sydney metro, tunnel boring machine, tunneling,
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Sydney Metro to Western Sydney Airport is one step closer, with tunnel boring machines (TBMs) Catherine, Eileen and Peggy having completed their historic journeys.
This project will become the transport spine of Western Sydney, connecting the Western Sydney Airport and Aerotropolis at Bradfield to the wider Sydney rail network at St Marys.
With boring near complete, the project will enter its next stage – the construction of six world-class stations along the 23-kilometre track.
The Sydney Metro to Western Sydney Airport project is jointly funded by the Albanese and New South Wales Governments, and is set to open in late 2026 with the start of airport operations.
The project is expected to create over 14,000 jobs in total during construction. As at April 2024, the project has created 10,348 jobs – including 250 apprenticeships.
Three of the boring machines have completed their work, with the final 230 metre leg to St Marys expected to be completed in a few weeks.
Reaching this pivotal point in the construction program comes after 13 months of tunnelling from the four giant TBMs and a team of 553 tunnellers, TBM operators and support personnel.
The TBMs have worked around the clock up to seven days a week to excavate more than 1.4 million tonnes of material (enough to fill 226 Olympic pools) and install 68,360 concrete segments which now line the new tunnel walls.
The project’s focus is now on the delivery of the six metro stations – St Marys, Orchard Hills, Luddenham, Airport Business Park, Airport Terminal and Bradfield.
Station construction is underway at St Marys, while the Orchard Hills, Luddenham and Bradfield station sites are being prepared for construction to begin in the coming months.
Work inside the tunnels will continue, and will involve completing the construction of 39 cross passages and preparing for track laying.
For more information on the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project, visit sydneymetro.info/westernsydneyairportline.
Quotes attributable to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:
“We are delivering a future made in Australia and this project is a fantastic example of how we are doing that in Western Sydney.
“Sydney Metro and the new Western Sydney airport will transform Western Sydney into a global economic hub.
“Today’s major milestone is tribute to the great work of the more than 10,000 people that are working on this project.
“This project demonstrates how government leadership and co-investment with industry can deliver world class infrastructure assets resulting in significant value for future generations.”
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