As metro services prepare to commence later this year, Central Station in Sydney is anticipating a significant influx of 21,350 commuters during the morning peak, thereby alleviating pressure on other modes of transportation. The metro will offer swift connections, with travel times of 15 minutes to Chatswood, 9 minutes to North Sydney, and 7 minutes to Sydenham.
Laing O’Rourke, awarded the Central Station Metro (CSM) contract in 2018, has successfully delivered transformative enhancements, including:
- Revitalized Northern Concourse featuring redesigned pedestrian pathways and a distinctive roof canopy, constructed virtually and offsite before final installation at Central Station over three weekends and short night work sessions.
- Engineering marvel Central Walk, an 80-meter-long by 19-meter-wide underground pedestrian concourse facilitating seamless interchange between various transport modes.
- New North-South Concourse set to grant commuters access to metro platforms and services every four minutes during peak hours in 2024.
- Addition of a Chalmers Street entrance for direct access from the east and convenient interchange with CBD and South-East Light Rail services.
- Underground Sydney Metro platforms situated 27 meters beneath Platforms 13, 14, and 15.
- Significant accessibility improvements with the installation of 14 new lifts and 42 escalators, providing escalator access to suburban rail platforms 12 to 23 for the first time in the station’s history.
- Introduction of Central Station’s first solar power farm, consisting of 664 solar panels, generating approximately 366.3 megawatt-hours of solar energy to power lights across three platforms.
Each completed upgrade has been promptly opened to ensure immediate benefits for customers. Throughout construction, Laing O’Rourke actively engaged in over 90 community initiatives, contributing 1,100 volunteer hours, collaborating with 17 supply-chain partners on local initiatives, raising over $130,000 through fundraising campaigns, and making substantial in-kind donations to two local charity partners.
