The Sydney Metro City project, extending the rail line from Sydney’s north west, under the harbour and through the Sydney CBD, to Sydenham, opened in August 2024. The new metro railway includes an additional 15.5 kilometres of metro rail to transport commuters around the city, with access via six new underground stations and new platforms at Central Station and Sydenham Station. The newly expanded metro network provides connectivity to Sydney’s employment, financial and retail districts; unlocks the Barangaroo harbourside precinct by delivering its first railway station; and has capacity to move more people across Sydney Harbour in the busiest hour of the peak than the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel combined.
The Judging Panel commended the project’s delivery through a range of unique challenges, including flooding, fires and the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent supply chain constraints. The Panel acknowledged the ambitious project, which required a seven-year delivery timeline and included construction sites underground, with worksites between 27 and 50 metres below ground level. The Panel identified the effective planning, procurement and delivery of the project, as well as the public consultation required for its successful delivery.