Chris Minns is incompetent at budget managent and out of touch with the public.

A pipeline of rail projects is the cheapest way to build rail.

It means construction workers and engineers can take their experience from one project to another.

Meanwhile, decade-long gaps between projects means that experience is lost, so you have to retrain staff, and you need to bring in expensive international consultants.

And you need to dip into the labour pool for housing and construction to fill those roles, slowing down the construction of housing!

"As the city’s newest infrastructure offspring celebrated its first birthday this week, complete with cupcakes, balloons and trainspotters recreating its very first trip, adoration for the underground train system cannot be underestimated. The passenger numbers tell the story.

"Take the new Martin Place station. In 2024, forecasts predicted an average 15,600 passenger movements through its gates during each morning peak. By June this year, less than 12 months since it opened, that figure had already hit 17,200.

"Gadigal station, near Town Hall, boasts similar popularity. Daily passenger movements in the AM commuter rush have hit 9400, up from the forecast 7500. Other stations lag their expected numbers, including Crows Nest and Barangaroo, but there is no doubt that Sydney has fallen for the metro.

"Sydney Metro chief executive Peter Regan says the reason for higher-than-anticipated numbers is obvious. Metro trains offer faster trips than the heavy rail system from the north shore to the CBD.

"It is often standing room only, but that is the point. The metro is designed to move more people more quickly and more reliably than its older counterpart. Crowding is par for the course, as it is in every other major metro system around the world."

A large part of the catchment for Barangaroo is currently a vacant plot of land. As that urban development project continues, the numbers will definitely go up.

But this gets to the broader point: The people of Sydney have experienced what a modern metro is like, and they want more of them.

Chris Minns, an out-of-touch fool who thinks he'll win votes from talkback radio listeners by cosplaying as a fiscal conservative, is out of touch with the people.

The metro also opens up the possibility for more dense housing, which is something the state needs.

What's not mentioned in this article is that car-brained Chris wants to build another motorway tunnel under Sydney Harbour that will carry far fewer people than the metro, and also motorways up to the Northern Beaches.

"The answer depends on which political party you ask. The NSW Labor government, which has been able to bask in the glory of opening the biggest transport project in a generation, has ruled out building new metros beyond those under construction. Premier Chris Minns is unapologetic."

Chris Minns is to the right of the NSW Liberal Party. When you're a Labor Party premier and the Young Liberals have more abitious and progressive urban planning policies, it's time to really think about what you're doing in politics.

"Minns has also dashed any hopes of new stations for the under-construction Metro West [to Parramatta] having the same artistic flair that has given Sydney its first Instagrammable public transport project."

So he's not a social progressive, and he's a philistine.

Seriously, the progressive side of politics would be better off if this guy resigned.

"Similarly, the opposition has seized on Sydney’s love affair with the metro which was, after all, a Coalition project. On the day Sydney was wishing the metro a happy birthday, Opposition Leader Mark Speakman was declaring that the Coalition had “metro ambitions”, creating its most notable point of difference with the government to date."

Minns and his government should be deeply and existentially ashamed of their performance.

"The government could increase the frequency of the peak services to every three minutes, down from the current four, or it could add extra carriages. But those changes also come with considerable operating costs and this is a Labor government determined not to be a spendthrift."

The biggest op-ex for new trains is usually the driver and guard's salary. But these are driverless trains!

Most of the costs of additional services are upfront capital costs, rather than operational expernses.

And here's the thing: Capex and Opex becomes *cheaper* per passenger to operate as the number of passengers increases, which you accomplish through more frequent services.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/sydney-has-reached-peak-metro-is-it-all-downhill-from-here-20250820-p5moco.html

No paywall: https://archive.is/YrCPX

#auspol #train #trains #rail #rwailway #railways #metro #sydney #parramatta #nswpol

A heads up about an upcoming event for book lovers in NSW.

All Lit Up! Is an evening of true stories, told by Western Sydney writers.

It's being held as part of the Parramatta's Lit! literary festival and Sydney Fringe.

Tickets $25
11 September, 6pm
PHIVE, Parramatta Square

Full event details here: https://sydneyfringe.com/events/all-lit-up/

And more details about the Parramatta's Lit festival here: https://sydneyfringe.com/parramattas-lit/

"An evening of eye-opening, heartwarming and delightfully charming short stories read by six astounding (and brutally honest) Western Sydney writers.

"Get ready to be "All Lit Up!" by heartwarming and hilarious true stories from Western Sydney’s finest storytellers.

"Join us for an evening of eye-opening, heartwarming, and delightfully charming short stories read by astounding (and brutally honest) Western Sydney writers and performers.

"Expect laughter, tears and to be illuminated by poignant home-truths as these writers promise to offer a glimpse into their real-world realities — in all its beauty, absurdity and complexity.

"Meet Shondelle Pratt, an interdisciplinary artist, intimacy coordinator, director, choreographer, and actor whose work spans the UK, USA, and Australia. She brings her vast theatrical expertise to every story she tells. Find her at www.shondellepratt.com.

"Jelena Curic is a writer of literary fiction, crime, and comedy. Also known as the Croatian community’s resident Diva, she has performed across Australia for four decades and will debut her novel Sing to Me in September 2025 through WestWords Books.

"Paris Rosemont is a Thai-Australian poet and author of Banana Girl (2023) and Barefoot Poetess (2025). Widely published and awarded internationally, Paris’s performance poetry is a powerful force to be reckoned with on stages nationwide. Find her at www.parisrosemont.com.

"Linda Atkins is a medical practitioner and writer whose work appears in Australian Book Review, Inside Story, and Kill Your Darlings. Her pieces have been shortlisted for the Olga Masters Short Story Award and the Calibre Essay Prize.

"KT Major is a Singapore-born, Sydney-based award-winning writer of crime, thrillers, and literary fiction exploring cultural identity, humour, and darkness. Find her at www.ktmajor.com.

"Emceed by award-winning writer, playwright, and creative producer Augusta Supple, this special one night only Storytelling event is one you are guaranteed not to forget!"

#bookstodon #book #books #writing #nswpol #auspol #art #arts #literature #parramatta #sydney #author #authors #fiction

The SMH has an article about the massive Hunter St Sydney CBD station on the new Metro West line to Parramatta.

It will handle 4x the passengers of the existing Sydney Metro stations. It will link Wynyard and Martin Place stations:

"Entering Sydney’s largest underground rail cavern, you are struck by a mass of blue-coloured waterproof lining that covers its walls and ceiling. At 28 metres wide and 180 metres long, the size of the cavern built beneath the northern end of central Sydney for the $25.3 billion Metro West line is breathtaking.

"Yet what is not obvious is how close it comes to buildings, existing rail tunnels and critical power cables for the CBD. Illustrating the challenge for contractors, the top of the cavern sits just six metres below the foundations of a 169-year-old heritage hotel built from sandstone.

"Once opened in 2032, the Hunter Street metro station will become the hub for train travel in and out of the northern part of the CBD. It will connect existing heavy rail and metro stations at Martin Place to Wynyard, allowing people to switch between multiple lines without setting foot above ground.
...
"In comparison, the M1 line has four stations in the central city – Barangaroo, Martin Place, Gadigal and Central – which means passenger loads during the peak periods are spread, instead of concentrated on one.

"Initially, six-carriage driverless trains will run on the 24-kilometre line between Parramatta and the CBD every four minutes in each direction. However, the 180-metre-long stations on the Metro West line allow for trains as long as eight carriages to eventually be operated. “It’s designed very much to grow as a station,” Regan said.
...
"The forecast volume of passengers is such that Sydney Metro, a government agency, is considering widening a pedestrian link under George Street between Wynyard station and the western end of Hunter Street station.

"A direct pedestrian link will be built between the Hunter Street station concourse and the platform level at the existing Martin Place metro station. Importantly, passengers will not need to pass through ticket gates to walk between the two.

"Transport Minister John Graham said the station would be at the middle of an underground spiderweb of connections in the CBD. “It will open up direct connectivity to every metro line and every train line without ever having to go above ground to cross a street,” he said. “[It] is an engineering feat of which the numbers tell the story of its scale.”

"Sydney Metro expects to award a major contract within the next six months for the station construction and towers up to 60 storeys above. After Multiplex and Brookfield pulled out of the tender several months ago, the agency has been left with a single consortium comprising billionaire Justin Hemmes’ Merivale, property giants Lendlease and Mirvac, and Coombes Property."

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/how-an-underground-marvel-will-reshape-the-way-sydney-moves-20250811-p5mm4n.html

Non-paywall: https://archive.is/9MEWV

#rail #railway #railways #train #trains #urbanism #nswpol #auspol #sydney #nsw #parramatta

The Parramatta City Council has voted to create a Chinatown precinct, similar to the ones in Burwood or Haymarket, in the southern part of the Parra CBD: https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/this-sydney-council-wants-to-create-a-new-chinatown-it-s-not-where-you-expect-20250812-p5mmbq.html

Non-paywall link: https://archive.is/UDzt9

"Church Street in Parramatta is known for being the go-to spot for Eels fans before games kick off, its wide range of eateries and, now, the light rail. But on the south side of the street, next to Westfield Parramatta, the precinct is quiet."

Church St north of Parramatta station is pedestrianised, with a light rail down the middle.

It has Parramatta Town Hall/Phive, Parramatta Square, the river, the Riverside Theatre, and CommBank Stadium.

There's still a lot of development around the future metro station, and the former Culture Kings site, and nearby at the future Powerhouse Museum.

But it's generally a good urban space. People want to eat and spend time there.

Church St south of Parramatta station is s car street. It has the five storey Westfield Parramatta.

People don't want to spend time there, because it's s good place for cars, not people.

"'At the moment, it’s obviously looking a little bit more tired with less restaurants and shopping opportunities,' Parramatta Labor Councillor Michael Ng said."

That's an understatement. It's a dead zone.

While there are a couple of good cafés south of the train line (Circa, Miss Collins), they're on another street (Wentworth St) that has less through traffic.

"A new proposal from the City of Parramatta Council is hoping to change that.

"At a meeting on Monday night, the council supported a motion, moved by Ng, to explore developing a Chinatown precinct along Church Street, between Fitzwilliam and Campbell streets. The next step is community consultation.

"The proposal envisions a distinctive destination for visitors, one that would reflect Parramatta’s multicultural identity and support local businesses.

"Ng said the southern end of the CBD has always had a history of Chinese businesses, but it has experienced a decline with many shops closing down in recent years. He believes the council can reactivate the precinct by turning it into Parramatta’s own Chinatown.

"'We can see across Sydney, in Burwood, in Fairfield, in Cabramatta, these precincts bring communities and bring people. And what we’re looking for is hoping to attract more young people to come to Parramatta,' he said."

It's a fantastic idea.

The Chinatown precinct in Burwood is amazing. There's lots of restaurants, small food stalls, themed bars, and a night market on Thursday to Sunday night.

Something like that in Parra would be great.

What I'd strongly suggest they do is extend the pedestrianised area further south in the short term, and extend the light rail south in the medium term.

In turn, the pedestrianised street would be a great place to put more outdoor seating for restaurants, as well as a night market.

#nswpol #auspol #Sydney #Parramatta #nsw #Australia #Urbanism #UrbanPlanning