Western Sydney Airport (WSI) Discussion

[moa999]

They could have bored from WSI to SYD (Kingsford Smith) and name it M7.

I don't get the focus some have on connecting the two airports. It's simply not justified. Transferring pax are relatively low versus other demand sources and generally have the choice to book from via the same airport.
It would be well down the list of locations that WSI wanted to prioritise low travel times from.

Even in Tokyo which for many years (thankfully no longer) had an international/ domestic focus between Narita and Haneda they didn't build a direct train line.

 

[SeatBackForward]

In the leaked grand plans, there are plans to extend (or convert) the leppington heavy rail line to WSI, an extension of the (under construction) western Metro line (the CBD - Parramatta line) to WSI but there are no timelines for any of those. Just identified as future expansions.

The WSI Metro uses different power systems and different trainsets to the other Metro lines in Sydney, making them compatible would be another exercise of itself.. Yes, it's that bad.

 

[moa999]

The WSI Metro uses different power systems and different trainsets to the other Metro lines in Sydney, ...Yes, it's that bad.

More just a function of the time when the systems were constructed and the time and cost it would take to convert.

When the Sydney system was electrified 100yrs ago (1920s and 30s) DC power was cheaper and more reliable ergo 1500V DC on the trains network.

The far more modern under construction WSI Metro and WS Metro use 25,000V AC.
Unfortunately they decided to stick with 1500V DC for the first Metro because they were reusing old sections (Chatswood- Epping and Sydenham-Bamkstown). Ultimately they ended up replacing most of the power infrastructure on the Bankstown section so it probably would have been cheaper to go AC in the first place.

And it doesn't really matter given the Metros by design are completely separate to increase reliability.

 

[SeatBackForward]

FWIW, here's the interior of the WSI metro trains from a mockup last year:

 

[SeatBackForward]

And it doesn't really matter given the Metros by design are completely separate to increase reliability.

Agreed, but they could very well have maintained that separation by simply having multiple platforms at the WSI station to service another line to connect to Westmead. Customers aren't concerned with trainsets and power systems - they just want trains to get them where they want to go.

 

[moa999]

The WSI Airport Master Plan contains space for a future second set of platforms.

Just not justified today, particularly when SYD Airport only has one train line and will probably have 10x the number of pax as WSI. The WSI Airport Metro will have capacity for a long time.

And the current government dropped the business case study for an extension of Metro West, preferring other options such as North and South extensions of the WSI Airport Metro.

 

[SeatBackForward]

The WSI Airport Master Plan contains space for a future second set of platforms.

They're marked as one set for "M" and one set for "T". Although, I'm sure it doesn't make much difference. "T" would only be significant if it were dedicated to HSR - but I'm highly confident our ministers haven't that much foresight.

 

[elanshin]

And the current government dropped the business case study for an extension of Metro West, preferring other options such as North and South extensions of the WSI Airport Metro.

I believe this is quietly back on the grand plans. Just not an imminent project nor one we can expect any time soon. As I mentioned, the leaked internal master plans has a potential line cutting straight west (sw) from Westmead towwrds WSI. It'd also act as a nice transport option for that area which is also a PT black hole.

 

[moa999]

Charity runway run/walk on 26 April.

Home - Runway Run

runwayrun.com.au

 

[Saab34]

So which subsidiary is QF using for these WSI flights? Alliance seems unlikely after today’s news. NJS likely won’t have the aircraft unless the are using crews being based at other capitals and fly in and out everyday with no aircraft based at the airport

 

[clifford]

So which subsidiary is QF using for these WSI flights? Alliance seems unlikely after today’s news. NJS likely won’t have the aircraft unless the are using crews being based at other capitals and fly in and out everyday with no aircraft based at the airport

QF doesn't seem to be too keen to wholeheartedly jump on the WSI bandwagon (but who does?). Perhaps they've had a little pressure applied by the Feds and NSW Govt.

It's an (expensive) airport (without decent transport links) that we didn't need to have. Ask Paul Keating....

 

[elanshin]

Moved to next phase and has timelines now. 2028 to potentially start, 2037 for central coast leg, 2039 for Sydney Central, 2042 for WSI.

 

[SCM]

Total meme project, will never happen.

 

[SYD]

Total meme project, will never happen.

Something has to. The existing corridor is near capacity already.

The decentralisation argument is compelling but the timeline won’t do anything for housing affordability for decades. Mind you, expect properties near the proposed stations to skyrocket if it gets 2nd pass approval after this detailed study phase.

 

[SCM]

Something has to. The existing corridor is near capacity already.

The decentralisation argument is compelling but the timeline won’t do anything for housing affordability for decades. Mind you, expect properties near the proposed stations to skyrocket if it gets 2nd pass approval after this detailed study phase.

Have you driven in Sydney lately, everything is at capacity gridlock, has been for a decade. The greater Sydney area is way beyond infrastructure capacity.

The solution is remigration and removing people from the area. No amount of infrastructure built in this country can ever keep up, if you say it's at capacity now, I doubt people can wait 25 years for this to finish.

 

[elanshin]

Have you driven in Sydney lately, everything is at capacity gridlock, has been for a decade. The greater Sydney area is way beyond infrastructure capacity.

The solution is remigration and removing people from the area. No amount of infrastructure built in this country can ever keep up, if you say it's at capacity now, I doubt people can wait 25 years for this to finish.

Proper PT infrastructure is how you fix traffic issues.

 

[Aeryn]

IMO fast tracking completion of the metro lines like the new one from Olympic Park to City via Inner West which actually provides PT for people living in the higher density parts of Sydney will do more to get cars off road than providing PT from regional areas.

Sydney is prefect for tunnels, we should have had metro/subway in inner west, eastern suburbs (instead of trams) and lower north shore decades ago. London and New York have had them for a century.

 

[wandering_fred]

If TPTB do not start planning for fifty years out by reserving the high(er) speed rail line corridors (no intersections with other traffic), future generations will not have the ability to have in country wandering.
Fred

 

[Aeryn]

Already too late for those corridors, greater Sydney has sprawled right up to the central coast and Newcastle, so unless they tunnel they will need to buy up large parcels of land making a lot of people homeless.

 

[SYD]

Already too late for those corridors, greater Sydney has sprawled right up to the central coast and Newcastle, so unless they tunnel they will need to buy up large parcels of land making a lot of people homeless.

And that’s why the current plan is tunnels. Lots of tunnels. Lots of very long tunnels. Which actually limit the max speed but still orders of magnitude faster than the current trains winding their way around the Hawkesbury.