The first steel has been laid for the future Sydney Metro City & Southwest line.
NSW Minister for Transport Andrew Constance said that local involvement was a large part of the project.
“More than 4000 tonnes of Australian rail steel has been used to create 31 kilometres of railway tracks for the twin 15.5 kilometre tunnels, which extend from Chatswood to Sydenham,” Constance said.
Scheduled to be completed in 2024, the 62km of rail will provide a 31km underground link between Chatswood and Sydenham, via the Sydney CBD. The tunnels are being equipped to be ready to increase capacity at a key point in the city’s transport network.
“The new Metro will be able to move more people across the Harbour in the busiest hour of the peak than the Harbour Bridge and Harbour Tunnel combined,” said Constance.
The new line will be an extension of the existing Metro system, with Northwest Rapid Transit consortium extended. This means an additional 23 trains manufactured and maintained by Alstom will travel along the new tracks, an extension of the existing fleet, and signalling from Alstom will also to continue along the line.
“North West Metro has been a great success with more than 25 million customers already using the service, and this extension into the city and southwest will see a Metro train every two minutes in both directions under the CBD,” said Constance.
Joint venture Systems Connect is delivering the works and are utilising innovative tracklaying equipment designed and manufactured by Manco Rail. Work is also being done on expanding the facility at Rouse Hill, building a new facility at Marrickville and installing power systems for the extension.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the project was important in stimulating the economy.
“More than 5000 people are currently working across the City & Southwest Metro project and, by the time the project opens, around 50,000 people will have worked on it.”