Once-in-a-Century Upgrade Breathes New Life into Sydney Metro’s Central Station

Sydney Metro is Australia’s biggest infrastructure project. When complete, Sydney will have 31 metro stations and more than 66 kilometres of new metro rail delivering a world-class transport solution for a global city. Serving 96 percent of Sydney’s train services, Central Station forms the backbone of the entire rail network. The upgrade has the capacity to accommodate 40,000 metro passengers every hour – a 60 percent increase on current capacity.

This once-in-a-century upgrade has been delivered by Laing O’Rourke and designed by Woods Bagot in collaboration with John McAslan Partners.

Woods Bagot Principal and Transport Lead John Prentice says, “The design vision and approach place the customer experience at the centre of the transformation.”

“The implementation of open spaces such as the new Northern Concourse roof and finishes, and Central Walk significantly improves circulation and station legibility, resulting in a station design that is easy and intuitive for all customers, irrespective of the mode of travel used.”

“The new metro and concourse insertions are designed to be purposeful, functional, and sculpturally rich to complement the historic qualities of the original station. The selection of materials establishes the proposals into their local context and provides a civic quality to the new station works,” Prentice adds.

The centerpiece of the upgrade is the construction of two new metro platforms, strategically positioned beneath existing Intercity platforms 13 and 14. This addition creates a crucial interchange, linking the new metro with existing suburban, intercity, and regional rail services.

Another key feature of the upgrade is the new Central Walk, a 19-metre-wide underground concourse designed to ease congestion and improve pedestrian flow. The walkway connects Chalmers Street and the Sydney Light Rail directly to the new metro platforms as well as providing easier access to platforms 16-23. Central Walk includes the installation of escalators and lift access to the Suburban platforms for the first time.

Global Design Director Domenic Alvaro says, “The elemental and material choices for Central are anchored by a deep nostalgia for Sydney’s history. The seamless commuter experience made possible by people-centric design rivals iconic train stations in major cities around the world – creating a station Sydney (and Australia) deserves.”

Unifying the station upgrade is the new North-South Concourse and refurbished Northern Concourse. It replaces dark pedestrian tunnels with a light-filled public room in the tradition of the world’s great train halls. New connections dramatically improve orientation and navigation for users and permeability between the surrounding precincts is enhanced.

Director of McAslan + Partners’ Sydney studio, Troy Uleman, says, “The reimagined Northern Concourse has created a new heart for Central that respects the station’s existing Edwardian architecture. The new roof sensitively intersects and contrasts with the heritage sandstone buildings whilst kite-shaped skylights create a unique sense of place.”

Through clever design and industry collaboration, the new Central Station Metro has achieved a 6-Star Green Star Design and As Built rating certification. The refurbished station above has achieved a Leading Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) rating.

The new metro offers significantly reduced travel times through its driverless train network, with a 4-minute trip to Martin Place, 9 minutes to North Sydney and just 15 minutes to Chatswood from Central Station.

The Central Station upgrade is part of the broader Sydney Metro project, Australia’s biggest public transport project. The total investment in the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project metro is up to $21.6 billion, underscoring the NSW Government’s commitment to modernising Sydney’s transport network.

More information: woodsbagot.com