Sydney Metro West - Rail infrastructure, stations, precincts and operations

Please find attached a submission which is signed by the Director of the FDPS P & C OOSH

I object to the use of Type 2 track this project is using under my house and request that it is changed to Type 3A track.

Amendment 2: Update the design to show the track form under Lancelot Street to be Type 3A (Isolated Slab Track)
Key concerns addressed by this amendment:
⦁ Reduce the noise and vibration experienced by The Residents resulting from trains during operation of the Metro

Sydney Metro is proposing to use the Type 2 track form under Lancelot Street which reduces ground-borne vibration as trains pass along the track. The modelling from Sydney Metro shows that this track form reduces the predicted noise to 30-35 dBA which is marginally below the NSW Environment Protection Authority maximum of 35 dBA for residential properties.

Lancelot Street is a quiet street with low levels of ambient noise and very little road traffic. I am concerned that models used to predict noise levels from ground-borne vibration, such as the model used by Sydney Metro, have inherent risk of inaccuracy, and designing the tunnels to be so close to the 35 dBA maximum would result in the sound levels exceeding 35 dBA. This would be noticeable to the residents in both daytime and night time. Of particular concern, is the model used by Sydney Metro do not appear to take into consideration the increase in noise resulting from dual tunnels under each property at close distance, and also the increase in noise levels as the train wheels and tracks start to wear, which could increase sound levels by up to 10 dBA each (ref Federal Transit Administration Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment Manual, FTA Report No. 0123, dated September 2018).

The modelling by Sydney Metro also showed the predicted ground-borne noise levels if the Type 3A track form was used. This would result in much more acceptable sound levels of 25-30 dBA.

As a resident of the street I call for the Type 3A track form as a minimum requirement to be used in the tunnels under Lancelot Street to ensure vibration and sound levels remain at an acceptable level both when the Metro becomes operational, and also in future when the train wheels and tracks start to wear.

From reviewing the Environmental Impact Statement, I understand that Sydney Metro is proposing to use the Type 2 track form under Lancelot Street, Five Dock which is designed to reduce ground-borne vibration as the trains travel though the tunnels. The modelling from Sydney Metro shows that this track form reduces the predicted noise to 30-35 dBA which is marginally below the NSW Environment Protection Authority maximum of 35 dBA for residential properties.

Lancelot Street is a quiet and narrow street with low levels of ambient noise and very little road traffic. Along the street, there are predominately residential properties, together with a primary school and a day care centre. I am concerned that designing the tunnels to be so close to the 35 dBA maximum would result in the sound levels exceeding 35 dBA. This would negatively impact the residents throughout the day and night. Of particular concern is that the modelling used by Sydney Metro does not appear to take into consideration the increase in noise resulting from dual tunnels under each property at a close distance, and also the increase in noise levels as the train wheels and tracks start to wear, which could increase sound levels by up to 10 dBA each (ref Federal Transit Administration Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment Manual, FTA Report No. 0123, dated September 2018).

The modelling by Sydney Metro also showed the predicted ground-borne noise levels if the Type 3A track form was used. This would result in much more acceptable sound levels of 25-30 dBA.

As a resident, I call for the Type 3A track form as a minimum requirement to be used in the tunnels under Lancelot Street, Five Dock to ensure that vibration and sound levels remain at an acceptable level both when the Metro becomes operational, and also in the future when the train wheels and tracks start to wear. The implementation of the Type 3A track form would ensure that residents can continue to enjoy living on Lancelot Street without any disturbance. Further, the children who attend the primary school and day care centre on Lancelot Street would greatly benefit, as their learning would not be disrupted by any vibrations or noise from the Metro.

The below statement was agreed to by occupants living in Lancelot Street.

Sydney Metro is proposing to use the Type 2 track form under Lancelot Street which reduces ground-borne vibration as trains pass along the track. The modelling from Sydney Metro shows that this track form reduces the predicted noise to 30-35 dBA which is marginally below the NSW Environment Protection Authority maximum of 35 dBA for residential properties.

Lancelot Street is a quiet street with low levels of ambient noise and very little road traffic. The Residents are concerned that models used to predict noise levels from ground-borne vibration, such as the model used by Sydney Metro, have inherent risk of inaccuracy, and designing the tunnels to be so close to the 35 dBA maximum would result in the sound levels exceeding 35 dBA. This would be noticeable to the residents in both daytime and night time. Of particular concern, is the model used by Sydney Metro do not appear to take into consideration the increase in noise resulting from dual tunnels under each property at close distance, and also the increase in noise levels as the train wheels and tracks start to wear, which could increase sound levels by up to 10 dBA each (ref Federal Transit Administration Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment Manual, FTA Report No. 0123, dated September 2018).

The modelling by Sydney Metro also showed the predicted ground-borne noise levels if the Type 3A track form was used. This would result in much more acceptable sound levels of 25-30 dBA.

The Residents call for the Type 3A track form as a minimum requirement to be used in the tunnels under Lancelot Street to ensure vibration and sound levels remain at an acceptable level both when the Metro becomes operational, and also in future when the train wheels and tracks start to wear.

Further to the above, I have picked things at random, there are more I am sure.
Tunnel alignment depth and design has changed on more than one occasion - Who or what are we meant to believe?
The mayor of Canada Bay Council is currently before ICAC. Will he will go down? He may take Gary Sawyer (I think it is) with him. He was the general manager for a period of time. The current state member has been before ICAC and investigations to the best of my knowledge are not complete.
Both have resigned from their respective political parties.

The residents from the beginning of interaction with Metro West have asked the tunnel to be deeper than its current proposal, at a meeting at Five Dock library in March 2022 where a query on the depth was raised and why it should not be deeper, the response was ' We are building a tunnel not a bomb shelter'. I am certain no-one would currently object to a tunnel cum bomb shelter.

The tunnel alignment runs under part of Five Dock public school - Noise level issue?
Various assumption made within the overall plan are flawed - (Lane way behind current police station site to be made available by council)
Various discussions and meetings have taken place over a period of time and has not even got to first base - And what is the overall benefit of a lane way?
Five Dock will need a multilevel car park, this should have been part of the overall plan. Kiss & Ride ??....... Please kiss my ........

Extending Fred Kelly Place and widening footpaths?- Someone must be having crazy dreams, the roadway is already one lane either way in most zones along Great North Road through the town centre, various people seem to forget it is a thoroughfare and NOT a boulevard.
Example I happened to be at the traffic lights on Great North Road opposite Fred Kelly Place probably about 20 to 24 months ago, where 2 cars had a minor collision (one parked car had pulled away from the kerb and collided with another vehicle travelling in the same direction). Both drivers got out of their respective cars and started arguing with each other not giving a rat's about the vehicles banking up on the road, I could see the intersection at Ramsay Rd was blocked and there was traffic banked up past the RSL club. The traffic problem happened very very quickly, and it was a Saturday afternoon around 1.30pm where the volume of traffic is lower than on say a weekday at that time.

Imagine someone with bad intentions what they could do.
Emergency services would have much difficulty in dealing with a scenario which involves gridlocked traffic due to the single lane issue, the council also must have budding botanists within as much of the centre of Great North Road have had plants installed with high concrete kerbs so that vehicles do not drive over them, let's not mention plantings along the kerbside in various areas that have taken away parking spots, as mentioned before Great North Rd is a main thoroughfare and not a boulevard, a copy of Majors Bay Road cannot be re-created here, but I digress.

An old fella once said to me 'DO IT ONCE and DO IT WELL'. A project of State significance should have this as the absolute top priority, shortcuts will save money now and will cost much more in the future to the detriment of all.
What legacy do YOU want to leave?

I am a Wonnarua man who has lived on Wangal Country in Concord for 30 years. I believe more can be done to acknowledge and commemorate that this always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

I believe that the station to be built at the corner of Burwood and Parramatta Roads at Concord East is a great opportunity to have a railway station named Wangal Station.

By naming this new station Wangal Station, this will spark the imagination of the public and provide greater understanding of the traditional owners of this great land. To have Wangal be used on maps, in the voice recordings for the stations and trains - this means that the Wangal people are thought of on a daily basis and the usage of the name is a common occurrence and part of the everyday life. Something not hidden away in history books in dusty libraries: it’s part of the vibrant modern landscape of Sydney.

It is my hope that the history of the Wangal people including their leader Bennelong is further enhanced as we move towards reconciliation and closing the gap.

This submission focuses only on Westmead.

(1) Integration with Parramatta Light Rail
The Parramatta Light Rail (PLR) terminus is not tightly integrated into the other modes of public transport at Westmead. Transferring passengers will be forced to cross Railway Parade and will be exposed to the elements. Imagine a worst case scenario, when two full trams (each with a capacity of 300 people) arrive within minutes of each other at the terminus, and all disembarking passengers wish to transfer to either a metro train or a standard train. Imagine further that it is pouring rain and that all 600 passengers have umbrellas. Imagine further that there are 600 passengers simultaneously heading from the trains to the (now empty) trams and waiting on the other side of Railway Parade. This will result in chaos on Railway Parade, and sooner or later, someone will be killed by a vehicle, even if traffic is quietened on Railway Parade.

I understand that the long term objective is to reduce and quieten traffic on Railway Parade and Hawkesbury Road and to encourage pedestrian activity. However, an instrument to achieve this should not be the forcing of transferring passengers onto the road - there are other ways to achieve traffic objectives. Moreover, surely pedestrians who are on or around Railway Parade should primarily be people who want to be there rather than people who are forced to pass through there. To solve this problem I propose that the underground concourse from the Sydney Trains platforms extend beneath Railway Parade to connect to the PLR terminus via a vestibule where the building at 27 Railway Parade currently stands. This property would be compulsorily acquired and demolished, with the vestibule on the ground floor of the building. Lifts and escalators in the vestibule would connect with the concourse. Passengers transferring from any one public transport mode to any other public transport mode would be able to do so safely, conveniently and comfortably in Westmead without crossing any roads and without exposure to the elements. There would be development opportunities (e.g., eateries, shops) in the remainder of the building at ground level (accessible from the vestibule), and other development opportunities above the vestibule.

(2) Commuter car parking
I understand that existing policy is averse to providing commuter car parking (park and ride facilities), the logic being that discouragement of the use of cars will result in greater use of public transport - i.e., that provision of commuter parking will actually discourage use of public transport. My view is that this logic is flawed and that the opposite outcome might well be achieved. Consider the following scenario: Parking stations on the Sydney Metro West line are well patronised. All of the cars parked here are probably commuters. Would closure of the parking station result in greater use of public transport, or less? Would any of those commuters currently parking at the station end up driving to their destination instead of taking a metro train, or would they be more encouraged to use public transport? I think the answers are clear.

(3) Traffic movements in relation to "kiss and ride"
Having no right turn onto Hawkesbury Road from Railway Parade will creating traffic movement problems in relation to "kiss and ride" facilities. Almost all cars dropping off or picking up passengers will enter Railway Pde. from Hawkesbury Rd., and it will be almost impossible for cars to get to the "kiss and ride" bays without U turns and other dangerous manoeuvering which WILL result in accidents. To address this, I propose a roundabout on Railway Parade at Central Avenue. To further avoid congestion, to ease traffic movements, and to enable kiss and ride for the PLR terminus without having dropped off passengers crossing the road, I propose that there be kiss and ride bays on both sides of Railway Parade (rather than just the southern side).

(4) Bus interchange
I propose that the design of the bus interchange on Alexandra Avenue be considered with a view to making the interchange convenient for passengers and convenient for bus movements. For example, consider mini platforms (similar to those at the bus interchange at Bondi Junction Railway Station), parallel to Alexandra Avenue, with two central lanes reserved for buses passing through without stopping. I am not convinced that this is the best design - I am merely suggesting that it be considered.

Amendment 2: Update the design to show the track form under Lancelot Street to be Type 3A (Isolated Slab Track)
Key concerns addressed by this amendment:
• Reduce the noise and vibration experienced by The Residents resulting from trains during operation of the Metro
Sydney Metro is proposing to use the Type 2 track form under Lancelot Street which reduces ground-borne vibration as trains pass along the track. The modelling from Sydney Metro shows that this track form reduces the predicted noise to 30-35 dBA which is marginally below the NSW Environment Protection Authority maximum of 35 dBA for residential properties.
Lancelot Street is a quiet street with low levels of ambient noise and very little road traffic. The Residents are concerned that models used to predict noise levels from ground-borne vibration, such as the model used by Sydney Metro, have inherent risk of inaccuracy, and designing the tunnels to be so close to the 35 dBA maximum would result in the sound levels exceeding 35 dBA. This would be noticeable to the residents in both daytime and night time. Of particular concern, is the model used by Sydney Metro do not appear to take into consideration the increase in noise resulting from dual tunnels under each property at close distance, and also the increase in noise levels as the train wheels and tracks start to wear, which could increase sound levels by up to 10 dBA each (ref Federal Transit Administration Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment Manual, FTA Report No. 0123, dated September 2018).
The modelling by Sydney Metro also showed the predicted ground-borne noise levels if the Type 3A track form was used. This would result in much more acceptable sound levels of 25-30 dBA.
The Residents call for the Type 3A track form as a minimum requirement to be used in the tunnels under Lancelot Street to ensure vibration and sound levels remain at an acceptable level both when the Metro becomes operational, and also in future when the train wheels and tracks start to wear.



Thank you

About us:
Sydney Fish Market is the largest investor, employer, and a major tourist attraction located in Blackwattle Way. The existing Sydney Fish Market is the largest market of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and the third-largest seafood market, in terms of variety traded, in the world. Sydney Fish Market sources product from NSW, nationally and from abroad and trades approximately 13,000 tonnes of seafood and 500 species annually.
The redevelopment of Sydney Fish Market is underway having been approved through a State Significant Development Application process in June 2020. This transformational project will be one of the largest public investments anywhere along Sydney Harbour, representing an investment of over $1 billion, including the land, the new building, and the facilities to be created adjacent to the current site. The new market will be a significant contributor to the NSW economy, supporting employment, industry, and tourism.
Sydney Fish Market will increasingly be a significant tourist attraction and is forecast to generate an additional 1.9 million visits within the first year of operation, rising to a total visitation of over 6 million within five years of the new site’s opening. These significant numbers are accommodated in the design of the market, together with general amenities and visitor parking.
We are strongly in favour of renewal within the Precinct including the necessary transport infrastructure needed to support our growth and the growth of the Precinct. We are therefore strongly in support of the Sydney Metro West rail project, including the neighboring Pyrmont Station on which this submission is focused.

Support for the Metro West Pyrmont Station:
The Sydney Metro Pyrmont Stop is a very welcome initiative as it will serve the dual benefits of creating rail access to the Precinct, as well as having stronger transit-oriented development outcomes at Blackwattle Bay. Given that the size of NSW Government investment in each new Metro station will be significant, it is extremely important that Sydney Fish Market is properly integrated into this transport outcome in order to maximise the benefits of that investment. Provided the nearby station is planned with appropriate connections to the new market, the number of visitors and tourists to the Market will be greatly increased and their experience enhanced, once the Metro is delivered. It is therefore imperative that strong pedestrian and cyclist connections to Sydney Fish Market from the new Metro station at Pyrmont are planned and built along with effective wayfinding.

Considerations during the Construction Phase:
Having reviewed the EIS for the Pyrmont Station, we note that there will be some impacts during the constructions stage including noise, traffic and visual amenity. Our view is that the long term benefits of the station outweigh these impacts. We would like to note that Sydney Fish Market receives high pedestrian traffic from Darling Harbour via Pyrmont Bridge Road and if there are to be temporary footpath closures along this route that appropriate alternative routes and wayfinding to the fish market must be catered for.
We also wish to also to make clear that it is imperative that all operations of the current Sydney Fish Market must remain uninterrupted during both the construction phase of the new Market, and any other construction or external works that may be performed in the surrounding areas, including the construction of the Metro West. Our activities are highly contingent on operational efficiencies, low level of impediments and speed to market.

Public transport network:
We note that the EIS references one ferry service in proximity to the Pyrmont Metro Stop (F4 Pyrmont Bay route via Pyrmont Bay wharf). We continue to advocate for the provision of a ferry service at the new fish market (which features a ferry wharf in its design). This additional ferry service will further serve to enhance the public transport network connecting with the Metro West and we urge Government to ensure that a new Sydney Fish Market Ferry stop is incorporated into Sydney’s public transport network.

Conclusion:
The Sydney Metro West Rail Infrastructure will be a transformative project for Sydney with the Pyrmont Station supporting the precinct’s role as a significant employment and entertainment destination. Sydney Fish Market is highly supportive of this project and it’s potential to support our growth as a major economic driver in the area.

Amendment 2: Update the design to show the track form under Lancelot Street to be Type 3A (Isolated Slab Track)

Key concerns addressed by this amendment:

· Reduce the noise and vibration experienced by The Residents resulting from trains during operation of the Metro

Sydney Metro is proposing to use the Type 2 track form under Lancelot Street which reduces ground-borne vibration as trains pass along the track. The modelling from Sydney Metro shows that this track form reduces the predicted noise to 30-35 dBA which is marginally below the NSW Environment Protection Authority maximum of 35 dBA for residential properties.

Lancelot Street is a quiet street with low levels of ambient noise and very little road traffic. The Residents are concerned that models used to predict noise levels from ground-borne vibration, such as the model used by Sydney Metro, have inherent risk of inaccuracy, and designing the tunnels to be so close to the 35 dBA maximum would result in the sound levels exceeding 35 dBA. This would be noticeable to the residents in both daytime and night time. Of particular concern, is the model used by Sydney Metro do not appear to take into consideration the increase in noise resulting from dual tunnels under each property at close distance, and also the increase in noise levels as the train wheels and tracks start to wear, which could increase sound levels by up to 10 dBA each (ref Federal Transit Administration Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment Manual, FTA Report No. 0123, dated September 2018).

The modelling by Sydney Metro also showed the predicted ground-borne noise levels if the Type 3A track form was used. This would result in much more acceptable sound levels of 25-30 dBA.

The Residents call for the Type 3A track form as a minimum requirement to be used in the tunnels under Lancelot Street to ensure vibration and sound levels remain at an acceptable level both when the Metro becomes operational, and also in future when the train wheels and tracks start to wear.


If you have any questions, please let us know.

Thank you
Anthony Musumeci
Lancelot St Resident

See attached submission

See attached PDF submission

Bike Leichhardt submits that the Metro West Station and Precinct is a destination for people who ride bikes but also a vital node in the local and inter-suburban bicycling network. High class cycleway infrastructure could provide a world leading attraction for the area, including Balmain and Rozelle and Annandale/ Leichhardt.

There are a number of important connections and routes that could be greatly improved to and through or past the Station. We realise some of these are “out of scope” but we hope that a whole of Government approach will be taken to enable these links, in particular in coordinating with the Bays West Masterplan.

These bicycle routes and connections are:

Connection to and from the City and Pyrmont via a refurbished Glebe Island Bridge. We envisage a direct route across Sommerville Road and via Solomons Rd or, maintaining height, to a point west of the silos, where it would join the path off the Anzac Bridge. Sommerville Rd could be trenched beneath the path level, to remove the need for a crissing. The cycleway could maintain height and connect to the Metro Station box above ground level;

Connection from the Station directly to James Craig Rd and Rozelle Bay via an underpass of the Anzac Bridge approach, as shown in the Vision 2040 diagram in the draft Bays West Strategy of 2021;

A connection from the station to and from Robert St in front of the Power Station. This could also be elevated to avoid precinct road crossings, in particular crossings of the Port Access and station access roads. A further elevated cycleway could run west on Robert St and cross Robert St at Victoria Rd, using the natural slopes of these roads, to link with the Victoria Rd cycleway. This would provide a better gradient, and remove the Robert St crossing, than the current path from Robert St along Victoria Rd to the connection to Anzac Bridge;

Connection to and from Railyard Park under Victoria Rd, to join the proposed cycleway to Lilyfield Rd.

We also hope that plentiful and easily accessible secure bicycle storage and parking will be provided for riders who will use the Metro, and for visitors to the precinct.

We also commend efforts at providing green corridors through the site, as proposed by the
Bays Eco-Futures Alliance.

I would like to make 3 contributions to the planning discussion relating to Sydney Metro West.

(i) In relation to the Pyrmont Metro station site:
- I support this proposal, however the connectivity of it can be substantially improved. This concerns both the links to the existing IWLR stops, and the walking catchment that incorporates the redeveloped Fish Markets and the proposed changes to the eastern shores of Blackwattle Bay.
In relation to the latter, I strongly recommend that detailed consideration be given to an underground (thus all-weather) walkway between the proposed site and the existing "Fish Market" light rail stop (the station may not retain this name). This could replicate that which has been constructed for Barangaroo, the "Wynyard Walk." It would also serve the proposed multi-storey developments on the eastern shore of Blackwattle Bay.

(ii) In relation to the Bays West Metro station:
- I support this proposal, however I want to highlight a tremendous missed opportunity for far greater connectivity that this project can provide.
The existing IWLR (Central to Dulwich Hill) and the open spaces of the [former] Rozelle Railyards affords the opportunity to expand the catchment of the Metro West project.
A diversion of the IWLR could very easily be constructed across a viaduct over the Citywest link at North Annandale (Rozelle Bay tram stop) into the parkland and through the underpass at Victoria Rd. This IWLR diversion could terminate at the Bays West metro station or it could continue on to the Cruise terminal at White Bay. This would enable many more persons to access the Bays West precinct via the IWLR across the inner west (and not limited to those already close to the Balmain peninsula). It would also serve the purpose of greatly increasing the number of services that could be run on the existing IWLR and alleviate overcrowding.

(iii) I support the connectivity and accessibility functions that the Metro West will serve. However there are other innovations that will greatly assist serving these purposes and these require further [detailed] investigation. There are missed opportunities in this project, and the NSW government must preserve the opportunity for a future Sydney to accommodate change. The builders of this project need to excavate station cavities in specific areas so as to accommodate these possible future needs.

Specifically, the distance between the Parramatta stop and the Olympic Park stop is very significant. Investigation should be given to significant station excavations in the locations of:
- Rosehill Gardens and James Ruse Drive;
- Silverwater/Newington near Silverwater Rd.

In a similar vein, consideration should also be given to a stop between the Bays Precinct and Fivedock. A metro station at Lilyfield, could serve Leichhardt Oval, the Bay Run and provide an interchange with the IWLR stop of Leichhardt North.

Refer to attached letter which provides Burwood Council's submission.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if there are any questions or issues with the attachment
Regards,
Rita Vella
Manager - City Planning

To improve the vibrancy of the area and connection to city and travel times. A living precinct, well connected to Sydney key employment and leisure destinations.

Please see attached a submission on behalf of Brookfield Properties regarding the development of Hunter Street (Sydney CBD) Station as part of Sydney Metro West.