Time to lay tracks for Sydney Metro

The first railway tracks were laid today on the revolutionary Sydney Metro - a major milestone for Australia’s biggest public transport project.

NSW Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance met with workers installing the first section of track at what will become the Sydney Metro train stabling facility at Rouse Hill.

“Everywhere you look across the State there’s an exciting new project shaping the future,” Mr Baird said.

“Tunnelling for Sydney Metro Northwest is finished, the skytrain is almost 50 per cent complete, and today we take the next momentous step by laying the first tracks.”

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said the project was powering ahead and on track to take passengers in the first half of 2019.

“This is Sydney getting ready for the future - once completed, Sydney Metro will be able to move more people across the harbour in the busiest time of day than the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel combined,” Mr Constance said.

Inside the Sydney Metro trains facility, 19km of railway steel is being laid as well as 11,500 sleepers and 30,000 tonnes of ballast. Here, 22 metro trains will be stabled and maintained when services start in the first half of 2019.

When stage two is built, the facility will also maintain the extra trains needed to service the entire line to Bankstown. The site will also house the Sydney Metro operations centre.

Eventually 108km of railway steel will be used across the Sydney Metro Northwest project.

Today the final design of the new Bella Vista station on the $8.3 billion Sydney Metro Northwest was also unveiled, incorporating the iconic Sydney Metro Northwest canopy designs.

Sydney Metro Northwest includes eight new metro stations, five existing stations upgraded to metro standards and 4,000 new commuter car parking spaces.