New Sydney Metro West station taking shape at the heart of Sydney CBD

The Sydney Metro West’s new Hunter Street Station is taking shape with about 30 per cent of excavation works now complete. 

Three roadheaders – each weighing about 120 tonnes – are working at the site to excavate the station cavern where the future station is going to be constructed 30 metres beneath the ground. Roadheaders are purpose-built electric-powered tunnelling machines that have a rotating head fitted with metal picks that will break and excavate rocks. 

The roadheaders are utilised to excavate the Hunter Street Station cavern as well as the turnback tunnels to the east of the new station – which will allow trains to turn around before travelling back to Westmead. 

These roadheaders have excavated over 149,000 tonnes of dirt to date and the largest area of the cavern that has been excavated is 235 metres square. 

“I am delighted to see Hunter Street Metro Station hit this major milestone in the construction of this critical new transport link for our city. 

“Sydney Metro is Australia’s biggest public transport project, and this station will play a key role in transporting people around this new metro network. 

“This project won’t just provide fast, reliable transport to the people of Sydney, it will also provide a major new housing boost so future generations have well-located homes across our city,” Premier Chris Minns said. 

Works at Hunter Street Station cavern (source: Sydney Metro)

As works are completed to excavate the station cavern and associated tunnels, two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are set to be launched at The Bays site mid this year to carve out the 3.5-kilometre twin rail tunnels from The Bays, below Darling Harbour, and towards Hunter Street where the TBMs are going to be removed. 

Sydney Metro West will deliver a new 24-kilometre underground metro railway that will double the rail capacity between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD. Once completed, this once-in-a-generation project will provide fast, reliable, turn-up-and-go metro services along with fully accessible stations. In addition, the new rail line will link communities to rail services, and support employment growth and housing supply. 

This transformative infrastructure development will also deliver new stations across the alignment, with Westmead, Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock, They Bays, Pyrmont and Hunter Street in the Sydney CBD confirmed for the station locations. 

Two potential station locations are also being investigated west of Sydney Olympic Park. This includes one at Rosehill Gardens which could support a significant increase in housing. 

“This is an exciting milestone for the Sydney Metro West project, with the new Hunter Street Metro Station set to revitalise the commercial heart of Sydney’s CBD. 

“We’re building Sydney’s second under harbour railway crossing, which is the final tunnelling piece in this mega project and can’t wait to see two more tunnel boring machines launch into action this year. 

“By connecting these two CBDs from Parramatta to Hunter Street, passengers in between will have access to fast and reliable metro services – in some cases new rail services for the very first time – to Sydney’s integrated, world-class precincts,” Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said. 

Other key features of Sydney Metro West include: 

• A new generation of fast, safe and reliable metro trains 
• Australia’s first fully accessible railway: level access between train and platform 
• New driverless technology, including platform screen safety doors keeping people and objects like prams away from tracks 
• At all times, a team of expert train controllers will monitor Sydney Metro, making sure everything runs smoothly 
• Wheelchair spaces, separate priority seating and emergency intercoms inside trains 
• Heating and air-conditioning in all metro trains 
• Continuous mobile phone coverage throughout the metro network 

Sydney Metro West is expected to be completed and running in 2032. 

When Sydney Metro West opens, commuters will be able to use an underground walkway that connects to metro services on the Metro North West Line as well as the City & Southwest line at Martin Place. Connections to the Sydney light rail and train network will also be minutes away on George Street and at Wynyard Station. 

Sydney Metro West is expected to create up to 10,000 direct and 70,000 indirect jobs during its construction. 

Source: NSW Government – Media Releases; Sydney Metro (1, 2); Infrastructure Magazine