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The northern tunnel borers for the Western Sydney Airport metro have reached the halfway mark en route to the new interchange at St Marys.
The two machines, dubbed Catherine and Marlene, broke through into the services facility shaft at Claremont Meadows this week after being launched from Orchard Hills in the middle of last year, and are expected to complete the 4.3-kilometre tunnels to St Marys by mid-2024.
When complete, the full metro line will connect the Bradfield “aerotropolis” in the south to the Sydney Trains network at St Marys in the north, with stations in between at the airport terminal, airport business park, Luddenham, and Orchard Hills.
The two southern tunnel borers, Eileen and Peggy, are three kilometres into the 5.5km journey from the business park to the aerotropolis. The government is aiming to have the metro line operational by the time the airport opens in 2026, with an estimated travel time of 20 minutes between the St Marys and Aerotropolis stations.
“We are one step closer to seeing transformative public transport delivered for Greater Western Sydney,” said Federal Transport Minister Catherine King.
“When the new metro line opens, passengers will have a world-class transport option directly to the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport and major job hubs, including the new Aerotropolis.”
The government last month revealed its Master Plan for the Bradfield City Centre aerotropolis, which will include up to 10,000 new homes.
The draft Master Plan, available online, includes more than two million square metres of gross floor area of development near the airport, with plans for residential areas, roads, green space, commercial and retail precincts, and needed infrastructure.
“This is the first Master Plan to be publicly exhibited after progressing through the new Aerotropolis master-planning pathway and it’s critical we hear directly from the community and stakeholders as we lay the groundwork for significant infrastructure plans,” said NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully.
“Bradfield City Centre could deliver 10,000 new homes in coming years, making a significant contribution to more, and more diverse, housing supply in Western Parkland City.
“This is about making sure people have a say in how Bradfield best caters for the future needs and desires of residents, workers, and visitors.”
Development is already underway at Bradfield, with the first stage of a new Advanced Manufacturing and Research Facility expected to open this year.
