The Sydney Metro has already helped improve many commuters lives – for other Sydneysiders (those who live along the Bankstown to Sydenham line), they're sick of catching train replacement buses while their line is closed for the transformation of the line. We already know the development of the Metro West line is well underway, so eventually more of Sydney will benefit from the super-fast rail network. Then recently, plans to open Woollahra Train Station were announced. Now, leaked plans from NSW Transport indicate big extensions could be in the works for both the heavy rail and metro lines, which would greatly improve the daily lives of many commuters.
NSW Transport Minister John Graham gave a nod towards these upgrades, telling the Sydney Morning Herald that the NSW Government is “doing planning work for future rail extensions”. The proposed extensions would see new lines from Leppington to the new Bradfield city centre and metro lines connecting north of Tallawong down to south of Campbeltown.
These so-called “cross-regional corridors” would help ease congestion by removing the need for commuters to travel through the Sydney CBD when using the rail to access the outskirts of Sydney.
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The fate of these expansions will boil down to business cases put forward to ensure the investment isn’t “a stranded asset” says Graham.
Of course, there are also questions about where the funding would come from. The overhaul of Sydney Rail’s system is already costing tens of billions of dollars and experts estimate the further extensions could cost roughly $4.6 billion. Back in March, PM Anthony Albanese said he was committed to future-proofing Sydney by offering up $1 billion to go towards rail expansions between Leppington and Bradfield city centre. As for where the rest of the funding will come from – anyone got some spare coin saved up on their Opal card?
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