbs of Sydney and the Lower North Shore, along with parts of the Inner West and the Hills District. The line utilises the Epping to Chatswood Line and parts of the Main Northern Line,...
before travelling beneath Victoria Road through Top Ryde, Gladesville
Gladesville, New South Wales
Gladesville is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Gladesville is located 9 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of the City of Ryde and the Municipality of Hunter's Hill and is part of the Northern Suburbs area.Gladesville prides...
, Drummoyne
Drummoyne, New South Wales
Drummoyne is a suburb in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 6 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Canada Bay....
, Rozelle
Rozelle, New South Wales
Rozelle is a suburb in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 4 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
and Pyrmont
Pyrmont, New South Wales
Pyrmont is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Pyrmont is located 2 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
. The line would then pass through existing city stations at Wynyard
Wynyard railway station, Sydney
Wynyard is a major underground CityRail station in the central business district of Sydney, Australia, 2.05 km from Central. Wynyard averages 108000 passenger movements per day Monday to Friday.-History:The station opened on 28 February 1932...
, Martin Place and St James, before heading south beneath Anzac Parade to Moore Park
Moore Park, New South Wales
Moore Park is a large area of parkland in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of Centennial Parklands, a collective of three parks being Moore Park, Centennial Park and Queens Park. Centennial Parklands is administered by the Centennial Park &...
, the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Kensington
Kensington, New South Wales
Kensington is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kensington is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Randwick, in the Eastern Suburbs region...
, Maroubra Junction
Maroubra, New South Wales
Maroubra is a beachside suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Maroubra is located 10 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Randwick. Maroubra is the largest suburb in the area governed...
and Malabar
Malabar, New South Wales
Malabar is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Malabar is located 12 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Randwick.-Location:...
. No detailed design or planning was performed, and the western leg of the line (between West Ryde and the city) was adapted into planning for the North West Metro in 2008 (see below).
North West Metro
North West Metro
North West Metro was a proposal for a rail link from the north west suburbs of Sydney, Australia to the Sydney CBD. It would have connected Rouse Hill with Epping and the Sydney CBD...
, the line would have superseded the North West Line which was to built as part of the Metropolitan Rail Expansion Programme, and included a new section between Epping
Epping, New South Wales
Epping is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Epping is located 18 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of the City of Ryde, the City of Parramatta and Hornsby Shire and is located in the Northern...
and the CBD via Gladesville, approximately along the course of Victoria Road. Controversial from the start, the line was criticised for being too long, too expensive, and inaproppriate for a low density suburban area.
The North West Metro was to have been 37 kilometres in length, with 32 kilometres underground and 5 kilometres above ground. The line was likely to have been operated without drivers. The North West Metro would have incorporate the alignment and stations previously proposed by the North West Rail Link but included the additional benefits of directly linking the North West with Gladesville
Gladesville, New South Wales
Gladesville is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Gladesville is located 9 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of the City of Ryde and the Municipality of Hunter's Hill and is part of the Northern Suburbs area.Gladesville prides...
, Drummoyne
Drummoyne, New South Wales
Drummoyne is a suburb in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 6 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Canada Bay....
, Pyrmont
Pyrmont, New South Wales
Pyrmont is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Pyrmont is located 2 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
and the CBD. There were proposed to be 17 new metro stations at St James, Martin Place, Wynyard
Wynyard railway station, Sydney
Wynyard is a major underground CityRail station in the central business district of Sydney, Australia, 2.05 km from Central. Wynyard averages 108000 passenger movements per day Monday to Friday.-History:The station opened on 28 February 1932...
, Pyrmont, Rozelle, Drummoyne, Henley, Gladesville, Top Ryde, Denistone East, Epping
Epping railway station, Sydney
Epping railway station is on the Northern Line of the CityRail network in Sydney, Australia. It serves the suburb of Epping, a significant commercial and residential area. Epping is a significant interchange station and is the western terminus of the Epping to Chatswood Line...
, Cherrybrook, Castle Hill, Hills Centre, Norwest, Kellyville and Rouse Hill.
According to the State Government press release announcing the North West Metro project, the metro line was to offer a rail service of one train every four to five minutes (three minutes during peak hours). However, there was debate as to whether advertised point-to-point transit times may have been too optimistic. It was to have run on conventional standard gauge track, similar to the existing CityRail network, but with single deck rolling stock.
In October 2008, the NSW Premier cast doubts upon the likelihood of constructing the North West Metro, and instead proposed a short metro line
CBD Metro
CBD Metro was a proposed metro line running in Sydney, Australia announced on 23 October 2008. It was to be undertaken by the NSW State Government and was placed on a short-list of projects to be funded by Infrastructure Australia's Building Australia Fund in December 2008...
between Central station and Rozelle via Town Hall and East Darling Harbour (Barangaroo), with the potential for further westwards extension to Macquarie Park and Epping. On 31 October 2008, the Premier announced that the North West Metro would not proceed due to budgetary constraints.
CBD Metro
CBD Metro
CBD Metro was a proposed metro line running in Sydney, Australia announced on 23 October 2008. It was to be undertaken by the NSW State Government and was placed on a short-list of projects to be funded by Infrastructure Australia's Building Australia Fund in December 2008...
, a shortened version of the North West Metro which would run from Rozelle to Central stations. It was submitted to Infrastructure Australia for funding, with construction proposed to commence in 2010. It was also announced that the line may be extended to link from Rozelle Station to Epping
Epping railway station, Sydney
Epping railway station is on the Northern Line of the CityRail network in Sydney, Australia. It serves the suburb of Epping, a significant commercial and residential area. Epping is a significant interchange station and is the western terminus of the Epping to Chatswood Line...
& Macquarie Park in the future. In December 2008, the project was placed on a short-list of projects to be funded by Infrastructure Australia's Building Australia Fund.
West Metro
After the announcement of the North West Metro, the State Government announced concepts for a metro line through the Inner Western suburbs of Sydney (to be known as the West MetroWest Metro
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...
), and the potential for a South East Metro along the route of the before-mentioned Anzac Line beneath Anzac Parade. Like the CBD Metro, the West Metro was placed on a short-list of projects to be funded by Infrastructure Australia's Building Australia Fund. in December 2008.
Despite geotechnical work having been performed and the acquisition of properties in progress, in February 2010, the NSW government announced that it had cancelled plans for metro construction (see below).
2031 Sydney Transport Blueprint, 2009
In 2009 the Sydney Morning Herald revealed plans for a Sydney Transport Blueprint which the deposed NSW Premier Nathan Rees was to release in December 2009. The proposal was to include:- the West Metro from Westmead to the city
- a metro to the south-eastern suburbs of Randwick, Kensington, the UNSW, Kingsford and Maroubra.
- a heavy rail link to the Hills District in the north-west.
- completing the missing rail link between Parramatta and Epping.
- a metro from Olympic Park to Hurstville.
- a CityRailCityRailCityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
CBD relief line under the city. - Radial transport links into Parramatta.
The proposals were to cost $180 billion over 25 years. In late 2009, Nathan Rees was deposed by Kristina Keneally
Kristina Keneally
Kristina Kerscher Keneally MP, is an Australian politician and was the 42nd Premier of New South Wales. She was elected leader of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales and thus Premier in 2009, but went on to lose government to the Liberal/National Coalition at the March 2011 state election...
casting doubt upon the blueprint.
Metropolitan Transport Plan: Connecting the City of Cities, 2010
In February 2010, the NSW premier Kristina Keneally announced the Metropolitan Transport Plan: Connecting the City of Cities. Plans for metro lines were cancelled, with the focus altered to expansion of the present heavy rail system. The rail related portions consisted of:- a Western Express CityRail Service consisting of a new tunnelCBD Relief LineThe CBD Relief Line was a proposed underground railway line through the Sydney central business district. The line was intended to augment the existing city underground network and ease congestion at some of the city's busiest stations...
between Redfern and Wynyard with new platforms at Redfern, Central, Town hall and Wynyard, - the North West rail link from Epping to Rouse Hill with six stations at Franklin Road, Castle Hill, Hills Centre, Norwest, Burns Road and Rouse Hill, to commence construction in 2017
- an expansion of the current light rail systemMetro Light RailThe Metro Light Rail is the only currently operating light rail line in Sydney. The line opened on 31 August 1997, mostly along the route of an unused goods railway line, to serve the redeveloped inner-city areas of Darling Harbour, Ultimo and Pyrmont, and was extended in 2000 to serve some of...
to Dulwich Hill, Circular Quay and Barangaroo.
In August 2010, the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
announced funding for the Epping- Parramatta rail line as part of its re-election bid for the 2010 federal election, despite it not appearing in the State Government's Transport Plan. In March 2011, the State Election resulted in Barry O'Farrell
Barry O'Farrell
Barry Robert O'Farrell MP, is an Australian politician and is the 43rd Premier of New South Wales, Minister for Western Sydney, Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party and a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Ku-ring-gai for the Liberal Party since 1999.Born in...
elected as premier of NSW who has committed to constructing the North West rail line and the light rail extension. The Western Express and CBD Relief Line were cancelled by the new government.