Sydney to get second metro line Thursday, 17 November 2016

A train is yet to run on Sydney's new metro line but the NSW Government has announced it plans to build a second line connecting Parramatta with the Sydney CBD.

While there isn't a lot of detail about the project so far, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said they are looking to deliver the project by the second half of the 2020s and there are four areas they want connected by the line, namely Sydney CBD, Parramatta, Olympic Park, and the proposed Bays Precinct which the Government hopes to turn into an innovation hub.

Parramatta is roughly at the geographic centre of Sydney. The number of jobs there is expected to double over the next 20 years to 100,000 and the government has already announced plans for a light rail network connecting it to surrounding areas.

Sydney Olympic Park will be home to 34,000 jobs and more than 23,000 residents by 2030. It also hosts sports and entertainment facilities which see thousands of patrons moving into and out of the precinct at peak times.

The Bays Precinct contains a number of industrial areas around White Bay and Blackwattle Bay in the city's inner west. The vision for the the future of the area will see knowledge-intensive jobs introduced with high-speed digital connectivity.

Other stations are expected to be included along the route but are yet to be determined.

NSW Premier Mike Baird said a metro line in Western Sydney would be able to move about 40,000 people an hour in each direction, doubling the rail capacity between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD, easing the stress on the Western Line, which is quickly reaching capacity.

Minister Constance said the government was also investigating innovative ways to reduce travel times.

“Customers won’t need a timetable on this 21st century turn-up-and-go metro system," said Constance. "It will also mean faster and more frequent services will be able to be delivered on the Sydney Trains network from other major centres like Penrith and Blacktown.”

[An artist's impression of one of the new metro trains heading to Parramatta. Image: Transport for NSW]

Transport/Infrastructure will be a major topic of discussion at the Australian Engineering Conference 2016 in Brisbane on November 23-25.