Category Archives: Sydney metro area

Bradfield, 75 years on – part 4: Unfinished business – Sydney’s “missing metro”

Posted on 23 September, 2018 by Alex

In commemoration of John Bradfield on the 75th anniversary of his death on 23 September 1943, 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 … Continue reading →

Posted in Bradfield, Public Transport, Sydney metro area, Transport | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

Martin Place – the “new” Sydney Central?

Posted on 18 July, 2018 by Alex

There have been a few developments since my earlier posts on plans for the proposed Sydney Metro West, with a strong business sector push for the metro to provide a high-speed link between Sydney CBD and Parramatta and apparent confirmation of the … Continue reading →

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

A tale of two metros: London Crossrail and Sydney Metro compared

Posted on 30 June, 2018 by Alex

As readers of this blog will know I have written extensively (and often critically) about the Sydney Metro. In July 2016 I published a series of articles comparing four major Australasian CBD rail projects – Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. … Continue reading →

Posted in Public Transport, Sydney metro area, Western Sydney | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Sydney Metro’s commercialised future

Posted on 17 May, 2018 by Alex

What if the NSW government set up a new state-owned business corporation and handed it sweeping powers that duplicated those of several established authorities, including the power to prepare strategic plans, buy, develop and sell land, run other businesses (including bus services) and, incidentally, … Continue reading →

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

Labor’s different track on the Sydney Metro – part 2: possibilities and practicalities

Posted on 15 May, 2018 by Alex

In my last article I looked at the broader political and policy perspectives of NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley’s recent announcement that if Labor wins the 2019 State election it will “accelerate the construction” of the Sydney Metro West line, scrapping current Government … Continue reading →

Posted in Public Transport, Sydney metro area, Western Sydney | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Sydney Metro West’s slow unveiling: part 2 – Minding the gap

Posted on 2 May, 2018 by Alex

I was going to devote my second article on Sydney Metro West to the implications of Labor’s promise to scrap the Sydenham to Bankstown section of the Sydney Metro City and South West (Metro CSW). However, the question of station … Continue reading →

Posted in Public Transport, Sydney metro area, Transport | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Sydney Metro West’s slow unveiling

Posted on 26 April, 2018 by Alex

The State Government’s continued gradual unveiling of station options for the Sydney Metro West line between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD is slowly revealing the final route, suggesting a middle path between a high-speed line and a traditional frequent-stopping metro. While … Continue reading →

Posted in Infrastructure, Public Transport, Sydney metro area, Western Sydney | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Sydney Metro – a better option?

Posted on 31 January, 2018 by Alex

After spending a large part of 2017 writing about transport issues and in particular the Government’s metro strategy, I had hoped to start 2018 on a different note. Retired transport bureaucrat and planner Dr Dick Day’s thoughtful opinion piece on … Continue reading →

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