THOUGHT

LEADERSHIP

MASTER 

PLANNING

TRANSPORT

INTEGRATION

BICYCLE

SYSTEMS

WALKABILITY

RAIL/METRO

ROLE:  Urban Design Director

CLIENT:  Thought Leadership


Over a six-month period, WW+P, led by David, undertook a research project to consider the Sydney region looking ahead to 2040 and beyond and test the regional and city-shaping importance of fast rail. This work considered anticipated growth, regional opportunities, urban typologies, and ultimately, where a new central station could go.

By 2060, the Sydney metro region will have a population of about 9 million, and this growth continues. In 2080 we will see an additional 5.1 million in the region - equivalent to 1.1 additional current Sydneys! To meet this challenge, we explored building fast rail today starting from Parramatta and connecting to gateway cities - thus reinforcing to the vision of a 30-minute city, with stage two progressively connecting the regions, allowing catalytic change and ultimately a more sustainable and liveable mega-region.

Images: Weston Williamson

Angle Up Analysing high-speed options at four scales.

“International experience has demonstrated that fast rail networks can be delivered in stages. Each stage delivers immediate benefits while stepping closer to the game-changing vision. We will start delivering improvements that step us towards the vision for a fast rail future.”

A Fast Rail Future for NSW, 2019

Angle Up Sydney is expected to grow to above 11 million people by 2080. Where will everyone live?

Angle Up As a reference point - in 2080 we would need to add 1.1x Sydneys to accommodate the additional 5.82 million people.

Angle Up Twelve options were considered for routes out of Sydney and adressing the four current rail routes serving the regions.

We considered 12 route options to serve the larger metropolitan region, assuming the ultimate destination will be Brisbane and Melbourne. The premise was first to build a system to improve how the region works, improving access to more affordable housing options and universal access to jobs.

Each route was assessed, and below are some of our top-rated routes. The route assessment considered the sub-routes and then combined them into logical sets of routes. For example, the route to Newcastle had the following three options:

  • Parramatta to Newcastle vis Monavale following the coast and going under Broken Bay to Gosford
  • Parramatta to Newcastle via Hornsby - the base case from earlier route studies
  • Parramatta to Newcastle via Norwest - a more westerly route similar to the future M9 corridor (Outer Sydney Orbital)
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Angle Up Multi-criteria assessment of the 12 routes considered.

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Angle Up Each route was designed ask and answer a series of questions.

In the option diagram and map presented here, we wanted see if you could service all four destinations (Newcastle, Wollongong, Canberra and Orange) with just two routes out of Sydney. The premise being, if you are able to travel at 300-350km/h, then the relatively small devation would not add any signifcant time to the journey.

This option also considered the creation of an expanded inland metro-region linking Orange and Canberra together.

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Angle Up Staged to first provide a super rapid metropolian system, which then expands to serve the regions and then ultimately connecting to interstate destinations.

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Angle Up Staged to first provide a super rapid metropolian system, which then expands to serve the regions and then ultimately connecting to interstate destinations.

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Angle Up We also considered the different types of urban typologies evolving from the implementaton of Fast Rail.

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Angle Up Sketch study of locating a new high-speed rail station in Camelia, between Parramatta and Olympic Park.

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We respect and learn from their cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters, sky, and communities and their enduring contributions.

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