HILLS Mayor Michelle Byrne wants the state government to connect the Sydney Metro Northwest to the proposed North-South Rail Link.
The Sydney Metro Northwest, which will open sometime this year, ends at Rouse Hill, while the proposed North-South Rail Link will start at Schofields and go toward Macarthur via the Western Sydney Airport.
The North-South Rail Link will be part of the recently announced Western Sydney City Deal.
Michelle Byrne wants residents of The Hills to access the Western Sydney Airport via the train line, and wants the government to link up the two rail projects.
“I commend both the NSW and Federal Governments for coming to the table to fund a study to finalise a route and station locations for the new north-south rail link,” Mayor Byrne said.
“It’s really exciting news, but I just don’t understand why investigations only extend to Schofields, instead of looking into how the new Sydney Metro Northwest could be linked to the new airport line.
“It just doesn’t make any sense to have the connection begin at Schofields, instead of linking it to Cudgegong Road Railway Station to allow north-west residents to travel with ease to the airport.”
Dr Byrne said The Hills area was rapidly growing and needed access to the Western Sydney Airport via rail.
“Within the next 15 years, another 100,000 people will call The Hills their ‘home’ taking its population well above 250,000,” she said.
“The Hills is also home to 20,000 businesses employing approximately 80,000 people and these numbers are set to double over the next 30 years. These businesses and residents would likely use the Western Sydney Airport to catch a flight across Australia and to destinations all over the world.
“Without easy access via a north-south rail link, hundreds of thousands of residents living in north-west Sydney will miss out on jobs and easy access into the south-west, as well as into the new airport and the education facilities out that way. And, accessible public transport to the airport is vital for economic growth and the success of Sydney’s second airport.”