NSW Budget allocates $3 billion for Sydney's Western Metro

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has handed down 2018's state budget which will see the state's massive education and transport infrastructure bonanza continue.

In common with other states and the federal government, much of the big ticket items have already been announced prior to the budget speech.  They included, among may things, money to kick start converting Sydney Train's existing lines to use a 'digital signalling platform'.

However, unveiled today is a cool $3billion is to be reserved for the Western Metro project which aims to add rail capacity between Sydney's CBD to Parramatta/Westmead.

$28 million will immediately be made available in order for the business case to be accelerated and finalised by year-end.

There has been a consultation process where over 1,200 people have so far provided feedback on the route of the Western Metro and there will further opportunities later in the year, the NSW Government says.

The NSW Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Andrew Constance, re-iterated the Western Metro will link Sydney CBD with Parramatta and Westmead via The Bays Precinct and Sydney Olympic Park.  The money that is released from today's budget will go toward determining where other stations on the new metro line will be located.

“This project will redefine how we get around Sydney and will double rail capacity between the two city centres, a true city-shaping infrastructure investment that will serve generations to come. We have already begun the work to determine the best underground route between the Sydney CBD and Greater Parramatta with a program of geotechnical drilling, which will continue," Andrew Constance said.

The $3 billion foreshadowed in today's budget will partly be used for land acquisition, early works and tunnelling, subject to completion of the business case. 

Elsewhere in the budget $121 million was allocated to completing Arthur Phillip High, a vertical school in Parramatta, The Sydney Morning Herald reports funding will also be allocated to a neighbouring primary school.

$2.4 billion will be allocated in 2018-2019 for Sydney Metro Northwest, the first stage of Sydney's new metro network that is scheduled to have construction and testing complete with full operations starting in 2019. $258 million will be allocated to Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1.

To see the 2018 NSW Government budget, see budget.nsw.gov.au

Lead image credit: Sydney Metro.