Ahead of the opening next month of the Southwest Metro, the transformation of the ten historic stations along the 130‑year‑old line between Sydenham and Bankstown preserves the heritage of these stations, while preparing them for the safe and efficient operation of the high-speed, driverless metro service.
Upgrades have been carefully tailored to reflect its local community identity, with heritage features like the platform chimneys at Canterbury Station, retained and restored.
Minister for Transport John Graham said, “These 19th century stations have transformed to meet the standards of the 21st century public transport. Each station will become the heart of each of these communities and their rapid connection to the city’s public transport network.”
The completed works include 360 automated platform screen doors, more than 1300 platform gap fillers, upgraded station buildings and platforms, 790 CCTV cameras, more than 2000 wayfinding signs and 145 passenger information displays. Accessibility upgrades mean all stations on the Southwest Metro corridor are now lift accessible, while 379 bicycle parking spaces and new passenger drop-off zones have been added.
New public plazas, shared paths, landscaping and passenger facilities have also been delivered around stations including Campsie, Bankstown, Dulwich Hill and Punchbowl.
The transport investment will reshape connections across established suburbs and growth areas, with major projects now moving from planning into construction as Western Sydney’s development pipeline continues to expand.
The project is now in its final operational readiness phase, with more than 6150 of the required 9000 testing hours completed and about 24,750km of the required 30,000km of testing completed.
“The completion of all stations means we are one step closer to this life changing infrastructure, that will deliver better connections to jobs, educational facilities, recreation and essential services across Sydney more quickly and reliably than ever before,” said Member for Canterbury Sophie Cotsis said.
WESTERN SYDNEY ROAD UPGRADES
The completed Southwest Metro stations comes alongside a major road program, with contracts now signed on five Western Sydney projects worth almost $3 billion. The largest projects are the $1-billion Mamre Road Stage 2 upgrade and $1-billion Elizabeth Drive upgrade.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King said, “With contracts locked in for these five major road projects, the Australian Government is delivering on its promise to build a better traffic and transport future for Western Sydney, which will slash travel times, boost safety and keep this growing region moving forward.”
The five projects are:
- $1 billion – Mamre Road Stage 2: Gamuda BMD JV will upgrade 6.1 kilometres of Mamre Road, converting the existing single lane road into two lanes between Erskine Park Road and Kerrs Road, Kemps Creek, including upgrades to key intersections and active transport links to support this growing employment area.
- $1 billion – Elizabeth Drive: Gamuda BMD JV will widen the road to two lanes in each direction between Devonshire Road and Badgerys Creek Road, improving access to Western Sydney International Airport and local connectivity.
- $440 million – Garfield Road East: Fulton Hogan will widen the road to two lanes in each direction between Piccadilly Street, Riverstone, and Windsor Road, Box Hill.
- $247 million – Henry Lawson Drive Stage 1B: BMD Constructions will deliver around 1.8 kilometres of dual carriageway between Auld Avenue, Milperra, and the M5 Motorway. The upgrade will provide two lanes in each direction, while protecting adjoining bushland.
- $190 million – The Horsley Drive: Ward Civil & Environmental Engineering Pty Ltd will widen 650-metre of road to two lanes in each direction between the M7 Motorway and Wallgrove Road at Horsley Park, improving one of Western Sydney’s important road connections.
Construction on the five projects is expected to begin later this year.