LABOR’S $6 BILLION PLAN FOR SYDNEY RAIL

A Shorten Labor Government will invest $6 billion to build the Sydney Metro West and Western Sydney Rail, bringing jobs, economic development and a better quality of life to people living in Western Sydney.

 

Western Sydney is already home to two million people – nearly 10per cent of Australia’s population – and is our third largest economy.

 

Labor wants to ensure Western Sydney has the jobs and infrastructure it needs to set it up for the future, which is why we’re getting behind this vital economic infrastructure.

 

Labor can afford to invest in public transport infrastructure and new jobs because unlike Turnbull and the out-of-touch Liberals, we aren’t giving a $17 billion tax handout to the big banks.

 

 

Labor will commit a total of $3 billion to Western Sydney Rail which will reduce congestion and the dependence on cars, and bring jobs closer to where people live – while connecting all of Sydney with the new Western Sydney Airport.

 

Labor has been committed to this project since before the last election, when we committed $400 million to get this project underway. Today’s announcement builds on that commitment because we understand just how vital it is for Western Sydney’s future.

 

Western Sydney’s population is expected to grow by an additional one million people in the next 20 years, and traffic congestion is expected to cost Sydney nearly $15 billion by 2031.

 

This project alone is expected to take 1,000 cars off the road every time a train leaves the station, and Deloitte estimates the project will add over $44 billion in benefits to the economy by 2040.

 

 

Labor will commit $3 billion to Sydney Metro West, which will double the rail capacity between Parramatta and the CBD.

 

In the next 20 years the population of the corridor between Parramatta and the CBD is expected to grow by 420,000, and more than 300,000 new jobs in the same period. Sydney Metro West will be vital to securing economic development and quality of life.

 

The project will see construction of a 25km underground tunnel and up to 12 new underground stations. Not only will this enable greater movement of passengers, it will also free up existing heavy rail track for additional services between the CBD and Greater Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.

 

Labor’s hard budget choices means we afford to pay for our priorities: better public transport, more jobs, and reversing Turnbull’s cuts to schools and hospitals.

 

A Shorten Labor Government will deliver a fair go for Western Sydney.