Track laying has begun at Sydney Olympic Park on the 24-kilometre Sydney Metro West line, marking the transition from tunnelling to systems installation ahead of the 2032 opening.
The City Desk is a contributing writer covering city and public affairs for The Sydney Times.
Track laying has begun at Sydney Olympic Park on Sydney Metro West, with 5,316 tonnes of rail being lowered 27 metres into the future station box, marking the transition from tunnelling to systems installation on the 24-kilometre line between Westmead and Hunter Street.
The NSW Government announced in August that the first rails are being laid at Sydney Olympic Park, with 20 skilled workers spending the next three months welding the rail together before it is progressively moved into the tunnels using a specialised road-rail vehicle excavator. Work on the structural track base slab will commence after welding and be followed by electrical and mechanical fit-out by the end of the year.
Across the entire project, 60 kilometres of track will be installed within the twin tunnels and at the Clyde Stabling and Maintenance Facility, which will feature four crossovers, one junction and one turnback to support seamless metro operations. The rail system is being delivered by John Holland, which is responsible for the complete fit-out of tunnels, track, cross passages, station caverns and key operational facilities across the two-track project.
Sydney Metro West is targeting an opening date of 2032. The project will double rail capacity between Greater Parramatta and the Sydney CBD, with the NSW Government forecasting reduced travel times of 22 minutes from Westmead to Hunter Street, 15 minutes from Sydney Olympic Park to Hunter Street, 7 minutes from Westmead to Sydney Olympic Park, and 11 minutes from The Bays to Sydney Olympic Park.
Tunnelling on Sydney Metro West was completed earlier in 2026, with the final tunnel boring machine breaking through into the Hunter Street cavern in March. Tunnelling construction teams will remain at several station sites until late 2026 to complete major station excavation works. Sydney Metro will continue enabling works such as utility relocation across several sites over the coming months to prepare for station construction.
The next phase of the project commenced in April 2026 with new contractors taking over several construction sites to begin preparations for station construction, installation of tracks and rail systems, and construction of the stabling and maintenance facility at Clyde. Detailed design work will continue in parallel prior to major construction.
Stations have been confirmed at Westmead, Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock, The Bays, Pyrmont and Hunter Street in the Sydney CBD. The project received its first major planning approval in March 2021 for the project concept between Westmead and the Sydney CBD and station excavation and tunnelling between Westmead and The Bays. A second approval followed in September 2022 for station excavation and tunnelling between The Bays and Sydney CBD, and a third planning application for rail infrastructure, stations, precincts and operations was approved in 2023.
At the end of 2025, Sydney Metro awarded four key delivery contracts, moving the project into the next stage. John Holland was awarded the Linewide contract, covering laying 60 kilometres of track, installation of rail systems, ventilation, fire systems and cross passages, plus construction of the Clyde stabling and maintenance facility and an Operations Control Centre. Site establishment and early works commenced from April 2026.
Gamuda was awarded the Stations Package West contract for the design and construction of five new underground metro stations at Westmead, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock and The Bays, with site establishment and early works also commencing from April 2026. Lendlease, Mirvac and Coombes Property Group were appointed as Precinct Development Partner for the Hunter Street station and two commercial over-station developments, with Lendlease expected to commence construction of the station main works in early 2027.
The Metro Trains West Consortium was awarded the TSMO contract for supplying and commissioning 16 new-generation metro trains and operating and maintaining the Sydney Metro West network for 15 years, with work expected to commence on site in 2028. According to the Sydney Metro West project update April 2026, the project remains on track for its 2032 opening.
The NSW Government says the rezonings around the Metro West stations including The Bays, Sydney Olympic Park and Burwood North will deliver tens of thousands of new homes within walking distance of reliable, fast and easy to use public transport. For more context on major Sydney infrastructure projects, see The City.
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