The cost of Sydney's new metro rail projects has blown out by $6 billion, with two of the lines now slated to cost more than double the initial estimates. Transport Minister John Graham has blamed cost blowouts on the previous government

Westmead

Crews have completed a major engineering milestone at Metro West's Westmead station, installing the largest arch of its kind in the southern hemisphere, with tunnelling works nearly finished. Despite this progress, the New South Wales government has identified a budget shortfall of up to six billion dollars across Sydney's metro projects, attributing the overruns to previous planning and construction decisions.

To address the increased costs, the government is injecting an extra 2.4 billion dollars into the Metro West budget. Officials maintain that the Metro West line is still scheduled for completion by 2032, and the Southwest project is expected to finish by the end of next year. However, the Western Sydney Airport line remains in commercial dispute, potentially adding further costs. Separately, the M4 tunnel has reopened after repairs, though communication issues with toll operator Transurban persist.

Sydney’s three metro rail projects blow out by more than $6 billion

Pushing on with the job. Over 82 hours crews winched this arch, the biggest of its kind in the southern hemisphere, into the cavern of what will be Metro West's Westmead station. The project is progressing well, the tunnelling works are almost complete. But the government also uncovered a big budget black hole as much as six billion dollars. We're building three lines at the moment. They're expensive to build and frankly they're more expensive because the way they were planned and built by the former government. Less than a month into taking office in 2023 a review by the Minsk government found Sydney's Metro West and city's Southwest projects were already over budget. Today it revealed those figures have jumped again. As a result it's injecting 2.4 billion dollars more into the budget. Taking out the trash on a random Friday when this government knows that it cannot deliver Metro is not good enough. Over budget but still on time. The government says Metro West will be delivered by 2032. The Southwest project by the back end of next year. Though the same can't be said for the Western Sydney Airport line. I can't confirm an opening date, I can confirm we're in commercial dispute. Which could add an extra billion to that budget too. But on the road some good news. The M4 tunnel is moving again after The roof was successfully repaired overnight but the communication jam is far from cleared. The government will next week hold talks with Transurban to iron it out. They are operating the tollway, they have responsibility to their customers, to the people who pay millions of dollars every day across this network on tolls to ensure they get the information right. As for those stung with the cost, you'll have to reach out to Linked to get a refund. Tallulah Thompson, 10 News.

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Breakdown