Western FastRail

Public transport infrastructure in Sydney
logo=
name=Western FastRail
transport_mode=Commuter rail
"proposed"
line_owner=Yet to be determined
operation_area=Sydney
Parramatta
Penrith
date_1=2004
event_1=Line announced

Western FastRail is a proposed $2 billion privately funded underground and above-ground train line that would link central Sydney with Western Sydney independent from the CityRail network. Western FastRail is being backed by a consortium lead by union leader Michael Easson, which includes Dutch bank ABN AMRO and Australian construction company Leighton Holdings. As of 2008 the State Government has ruled out the project due to cost concerns.cite web
url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/please-explain-fastrail-fumes-over-rejection/2008/08/24/1219516262694.html
title=Please explain: FastRail fumes over rejection
work=Sydney Morning Herald
author=Andrew West
date=August 25, 2008
publisher=www.smh.com.au
accessdate=2008-08-28]

History

The project has been prompted by congestion on Sydney's westbound trains and roads, the growing importance of Parramatta as a business centre, higher petrol prices, public opposition to tolled roads and environmental concerns. An unreleased government document leaked to "The Daily Telegraph" suggests that such a train would eliminate the need of around 18 million car trips per year, reducing between 34,000 and 45,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions being injected into the atmosphere.

The proposal was first made in April 11, 2002 when Col Gellatly, the state's top civil servant and director-general of the Department of Premier convened a meeting of Treasury secretary, John Pierce, the Transport NSW director-general, Michael Deegan, and the State Rail Authority chief executive, Howard Lacy. Before them consortium leader Michael Easson made a presentation for a privately financed rail line linking Sydney's far west with the city.cite web
url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-boomerang-train/2008/08/22/1219262525226.html
title=The boomerang train
work=Sydney Morning Herald
date=August 23, 2008
author=Linton Besser
publisher=www.smh.com.au
accessdate=2008-08-28] For a $8 return toll on top of the normal fare, trains travelling at 160 kmh could carry up to 16,000 commuters an hour to the city in 28 minutes, taking 11 minutes from Parramatta to the city. The proposal depended on the construction of two tracks from St Marys to Penrith, as well as taking over existing CityRail tracks between St Marys to Westmead. Costed at $2 billion, it was deemed extraordinarily cheap, and in December 2003 the Government formally rejected the unsolicited proposal.

In March 2005 the proposal was again brought up, [cite web
url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Parramatta-to-city-in-11-minutes/2005/03/14/1110649131839.html
title=Parramatta to city in 11 minutes: now that's a fast train - National - www.smh.com.au
work=Sydney Morning Herald
author=Alexandra Smith
date=March 15, 2005
accessdate=2008-08-28] and again in December 2006 by then federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd during a visit to Penrith should the Australian Labor Party win the 2007 Federal Election. The plan has received approving comments by the NSW State Government. [Hildebrand, J. "Rudd's road and rail cash". [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,,20948422-5007132,00.html Daily Telegraph] 19 December 2006]

On 18 March, 2008, the NSW State Government announced the SydneyLink project which includes the consideration of a West Metro in the future linking Parramatta and the Sydney CBD, and a future extension through a second harbour crossing to Chatswood. [ [http://www.sydlink.com.au/site/page.cfm?u=50 SydneyLink project: Where could we use a metro rail line?] ] The Premier Morris Iemma was asked about the Western FastRail proposal, and said that "the proposal on Penrith has got to stack up," and "the work that has been done shows that it does not stack up, for a number of reasons." In September 2007 the proposal was again shown to the government. [cite web
url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/13/1189276899575.html
title=New east-west line may cut congestion
publisher=www.smh.com.au
work=Sydney Morning Herald
author=Linton Besser
date=September 14, 2007
accessdate=2008-08-28]

On August 25, 2008 the State Government made a public announcement that it had ruled out the project two weeks earlier due to cost concerns, with the head of the consortium saying that the Government has failed to adequately review the proposal. [cite web
url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/25/2345398.htm
title=Please explain: Govt ditched $3.9b 'fast rail'
work=ABC News
date=August 25, 2008
publisher=www.abc.net.au
accessdate=2008-08-28] cite web
url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/please-explain-fastrail-fumes-over-rejection/2008/08/24/1219516262694.html
title=Please explain: FastRail fumes over rejection
work=Sydney Morning Herald
author=Andrew West
date=August 25, 2008
publisher=www.smh.com.au
accessdate=2008-08-28] Despite this, State Treasurer Michael Costa has continued to back the project despite the lack of support by the Premier, the Transport Minister and the NSW Co-ordinator-General. Costa describes consortium leader Michael Easson as "a close friend and influence". [cite web
url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/costa-backs-mates-rejected-rail-scheme/2008/08/22/1219262525166.html
title=Costa backs mate's rejected rail scheme
work=Sydney Morning Herald
author=Linton Besser
date=August 23, 2008
publisher=www.smh.com.au
accessdate=2008-08-28]

Proposed alignment

It is proposed that two 26 kilometre underground tunnels will link Sydney (possibly Wynyard station or a new nearby station to be built as part of MetroPitt) with Parramatta, with high-speed trains transversing across the distance in eleven minutes at speeds of up to 160 km/h. The line will continue above-ground to Blacktown in six minutes, and onwards to Penrith in a further eleven minutes. Currently on existing CityRail lines these journeys take up to three times as long.

There are 10 stations proposed for the Western FastRail: [ [http://www.fastrail.com.au Western FastRail] ]
*Wynyard
*Metro West (new station)
*Central
*Olympic Park (possible new station)
*Parramatta
*Seven Hills
*Blacktown
*Mount Druitt
*St Marys
*Penrith

ee also

*SydneyLink
*West Metro

References

Further reading

* cite web
url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-boomerang-train/2008/08/22/1219262525226.html
title=The boomerang train
work=Sydney Morning Herald
date=August 23, 2008
author=Linton Besser

External links

* [http://www.fastrail.com.au Western FastRail]
* [http://www.infrastructure-investment.com.au/projects/fastrail.html Leighton Contractors Infrastructure Investment: Western FastRail]