The State Government Completes First Station for Sydney Metro's City & Southwest Line in Waterloo

The newly constructed Waterloo Metro station, located in the city's inner south, is set to serve nearly 19,000 passengers when the metro line becomes operational later this year.

Passengers traveling from the Waterloo station will be able to reach Central Station in 2 minutes, and Barangaroo in 8 minutes, according to the state government's announcement.

The Waterloo Metro station marks the completion of the first stop on the City and Southwest metro line, a significant milestone in the expansion of Sydney's public transportation network.

"This is an important milestone for Sydney Metro, with construction now complete for the first new station on this line," Premier Chris Minns said.

"It's a remarkable brand-new state of the art metro station that will cut significant travel times for those that want to work and live in this great place but haven't been able to connect with different parts of the city prior to today."

 

More housing included

The Waterloo Metro Quarter includes three towers and two mid-rise buildings, comprising a mix of private and social housing, as well as retail and public spaces.

Additionally, the government announced the completion of the top floor for one of the nine-story towers within the precinct, which will offer 70 social housing units.

Housing Minister Rose Jackson described the Waterloo Estate as "one of the state's largest ever social housing renewals," calling it a significant step forward in addressing past issues and ensuring more homes are available for those in need.

However, the construction of the overall Sydney Metro network has faced notable challenges, with the City and Southwest Metro project, which the Waterloo station is a part of, running about $9 billion over its original budget and at least a year behind schedule.

Delays on City and Southwest line

While the initial section of the line from Chatswood to Sydenham remains on track to open this year, the conversion of the existing T3 heavy rail line to Bankstown has proven challenging.

The 13-kilometer stretch of line needs to be converted to accommodate driverless train operations. Sydney Metro officials attribute the delays to industrial action by rail workers, inclement weather, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the industrial action, striking workers refused to shut off power along the line, preventing contractors from accessing the tracks.

In 2020, a state parliamentary inquiry recommended the government abandon the Bankstown Line conversion, finding it did not represent good value and would significantly disrupt local communities.

Since the project's announcement, its cost has nearly doubled from an initial estimate of $11.5-$12.5 billion to a current budget of $18.5 billion under the previous government.

The current Labor government has committed to the Sydenham-Bankstown conversion, which will require a 12-month shutdown of the existing line to complete the necessary work.