Projects | Sydney Metro City and Southwest Line-wide, Australia

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Sydney Metro City & Southwest project is one of four metro lines that form the broader Sydney Metro project – a 21st century mass transit public transport network, revolutionising the way people travel across Australia’s biggest city.

With metro trains arriving in the Sydney CBD every four minutes in the peak, a level of service never before seen in Sydney, the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project increases rail capacity through the CBD. It also improves capacity and reliability on the rest of the rail network, and enhances resilience of the wider transport system by delivering a second harbour rail crossing.

Sydney Metro City & Southwest connects Chatswood to Bankstown via the heart of Sydney’s CBD. It comprises 31 kilometres of new metro rail, seven new underground metro stations – at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Gadigal, Central and Waterloo – and 11 upgraded stations.

The project has two components: a 17.1 kilometre section from Chatswood to Sydenham that is primarily tunnelled (opened 2024); and a 13.4 kilometre section from Sydenham to Bankstown, involving conversion of the existing Bankstown rail line to metro operations (opening 2026). After the conversion, metro trains from Bankstown will run at least every four minutes in the peak, or 15 trains an hour.

Transforming tunnels into a working railway

With joint venture partner WSP and working closely with Systems Connect (a partnership between CPB Contractors Pty Ltd and UGL Engineering Pty Ltd), Aurecon was integral in turning the extensive distance of excavated tunnels into a working railway, delivering line-wide work to install 31km of underground railway track across twin tunnels from Chatswood to Sydenham.

Location

Gadigal Country
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Client

Systems Connect – CPB Contractors Pty Ltd, UGL Engineering Pty Ltd

Partners

WSP

Aurecon's Role

Detailed design for rail systems and facilities (overhead wiring, combined services route, rail track), HV traction substations, HV bulk power supply, buildings, civil and structures

Expertise

Rail & Mass Transit, Infrastructure Advisory, Tunnels

Status

City section (Chatswood to Sydenham) – Complete 2024
Southwest section – Complete 2026

Key features

Energy and material efficient

Award-winning

City & Southwest Geographical Construction Package Interrelationships (September 2017). Source: Sydney Metro City & Southwest Construction Compliance Report 01.

More than 350km of high voltage, low voltage, and service cabling, and 11 new substations, are required to power the Sydney Metro expansion, and as part of the joint venture, Aurecon delivered detailed design for:

HV traction substations
Bulk power supply
Rail systems, overhead wiring, combined services route, rail track
Buildings
Civil and structures
The expansion of the Sydney Metro trains facility at Rouse Hill to accommodate 37 new trains for Sydney Metro City and Southwest
A new Sydney Metro trains facility at Marrickville

The work also included the installation of tunnel equipment such as ventilation, drainage and emergency evacuation and monitoring equipment, tunnel ventilation fitout and high voltage equipment installation in the seven new underground stations.

Energy and material efficiency

With a commitment to sustainability across the project, the Sydney Metro City & Southwest Line achieved a ‘Design – Leading’ IS rating, from the Infrastructure Sustainability Council. Contributing to this rating are significant reductions in material usage and a projected 99.8 per cent energy use reduction across construction and operation compared to the ISC base case.

Six of the substations, including Gadigal Station in the CBD, Barangaroo and Waterloo, feature regenerative energy storage solutions, the first use of this technology on a high voltage network. Sustainability outcomes from this innovation include energy and carbon emissions reductions, longer service life than conventional storage solutions (25-30 compared to 10), and improved safety outcomes.

Other energy reduction initiatives include LED lighting, energy efficient HVAC systems and PV panels; offsetting 25 per cent of carbon emissions from construction electricity; and procuring renewable energy during operating offsetting.

Aurecon’s expertise underpinned the successful installation of more than 350 km of high voltage, low voltage, and service cabling to power the expansion.

Reducing material use

A reduction in material use was achieved through design innovations including incorporating minimum 25 per cent fly ash in all concrete mixes, using fibre reinforced trackslab in lieu of steel reinforcement, local procurement of steel rail and concrete sleepers and cable containment optimisation in tunnels.

Other initiatives such as use of Geopolymer concrete sleepers within a metro environment is an Australian first. Automated design solutions and modelling techniques were developed that greatly reduced design time and resources, and increased consistency and accuracy compared to a traditional document-oriented approach.

Trackside infrastructure clearance assessment was undertaken using advanced technologies (including LiDAR, digital capture, data processing, machine learning, computer vision, 3D modelling) eliminating the need for manual clearance checks.

Central Walk at Sydney Metro Central Station: a 80 m long, 19 m wide underground concourse with escalators directly to eight fully operational suburban platforms. Image courtesy of Laing O'Rourke.

A world-class metro for a world-class city

The Sydney Metro City & Southwest project is a significant infrastructure initiative, revolutionising how Australia’s busiest city travels. It is a key part of Sydney Metro – Australia’s biggest public transport infrastructure project. Aurecon is proud of our extensive role in delivering this once-in-a-lifetime, billion-dollar city-shaping system.

Discover Aurecon's Sydney Metro Portfolio

Central Walk at Sydney Metro Central Station: a 80 m long, 19 m wide underground concourse with escalators directly to eight fully operational suburban platforms. Image courtesy of Laing O'Rourke.

Award-winning

The project has won the following award:

Certified: Leading, Design rating, Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISCA)

Transforming tunnels into a working railway

Energy and material efficiency

Reducing material use

A world-class metro for a world-class city

Award-winning

TAGS

We would love to work with you to bring your ideas to life, so get in touch and we'll get back to you.

Transforming tunnels into a working railway

Energy and material efficiency

Reducing material use

A world-class metro for a world-class city

Award-winning

TAGS

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We would love to work with you to bring your ideas to life, so get in touch and we'll get back to you.