Category Archives: Infrastructure

Sydney Metro – a flawed strategy well executed? Part 1

Posted on 28 August, 2024 by Alex

Just over a week ago, the core of Sydney’s Metro opened with surprisingly little celebration – the NSW Transport Minister and a few other dignitaries plus around 1,000 fare-paying passengers boarded the first train service of the day on the extension of … Continue reading →

Posted in Infrastructure, Planning, Public Transport, Rail, Sydney Metro, Sydney metro area, Transport, Western Sydney | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kathleen Butler’s work on the Bridge recognised at last

Posted on 7 August, 2024 by Alex

Kathleen Butler’s contribution to the construction of Sydney’s Harbour Bridge (and indirectly, her work on Sydney’s underground railway) was formally recognised with the unveiling of a Blue Plaque on the NSW Chief Secretary’s Building yesterday (Tuesday 6 August 2024). The … Continue reading →

Posted in Bradfield, History, Infrastructure, Public Transport, Rail, Sydney metro area, Transport | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Media follow-up to my series on Sydney’s incompatible metros

Posted on 31 May, 2023 by Alex

Both the Sydney Morning Herald and the ABC have followed up some of the issues raised in my two-part series on the way that decisions of the previous NSW state government have ensured that Sydney Metro will be far from … Continue reading →

Posted in Airport, Infrastructure, metro, Planning, Public Transport, Rail, Sydney Metro, Sydney metro area, Transport, Western Sydney | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Whatever the NSW election result, metros are the winner

Posted on 23 March, 2023 by Alex

As I write this post on the eve of the 2023 NSW state election, the major parties are neck-and-neck in the opinion polls. I’m not going to attempt to pick the result but there is already one clear winner, at … Continue reading →

Posted in Airport, Growth, Infrastructure, metro, Planning, Population, Public Transport, Rail, Sydney Metro, Sydney metro area, Transport, Western Sydney | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sydney: why have one metro system when you can have two (or more)? Part 2

Posted on 1 February, 2023 by Alex

In the first post in this series I took a look at the significant differences between Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport (Metro WSA) which will connect the new airport to the Sydney Trains network at St Marys, and the combined … Continue reading →

Posted in Infrastructure, metro, Planning, Public Transport, Rail, Sydney Metro, Sydney metro area, Transport, Western Sydney | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Labor’s High Speed Rail proposal – too far, or not far enough?

Posted on 2 January, 2022 by Alex

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese today announced that Labor would “make fast rail connections between Sydney, the Central Coast and Newcastle a reality” and establish a High-Speed Rail Authority if it wins government in next year’s federal election. Unfortunately, it’s hard … Continue reading →

Posted in Fast Rail, Infrastructure, Public Transport, Rail, Regions, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NSW High-Speed Rail: following Victoria’s example?

Posted on 17 December, 2018 by Alex

The announcement by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian that the NSW government “would start work on a fast rail network in the next term of government” has already been criticised as being a repeat reading from a very hackneyed script. True to form, the announcement … Continue reading →

Posted in Infrastructure, Population, Public Transport, Regions, Sydney metro area, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bradfield, 75 years on – part 5: using Bradfield’s abandoned tunnels – trains, trams or tourism?

Posted on 3 October, 2018 by Alex

I had intended to write a postscript to my series on the ideas of the engineer John Bradfield and their impact on Sydney in commemoration of the recent 75th anniversary of his death on 23 September 1943, but the NSW … Continue reading →

Posted in Bradfield, Infrastructure, metro, Public Transport, Sydney metro area, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Bradfield, 75 years on – part 2: “the only woman present” – Kathleen Butler and the Bridge

Posted on 9 August, 2018 by Alex

As the 75th anniversary of John Bradfield’s death on 23 September 1943 approaches, I’m writing a series of posts exploring some of the ideas outlined in his 1924 engineering doctorate thesis and their relevance for Sydney a century later. Please … Continue reading →

Posted in Bradfield, History, Infrastructure, Public Transport, Sydney metro area | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Bradfield, 75 years on – part 1: the Science of Engineering

Posted on 31 July, 2018 by Alex

Recently I spent 10 minutes or so at Sydney’s busy suburban Strathfield Station while changing trains in the evening peak hour. As I waited I watched the synchronised dance across the station’s eight platforms as double-deck trains arrived, disgorged commuters, … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth, History, Infrastructure, Sydney metro area, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments