Sydney Metro station locations legal updates: Stations have been confirmed at Westmead, Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock, The Bays, Pyrmont, and Hunter Street in the Sydney CBD. Two potential station locations are being investigated west of Sydney Olympic Park, including one at Rosehill Gardens, which could support a significant increase in housing. Sydney Metro West is targeting an opening date of 2032.
In 2020, work began at The Bays on this city-shaping project. In March 2021, the project received its first major planning approval for the Project Concept between Westmead and the Sydney CBD, including station excavation and tunnelling between Westmead and The Bays. In September 2022, the project received its second major approval for station excavation and tunnelling between The Bays and the Sydney CBD.
A third planning application was submitted to the Department of Planning and Environment in 2022 for rail infrastructure, stations, precincts, and operations between Westmead and the Sydney CBD and was approved in 2023.
Sydney Metro has also commenced planning for over and adjacent station development at Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, Hunter Street (West and East), and Pyrmont. The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure granted approval for over station development at Hunter Street Station East and Hunter Street Station West in April 2024. Environmental Impact Statements for over station development at Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, and Pyrmont are currently under assessment.
In December 2023, following the NSW Government’s independent review into Sydney Metro, it was announced that Sydney Metro would prepare scoping studies for up to two potential station locations west of Sydney Olympic Park, including one at Rosehill Gardens, which could support a significant increase in housing.
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The exact locations to be revealed include stations to be built at Westmead, Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock, and the Bays Precinct at Rozelle.
Cabinet gave the green light to the
final business case for Metro West on Thursday last week, multiple sources said.
The government has yet to make a final decision on whether to build stations at Pyrmont in the inner city, or Rydalmere, near Parramatta. It is also finalising the site of the CBD station, although it is expected to be
under Hunter Street,
linking Wynyard and Martin Place.
A large stabling yard and operations centre for the driverless trains will be built on former heavy industrial land at Camellia, near Parramatta. The suburb will double as the site for a stabling yard for
Parramatta's multi-billion-dollar light rail line.
NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance's office said it would not comment on speculation about the exact locations.
But Rick Graf, a director at property developer Billbergia, said owners located within 400 metres of the stations would benefit from a "significant lift" in property values.
The Sydney Business Chamber's western Sydney director, David Borger, welcomed the prospect of the locations of the stations being revealed for what he described as the "most important public transport project in Australia".
He urged the government to be ambitious in finding other funding sources, such as from levies on landowners who stood to benefit, to help pay for the project.
It wants construction to start next year and a sub-20-minute journey time for people travelling on the new line from Parramatta to the CBD when it opens in the second half of next decade. The number of stations will be central to the final trip time.
The business case for building a metro line between the new $5 million airport at Badgerys Creek and St Marys is also due to be finalised by the end of this year. The line is slated to open in time for the first aircraft to take off from Western Sydney Airport in 2026.
Sydney Metro chief executive Jon Lamonte told a conference last month that the timeframe for building the line was "tight but achievable".
"We have got a job on our hands to get through all the processes to get the thing approved and then get planning processes sorted out and then actually construct it," he said. "So it's a really tight timeline for us to meet."
