Sydney Metro - Western Sydney Airport

Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport (formerly the North South Rail Link) will see the construction of a rail link to Western Sydney Airport (WSA) and the planned Badgerys Creek Aerotropolis.

The full Link proposed in the Federal and NSW Government's Western Sydney Rail Needs Study Outcomes Report is to run from Schofields via WSA and the Aerotropolis in Bringelly to Macarthur.

The Stage One of the Link, the centrepiece of the Western Sydney City Deal announced in March 2018, will run from St Marys through WSA to the Aerotropolis.

Further stages proposed by the Outcomes Report include:

- St Marys to Schofields and Sydney Metro NorthWest, delivered five years after WSA Opens (2031); and
- Aerotropolis to Macarthur, delivered 10-15 years after WSA opens (2036-2041).

The December 2018 Sydney Metro Industry Briefing indicated automated driverless trains would operate on the line.

As part of the City Deal announcement, the Federal and NSW governments announced they will both commit up to $50 million for development of a business case for the full Link and will conduct market sounding on private sector interest in station developments along with exploring financing solutions such as value sharing. Both government's committed their shares in their respective 2018-19 Budgets.

The December 2018 Industry briefing indicated Sydney Metro will conduct industry and stakeholder engagement to shape the project on issues such as:

-station locations, including interchange opportunities
-land use and precinct planning along the project corridor
-identifying any synergies between the project and Sydney Metro West, and
-packaging procurement and delivery.

The stated objective of both governments is to open Stage One before WSA starts operating in 2026, subject to the business case. Both governments have committed to funding the first stage equally.

The full Sydney Metro WSA is estimated to cost $15-$20 billion, with the Outcomes Report noting that the Link is projected to become economically viable in the 2030s.

Similarly, Infrastructure NSW (INSW) notes in the NSW State Infrastructure Strategy 2018 - 2038 that further rail connections to the Aerotropolis via WSA should only be a priority for the NSW Government once justified by patronage reaching a critical mass, which is unlikely before 2036, unless Federal Government and/or private sector investment significantly offsets the NSW Government's contribution.

In April 2018 the NSW Government released the recommended corridor for Sydney Metro WSA, which identifies tunnels that could be used for the line between Macarthur and Oran Park via Narellan, and from Orchard Hills to St Marys. Public feedback on the recommended corridor was due by 1 June 2018.

Infrastructure Australia lists corridor preservation for WSA rail connection as a near term (0-5 years) High Priority Initiative and Western Sydney Airport Rail public transport connection as a long term (10-15 years) Priority Initiative on its Infrastructure Priority List.