ARA welcome commitment to key rail projects in NSW Budget

Credit: ARA

The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has welcomed the NSW Government’s investment in several significant rail projects as part of its $72.3 billion commitment to transport infrastructure in the 2023-24 Budget.

ARA was encouraged to see the NSW Government continue its commitment to the vital Sydney Metro projects, maintaining funding allocations for Sydney Metro West, Sydney Metro to Western Sydney Airport and Sydney Metro City and Southwest.

The NSW Government announced several new rail investments in the 2023-24 Budget, including:

• An additional $1 billion for Sydney Metro City and Southwest
• An additional $300 million to upgrade train station car parks and make stations more accessible through the installation of new lifts, ramps, and footbridges
• $200 million reserved to expedite the planning for the procurement, construction, and delivery of Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 for Western Sydney
• $95.9 million for the Fixing Country Rail programme, to deliver improved capacity and reliability to the regional rail network and deliver a highly functional network for moving freight in and out of regional areas.
• $1.4 billion for the delivery of a new regional rail fleet to replace the ageing regional fleet.

“A safe, reliable and sustainable transport system is essential to enabling NSW communities to thrive as it is proven to deliver great economic, social and environmental benefits,” Caroline Wilkie, CEO for ARA, said. “These city-shaping transport infrastructure projects in NSW not only create tens of thousands of jobs during construction but, once complete, provide a vital connection for communities and reduce congestion on our busy roads. It is critical that we increase the capacity of the rail network to meet growing demand, with faster and more frequent and reliable services.”