Sydney Metro Northwest

Sydney Metro Northwest
Sydney metropolitan rail area, with Sydney Metro Northwest alignment highlighted in green
Overview
Type	Rapid transit line
System	Sydney Metro
Status	Under construction
Locale	Sydney, Australia
Stations	13 (10 new stations)
Operation
Opened	2019 (projected)
Owner	Transport for NSW
Events
Announced	November 1998
Cancelled	October 2008
Re-announced	February 2010
Technical
Line length	36 km (22 mi)

Sydney Metro Northwest is a current project by the Government of New South Wales for a rapid transit link to the north-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Presently under construction, the Northwest Metro is being managed by Transport for New South Wales and is proposed to connect Rouse Hill to Chatswood via Castle Hill and Epping.

Prior to June 2015, the project was known as the North West Rail Link (NWRL). Originally, North West Rail Link was meant to cover the section between Epping and Rouse Hill. By June 2015, the "North West Rail Link" covered the route of the original NWRL and the Epping to Chatswood railway line between Epping and Chatswood, which will be converted to rapid transit standards. In June 2015, it was announced that the entire project would be renamed the Sydney Metro Northwest, the first stage of the forthcoming Sydney Metro system.

Planning for the original North West Rail Link was a long and complex affair. The line was announced, cancelled and re-announced several times beginning in the 1990s. There were differing plans as to how the line would integrate into the rest of Sydney's transport system. The following proposals were endorsed at one time or another by the government:

The North West Rail Link was originally announced on 23 November 1998 by the then-Transport Minister in the Carr Government, Carl Scully, and was part of an $2.6 billion package of eight major rail projects due for construction by 2010 dubbed the Action for Transport 2010. At the time, the proposal was for a $360 million heavy rail connection from Epping to Castle Hill, with potential extension to Mungerie Park and Rouse Hill after 2010.

Delays in 2000 by the Carr Government in releasing a draft report on the proposal led to concern about the viability of the proposed route. This led to a deadlock between the State Government and Baulkham Hills Shire Council regarding construction of the $200 million Mungerie Park industrial and residential development at Kellyville. On 5 June 2000 the Council voted to defer planning approval for the Mungerie Park development until the State Government demonstrated a commitment to improve local transport infrastructure, which included building the North West rail link. In response, the State Government threatened to remove the Council's planning powers for the Rouse Hill Development Area if planning approval was not granted. Member for the then-State electorate of The Hills, Michael Richardson, submitted a Freedom of Information request for the draft report on 3 November 2000. The State Government had not responded to the request by 13 December 2000, well beyond the 21-day response limit, leading to accusations that the Government was trying to hide something. The State Government formally rejected the Freedom of Information request on 9 January 2001, despite acknowledging that release of the report would be in the public interest. As a result, the NSW Ombudsman began an investigation into NSW Transport's refusal to release the report.