Sydney Metro West Hunter Street station shifts to CBD demobilisation phase

Sydney Metro West's Hunter Street station has entered a demobilisation phase in the Sydney CBD, with bulk excavation, formwork and concreting nearing completion at Hunter Street East and West. The shift marks the end of the heaviest construction activity at the line's most visible CBD site, though tunnel support works, deliveries and out-of-hours activities will continue around the clock through September and beyond.

The station, to be built at the corner of Hunter and George streets, is one of nine stops on the 24-kilometre Sydney Metro West line linking Parramatta and the CBD. Tunnelling between Westmead and the Sydney CBD is complete, and the Hunter Street site is now transitioning from major excavation to structural fit-out and site cleanup. The Department of Planning and Environment granted approval for station excavation and tunnelling between The Bays and the Sydney CBD in September 2022. A Modification Report to allow 24-hour tunnelling was approved in April 2023.

What demobilisation means for the CBD

The September monthly update from the John Holland, CPB Contractors and Ghella joint venture confirms that bulk excavation activities will occur between 7am and 8pm, seven days per week, through the end of the month. Standard construction hours remain 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 6pm on Saturdays. Out-of-hours work will occur between 6pm and 7am Monday to Saturday for above-ground activities. Tunnelling and support activities, including deliveries, will be undertaken 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

Workers have completed almost all of the main cavern excavation. The cavern roof sits about 12 metres below Hunter Street, and its floor is about 30 metres deep. Twin tunnels extending under the Domain, passing beneath the heritage-listed State Library, are also advancing. The station design includes stub tunnels about 45 metres below ground, allowing the line to be extended to Sydney's south-east in future decades.

Equipment being removed or repositioned includes tower cranes, crawler cranes, concrete pumps, and rock hammering attachments. Hoarding installation, removal and adjustments will continue as sections of the work site are handed back to public use. Spoil load-out and material transport via heavy trucks will remain active through the demobilisation period.

The Hunter Street station footprint

Hunter Street Station will become a new interchange hub in the commercial heart of the CBD, with connections to George Street, the Sydney Light Rail, Sydney Trains services at Wynyard and Martin Place, and the Sydney Metro City & Southwest station at Martin Place. Station entrances are proposed on Bligh, O'Connell and George streets.

Above the station, a 51-storey tower is planned for the corner of Hunter and George streets, and a 58-storey tower is proposed for the corner of Hunter, O'Connell and Bligh streets. Both are part of the over-station development package approved by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure in April 2024. The towers will sit metres from Wynyard station and light rail stops, creating a high-density transit precinct around the interchange.

Internal Sydney Metro documents have previously estimated the Hunter Street station will cost about $640 million, making it one of the most expensive stations on the 24-kilometre route. The main cavern is unique among Metro West stations because it includes a crossover section large enough to store a 120-metre-long driverless train, allowing eastbound services to reverse direction.

Community notification and contact

The joint venture publishes weekly Hunter Street email updates for residents and businesses affected by the works. Out-of-hours work notifications are distributed separately for high-impact activities including crane operations, concrete pumping, and material deliveries. The project's 24-hour community information line is 1800 612 173, with email contact via MetroTunnelsJCGJV@transport.nsw.gov.au.

Temporary road, lane and footpath closures around the Hunter Street East and West sites will continue through the demobilisation phase. Traffic controllers will be present during high-activity periods, and pedestrian diversions will be signposted around hoarding removal and equipment movement. The joint venture has committed to directing lighting away from neighbouring properties and using acoustic blankets during high-impact work.

The NSW Government is delivering Sydney Metro West through Transport for NSW, with John Holland engaged as part of the JCG JV joint venture for the CBD tunnelling and station package. The line is designed to double rail capacity between Parramatta and the CBD, with an opening target of 2032.