Project Evaluation Summary: Sydney Metro City and Southwest
The Sydney Metro City & Southwest is a 30.5 km metro rail project extending from Chatswood to Bankstown, including new underground stations and a second harbour rail crossing.
Aimed at relieving CBD rail congestion, it is projected to boost network capacity by 60% by 2036. Infrastructure Australia rated it a High Priority Project, citing strong economic justification: a base benefit–cost ratio (BCR) of 1.3, increasing to 1.7 with wider economic and city-shaping benefits.
The project is expected to mitigate $2 billion in annual lost economic benefits due to network constraints. With NSW and Commonwealth funding (including $1.7 billion under the Asset Recycling Initiative), the project is under phased delivery and benefits from lessons learned from Sydney Metro Northwest.
