In October, plans were revealed to increase the housing capacity of Sydney Olympic Park by 479 per cent in the next 25 years. The future Olympic Park is still a way off, but recent progress has been made, as the two Metro tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have broken through at Sydney Olympic Park.
The hardworking TBMs, named Beatrice and Daphne (cute), have excavated more than 2 million tonnes of material – enough to fill 316 Olympic swimming pools – over an 18-month period, carving out two 11-kilometre tunnels from The Bays in the Inner West to what will become a brand-new Metro station. (It will eventually join these existing Metro destinations.)
This new part of Metro line will make living along this stretch – and in Olympic Park itself – more convenient to the rest of Sydney, and it will also mean the precinct will become a more thriving community itself.
The new Sydney Olympic Park precinct (given the tick of approval by the Department of Planning, Housing & Infrastructure) will feature three new residential buildings ranging from 21 to 45 storeys, and will include more than 300 new homes, with plans in the pipeline to increase this to 490 homes. The area will also be propped up with a mix of commercial and retail spaces, so it will not only be a liveable neighbourhood, but also a buzzing destination for sport, entertainment and events.
“Sydney Olympic Park metro station will have sports and entertainment fans cheering when it provides unrivalled access to our biggest venues, with fast and easy 15-minute metro trips from the city and a five-minute hop to Parramatta,” says NSW Minister for Transport, Jo Haylen.
To enhance capacity during sporting events and entertainment shows, the Sydney Olympic Park metro station will have platforms on both sides of the trains, making it easier for large crowds to board and disembark simultaneously. (For anyone who caught the train home from the Coldplay concerts recently, this news will come as a relief.)
Work on the integrated station development is expected to begin in 2027, with further opportunities being explored at other key locations like Westmead, Burwood North and The Bays. Integrated station developments at Parramatta and Pyrmont are also under review.
This project is projected to double rail capacity between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD, supporting the government’s plan to build more homes in well-connected areas. Fingers crossed, this development makes housing more affordable and public transport better connected for Sydneysiders.
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