Sydney Metro West was in the news this week because the NSW Premier said he wanted to have another look at it.
The reaction, mostly from Parramatta based influencers, was to call on Chris Minns to rethink his rethink.
Guess where this metro line would run to from Central: yep, Parramatta, with stations in between.
You don’t need a Google search to tell you this part of Sydney is already heaving with transport options, including government bus services.
There’s nothing wrong with making improvements to any city transport system, but surely resources – that is the money – should be allocated on a needs basis.
And that does not cover this metro line.
Here in the always forgotten and ignored outer South Western Sydney, unless you have a car you’re in trouble when it comes to getting to and from work and other things.
Western Sydney International airport was a great opportunity to improve our transport options by building a rail line from Macarthur to Badgerys Creek.
But the former state government opted instead to connect the new airport to the western rail line and, you guessed it, Parramatta, and then on to Central.
Connecting the current South West rail line, Glenfield (pictured above)- Edmondson Park- Leppington, to the airport made even more sense.
It would also have partly addressed the imbalance in transport options for the hundreds of thousands of people who call Liverpool and Macarthur home.
I really don’t know which is worse, the influence peddlers from Parramatta who put their hand up for everything or the dumb politicians who believe them.
Well, some of us are not going to stop pointing that out until the state government wakes up to it and starts addressing the inequity between Parramatta and the real outer suburban battlers in South Western Sydney.
The fact is that Parramatta is now an inner city suburb of Sydney, and anything but the struggling outer suburb that needs more and more resources, transport or otherwise.
When resources are finite, as government budgets are, they should go to the ones that need them the most.
So, Chris Minns, stick to your guns on this metro business.
Yes I agree. Extending the rail line from Leppington to the new airport, is a much better option than via St Marys to central. Would be cheaper and make for a kick trip between airports.
Why build a whole new line that is not compatible with existing lines, when there is already a line in place?
Fully agree with your comments Eric, it’s time the Greater West is given fair treatment, it’s the most rapidly expanding area in the State, but public transport is sadly lacking and has done so for decades. Western Sydney Commuters have little choice but to travel by car adding to high levels of pollution and health issues compounded by rapidly rising urban heatsink issues. Conventional trains are the go, they’re compatible with existing infrastructure and easily expanded unlike Metro links. Although I suspect the preference for Metro’s has more todo with “driverless trains” than the primary purpose of commuter movements.
Each one of the South West Sydney Councils received a huge amount of money to put into infrastructure from the Federal Government because of the new airport most of the money has been used for upgrades to the hospitals as well as improvements to parks and recreational areas.
Now we see how politics really work the former Liberal state Government decided to help their seats out by helping Parramatta and instead of finishing the link from Glenfield to Edmundson Park to the new airport then onto Penrith and back down to Macarthur this way it will help Liverpool, Campbelltown Camden Wollondilly have a connection direct to the airport . This is a more practical solution and it will help Liverpool and the whole of Macarthur, come on Premier Minn we stood up for you in the last election now stand with us and fix this problem.