The final section of the eastbound tunnel for Sydney Metro West was excavated this morning, marking a significant milestone in the $26 billion infrastructure project. Premier Chris Minns, alongside Minister for Transport Jo Haylen and project officials, observed the breakthrough remotely from a construction site in North Sydney. The moment signifies that the project has reached the halfway point in terms of tunnelling, with the westbound tunnel now also progressing at pace.
The excavated section, which lies beneath the Parramatta River near Rydalmere, connects the western and eastern segments of the 24-kilometre twin-tunnelled railway. This breakthrough allows for the first time for large machinery to travel between the two ends of the tunnel under the river. It is a critical step towards connecting Sydney’s booming western suburbs with the central business district, with the line set to eventually link Parramatta to the new Sydney CBD Metro station at Hunter Street.
Progress Under the River
Work on the Parramatta River crossing began in 2021, with contractors using an advanced tunnel boring machine, known as ‘Sarah’, to carve through the Sydney sandstone. The machine, measuring 11 metres in diameter, has since been dismantled and is being transported to undertake tunnelling work on the westbound tube. The eastbound tunnel, now fully excavated, has paved the way for the installation of track, power, and signalling systems.
"This is a monumental achievement for Sydney," stated Sarah Lewis, Senior Infrastructure Analyst at RMIT University. "Bringing two major tunnel sections together under a significant waterway like the Parramatta River is technically complex and requires incredible precision. It truly underlines the scale and ambition of the Metro West project." She added that reaching this halfway mark in tunnelling will likely boost confidence in the project's timeline and budget.
The final wall coming down in the eastbound tunnel. Credit: Sydney Daily News
Next Steps for the Western Line
With the eastbound tunnel complete, focus will now shift to finalising the westbound tunnel and commencing fit-out works across the entire 24-kilometre stretch. Construction is also progressing on the six new metro stations located at Westmead, Parramatta, Clyde, Olympic Park, Burwood North, and the Sydney CBD. Officials confirmed that the project remains on track to open to passengers in 2030, aiming to slash travel times between Parramatta and the CBD to around 20 minutes.
"We're seeing tangible progress every day," commented David Chen, a resident of Meadowbank who lives near one of the major construction sites. "The noise and disruption are sometimes challenging, but knowing that this will eventually transform transport in the west makes it easier to bear. I'm particularly keen to see how it impacts travel times for my commute into the city." The project is expected to create over 10,000 jobs during its construction phase.