WESTERN SYDNEY AIRPORT: Train line not ready for opening
Australia is full of airports with bad or no rail connections (I’m looking at you, Melbourne’s Tullamarine). The Western Sydney Airport was going to defy this trend, with a Metro line planned from the outset. Unfortunately, this is not to be, with the opening of the transport route delayed until at least April 2027. That’s about six months after the scheduled opening of the new Western Sydney International Airport in late 2026.
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Timeline
The 23-kilometre rail line, running from St Marys to the new city of Bradfield via the Western Sydney Airport, is a joint venture between the state and federal governments.
We have previously been assured that the two projects—the Metro and the Airport—would open at the same time. But deep in the Sydney Metro’s annual report is a revised opening date of April 2027. This means the metro won’t be operational in time for the airport’s opening.
Challenges and setbacks
Like most large projects of this size, it has not come without delays and setbacks. Let’s start with some industrial relations issues, COVID-19 procurement and supply chain issues, and then a whole curfuffle about the spacing of cross passages between the two parallel tunnels.
This adjustment was made after NSW’s fire and rescue agency raised safety concerns about the original design.
The new Metro line to the airport will accommodate 12 trains per hour, transporting 7800 passengers in each direction. Interestingly, the airport trains will be about 30 centimetres wider than Sydney’s other metro trains. That’s to accommodate travellers with luggage.
The 23-killometre line with have six stations. Twin tunnels spanning nearly 10 kilometres have already been built.
2PAXfly Takeout
Western Sydney Airport remains on schedule for a late 2026 opening despite the metro line’s delay. The metro line will offer a quick 15-minute journey from the airport to St Marys, where it will join other rail infrastructure to take you through to Sydney city.
OK, it’s a blow that the train line will be ready roughly six months after the Airport, but that is how infrastructure crumbles!
It’s been quite a few years since I visited Melbourne but I remember the airport bus being reasonably convenient. Still, a train usually has better signage making it easier for visitors.
With the Western Sydney airport, bus routes may not be too developed in the beginning so the visitor will have to plan carefully.
The advantages of trains is that they are a lot quicker than the bus. Initially for Western Sydney, buses will be the only option other than car based transport.