Sydney Metro West announced

[tonyp]

It will be interesting to see how northbound passengers will be able to access the stop on the other side of the busy road.

In my day it was running across the road, but I don't think that'll work too well nowadays, especially for me. I'm pretty sure there's going to be a ped underpass there, if not an overhead bridge, but more likely the former because of ground levels.

[lunchbox]

Two of the Metro West TBMs at White Bay have disappeared, presumably down the launching hole.
120945

[jpp42]

In my day it was running across the road, but I don't think that'll work too well nowadays, especially for me. I'm pretty sure there's going to be a ped underpass there, if not an overhead bridge, but more likely the former because of ground levels.

There's a very strong bias against building new pedestrian underpasses in any transit projects, especially bus, due to the perceived personal safety issues for users. They're generally only allowed in conjunction with staffed station concourses, but an underpass here would be too far away from the actual Metro station for this to be helpful, I think. Given the complexity of the ground elevations in this area, with the various tunnels underneath, if it wasn't planned for as part of the Rozelle interchange project, I'd say chances of an underpass are quite low.

[lunchbox]

^^^^^^^^The former rail track underpasses at this location have been retained, even enlarged. Pedestrians could pass safely under the road above in broad daylight, at "track" level, with stairs / lift to the bus stop. When we get a new Member for Balmain (after Saturday) I'll suggest he/she push for it.
121333

[grog]

The designs are all online, there is a wide pedestrian and cycle connection between the area around the station with development and the area above the Rozelle Interchange with the park and playing fields.

Edit: there is a map here, there are probably better ones elsewhere https://images.app.goo.gl/5gjwyVe57rL9KmsLA

[tonyp]

The designs are all online, there is a wide pedestrian and cycle connection between the area around the station with development and the area above the Rozelle Interchange with the park and playing fields.

Edit: there is a map here, there are probably better ones elsewhere https://images.app.goo.gl/5gjwyVe57rL9KmsLA

So that's a footpath passing from the metro station, under the Victoria Rd bridge, around the oval and across to Annandale?

[grog]

Yep - but I’m sure they will quickly find out that people won’t stick to the path when they can take a shortcut across the oval.

The Victoria Rd underpass and stairs on each side are in more detail in the last 30 seconds of the video on this page https://caportal.com.au/tfnsw/inner-wes ... flythrough

[lunchbox]

^^^^^^Thanks grog - reassuring regarding access to northbound Victoria Road buses.

[Fleet Lists]

https://transportnsw.info/alerts/details#/ems-10794

Parramatta Rd - Burwood, permanent bus stop closures
Last updated: 6:59pm Mon 10 Apr Refresh
Incident activity

Ongoing - Until further notice

Details
Sydney Metro West construction work at Burwood will permanently close the following bus stops:

From 4am Monday, 4 April 2022

Parramatta Rd before Burwood Rd (213412) will be closed.
The alternative stop for 415, 461X, 461N and 530 services will be Burwood Rd at Esher Lane (213431).
Parramatta Rd after Burwood Rd (213722) will be closed.
The alternative stop for 415, 416X, 461N and 530 services will be Burwood Rd before Parramatta Rd (213462).


From 6am Monday 4 April 2022:

Parramatta Rd before Burwood Rd (213412) will be closed.
Customers for the N70, N71, N80 and N81 services should use the new stop on Parramatta Rd, after Burwood Rd (213460).
Parramatta Rd after Burwood Rd (213722) will be closed.
Customers for the N70, N71, N80 and N81 towards City Town Hall should use the alternate stop on Parramatta Rd opp Neichs Pde (213721).

[boronia]

Premier flags potential for extra stations along Sydney’s Metro West line

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/pre ... 5d099.html

Premier Chris Minns has flagged a major overhaul of the Metro West line between Sydney’s CBD and Parramatta, saying his government will consider building more stations along the route despite the cost of the project already hitting $25 billion.

Announcing a wide-ranging review into Sydney’s metro rail projects, Minns ruled out cancelling the troubled conversion of a stretch of the existing Bankstown line, which is part of the $20 billion City and Southwest project, but said its completion is likely to be “beyond 2025”.

The new government has raised the possibility of rezoning land along a rejigged Metro West line to allow for increased housing density as it grapples with a rental crisis.

I notice that he is "considering" that. Much like his offer to reinstate "as many as possible" of the Freshwater ferries.

[Linto63]

I notice that he is "considering" that. Much like his offer to reinstate "as many as possible" of the Freshwater ferries.

That's page 1 stuff, don't be quoted saying you will do something until you are sure you can.

[Transtopic]

A major flaw of Metro West is that it's trying to be all things to all people, by limiting the number of stations to fit within a journey time of 20 minutes between Parramatta and the CBD. The objective should be to maximise its catchment area as an all stations service on a new rail corridor, rather than trying to achieve a predetermined journey time which constrains its potential patronage. The journey time shouldn't come into it.

For such an expensive project it should include more stations along the route and it's encouraging to note that Minns has flagged the possibility of considering just that. I don't think they have any intention of cancelling the project, but it could be delayed to get it right. I can think of at least another 4 stations that could be justified, such as Camellia, Silverwater, Leichhardt North and an additional station in the CBD. It's ridiculous only having one station at Hunter St in the CBD with a less than desirable connection with the Wynyard and Martin Place stations for an inconvenient interchange.

Leave the faster express journey time to the existing network, where with the proposed digital signalling upgrades, it could conceivably be under 20 minutes from Parramatta to Central with one stop at Strathfield. The current fastest journey time on the slowed down timetable is 25 minutes. More use could also be made of the Main tracks from Strathfield to Sydney Terminal, which currently only has 12tph in the morning peak, including Northern and Western Intercity services. The digital signalling upgrades will allow up to 24tph with faster journey times which the metro protagonists ignore.

I also doubt that Metro West will have any significant impact on overcrowding on T1 west of Parramatta/Westmead. There is ample spare capacity on the quad from the outer west to run more services, but the constrained track capacity to the east doesn't allow for these additional services to run through to the CBD. This could be addressed by completing sextuplication between Homebush and Granville and utilising the spare capacity on the Main tracks to Sydney Terminal. In the longer term, the City Relief Line branching from the Main at Eveleigh to Wynyard should be brought back onto the agenda.

[boronia]

Isn't the line "flagged" to eventually extend to the south-eastern suburbs - Maroubra, Little Bay??

[tonyp]

A major flaw of Metro West is that it's trying to be all things to all people, by limiting the number of stations to fit within a journey time of 20 minutes between Parramatta and the CBD. The objective should be to maximise its catchment area as an all stations service on a new rail corridor, rather than trying to achieve a predetermined journey time which constrains its potential patronage. The journey time shouldn't come into it.

For such an expensive project it should include more stations along the route and it's encouraging to note that Minns has flagged the possibility of considering just that. I don't think they have any intention of cancelling the project, but it could be delayed to get it right. I can think of at least another 4 stations that could be justified, such as Camellia, Silverwater, Leichhardt North and an additional station in the CBD. It's ridiculous only having one station at Hunter St in the CBD with a less than desirable connection with the Wynyard and Martin Place stations for an inconvenient interchange.

Any extra station would add only about one minute to the metro journey time anyway because of its performance. How much it might be slowed would be determined by spacings between stations.

I would say that the only potential for an extra station is at Silverwater. Look at the station spacings or what's on the ground at each potential point. It's only a bit over a km between stations in the stretch City to White Bay, so no scope for intermediate stations there. Then about 4.5 km between White Bay and Five Dock, but at the halfway point there's only water and parkland - no potential development opportunity there. It doesn't pass near Leichhardt North and there's the tram there anyway and heritage areas around. From Five Dock through to Olympic Park there's only 2 km between stations. Then there's the big stretch from OP to Parramatta - 7 km. The only opportunity there is Silverwater if there's some rezoning in the industrial area. Camellia has the tram, plus land remediation issues that inhibit development. The spacings around Silverwater mean there would be only about 1 minute lost in trip time. Plenty of opportunity for more housing around the existing stations, plus Silverwater.

I think you'll find the city interchange between all the lines near Hunter St will be very convenient. Beyond Hunter St is another project, tied in with the SE line. Whether Labor wants to do this (ironically it was their first ever metro proposal) is unlikely this term or, if they're against asset recycling, never - at least until the next Coalition government comes along.

[mandonov]

Leichhardt North having the light rail there is precisely why it should have been a stop.

An interchange there would have been a boon for the IWLR with people using it as a feeder to reach the city faster, as well as make connections to Parramatta much quicker for them and those on the Bankstown line. Metro West in its current iteration is a jack of all trades, master of none with missed opportunities like this. The lack of Camellia stop similarly prevents the ex-Carlingford line from being a major feeder to the metro, which would have shrunk journey times.

Avoiding stations due to the existence of slow, local light rail lines in the area is nonsensical, and goes against the concept of creating a network effect and transit grid to allow people the freedom to move throughout the city. It’s a plain continuation of the old transport mode siloing that TfNSW was meant to solve with its more holistic view to planning services and infrastructure.

[tonyp]

Leichhardt North having the light rail there is precisely why it should have been a stop.

An interchange there would have been a boon for the IWLR with people using it as a feeder to reach the city faster, as well as make connections to Parramatta much quicker for them and those on the Bankstown line. Metro West in its current iteration is a jack of all trades, master of none with missed opportunities like this. The lack of Camellia stop similarly prevents the ex-Carlingford line from being a major feeder to the metro, which would have shrunk journey times.

Avoiding stations due to the existence of slow, local light rail lines in the area is nonsensical, and goes against the concept of creating a network effect and transit grid to allow people the freedom to move throughout the city. It’s a plain continuation of the old transport mode siloing that TfNSW was meant to solve with its more holistic view to planning services and infrastructure.

Leichhardt North is way way off the alignment. The line would have to be realigned from Pyrmont to Burwood, affecting the positioning of all stations in between. Not many people use L1 out there, not enough to justify a metro transfer, which will still be possible at Pyrmont Bay, which is only 100 metres from the Pyrmont metro station. Exchange for Carlingford and Camellia will be available at Parramatta, which is only another 5-10 minutes away. A station at Camellia would not be that near the tram stop anyway and the walk would probably occupy the same time that the tram takes to get to Parramatta. Both marginal I think, but there's a stronger case for Silverwater if they're prepared to rezone a lot of scarce industrial land to residential.

[mandonov]

Oh I have zero expectation of those being added due to the approved alignment, however the fact that they weren’t included initially is a lost opportunity. That 10 minute detour to Parramatta could be the difference between someone using the line or not at all. It’s a poor outcome compared to what a fully integrated interchange designed from the beginning of the project would have been, however Constance was obsessed with a 20 minute end to end travel time for no real reason.

It’s a chicken and egg problem. People don’t use the L1 as much as they could because it’s slow and snakes it’s way through Pyrmont. The best part of that line is the high quality extension, and that could have funnelled people into the Metro and encouraged much more housing around its stations.

I agree that Silverwater is the only likely addition, if any at all. I would like to see a potential future branch of L1 from Rozelle Bay to White Bay to interchange with the Metro, to give people a choice of service via the Pyrmont crawl or a quick interchange at the Bays.

[tonyp]

The planning for a west metro extends back to the 2000s, two alignments were considered and this was the one that was chosen, for better or worse. One also needs to bear in mind that this is only one half of a proposed line linking the three cities and will go on to WSA and Bradfield. So it performs a dual function:

- as a fast link (about 40-45 minutes overall) between the three cities - and also a link between WSA, which will become Sydney's main airport by 2060, and Parramatta and Sydney, and
- a local line serving the individual catchments of the three cities.

So there's a compromise needed for the local side of the service in order to not compromise its role as a fast service, something that metro is quite capable at. The compromise is, in general, achieved through the typical modern station spacing of 2 km or so, with each station served by feeder buses. This first stage of Metro West does actually maintain this pattern of station spacing, with only two gaps - between Rozelle and Five Dock and between OP and Parramatta. The halfway point of the first (2 km point) is under Iron Cove and Callen Park, so no chance of a station there. The gap on the second is 7 km and the halfway point is under Duck River, rather useless.

Rozelle has plenty of alternative transport and much of Rozelle and Balmain is within the walk-up catchment of the metro station, not to mention the buses that will be passing the station. Leichhardt/Lilyfield and Camellia have the tram (and buses in the former). The strongest case for an additional station in this stage of Metro West is at Silverwater, dependent on rezoning in Silverwater and an alternative being created to compensate for the lost industrial land. The only potential station site (i.e. with straight track) at Camellia is under the main buildings of Rosehill Gardens, which means destroying, closing down, compensation for and rebuilding of that complex and would still be 10-15 minutes hike from the tram stop, though it would be useful for the occasional function days at Rosehill Gardens and you can't justify a costly station just for that.

The more you look at the details, the more the choice of route and stations makes sense, with the possible exception of the omission of Silverwater, which would add about 1.5 minutes to the trip. This wouldn't seriously compromise the overall journey to either the River City or the Parkland City and airport.

[boronia]

The Sydney suburb which could face round-the-clock underground drilling

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the ... 5d1rd.html

[tonyp]

Tunnel boring can be tracked on the interactive map on the Sydney Metro web site.

https://caportal.com.au/tfnsw/sydmetrowest/map

Road headers are at work on the eastern and western sectors, while the borers are working west from White Bay, one having reached Robert Street at time of writing.

[boronia]

Next stop, Zetland: More metro stations will derail NIMBY gripes

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/nex ... 5dh27.html

[tonyp]

Next stop, Zetland: More metro stations will derail NIMBY gripes

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/nex ... 5dh27.html

Paywalled.

[alleve]

Next stop, Zetland: More metro stations will derail NIMBY gripes

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/nex ... 5dh27.html

Paywalled.

Open in incognito tab. Worked for me

[tonyp]

Open in incognito tab. Worked for me

I can never get that to work.

[Randomness]

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fw ... 5dh27.html

Can be used for all paywalled articles in future.