Tunnelling for the North West Rail Link commenced in June 2013; and the contract for the
viaducts west of Bella Vista was awarded in December 2013. When completed, the rail
service would be the first Australian fully automated rail system linking Sydney’s north-west (Cudgegong Road west of Rouse Hill) to the Sydney CBD. The existing rail from Epping to Chatswood will be upgraded to accommodate the new rapid transit service. Extension of the rapid transit system to new Sydney CBD stations in the future would be via a second Harbour crossing, which would also be linked to the Bankstown to Hurstville and Illawarra
lines.
The North West Rail Link Project consists of three (3) major contracts:
1. Tunnels and Station Civil Works, which involves the building of 15km of twin-tunnels from Bella Vista and Epping.
2. Surface and Viaduct Civil Works, which involves the construction of elevated tracks and a bridge between Bella Vista and Cudgegong Road.
3. Operations, Trains and Systems, which involves the building of stations and associated car parks, supplying the trains, installing the tracks and upgrading the Epping to Chatswood rail link to accommodate the new rapid transit system.
The proposed rapid transit system will be integrated with the existing Suburban Rail Network and the InterCity Regional Network. When completed, the rapid transit system will deliver driverless trains at 5 minute intervals (during peak times). There will be 8 new railway stations between Cudgegong Road and Epping; and 4,000 commuter car parking spaces at these new stations. Travel time from Cudgegong Road to Chatswood (which would operate as a rail interchange) is expected to be 37 minutes; and from Cudgegong Road to Wynyard 57 minutes.
Detailed information about the project may be accessed from the website:
www.northwestrail.com.au .
Chatswood West Ward History 
From a concerned resident:
CHATSWOOD STATION AND THE NORTH WEST RAIL EXPANSION
The Hon.Gladys Berejiklian MP
Member for Willoughby and Minister for Transport
1. I visited China in 2007 and used the driverless train with few seats outside Beijing. I believe it was a separate and privatised line. It was quite a distance to walk to the main line intercity connection. I have been against this concept ever since.
2. The underground rail link to Epping from Chatswood took a long time to complete debugged. Therefore this sunk investment built to last for the 21st century should not be tampered with. The idea of closing this double decker Sydney rail network link for seven months will be hugely unpopular.
3. A much more cost efficient approach would be to make Epping Station the starting point to Rouse Hill for the single decker if that concept cannot be derailed.
4. Discussion at the Progress Association suggested that bus routes to Blacktown from Rouse Hill area would be better than a five minute service by the new train to Chatswood.
5. Population growth requires several needs – transport being one of the needs. Chatswood station was rebuilt by CityRail but the platform is narrow, and not ideal, rather like Town Hall station. The proposed two gauge system for Chatswood would overcrowd the platform at peak hour. I went to school by the Hornsby train in the 1950’s. In the 1960’s Hurstville station air space was developed with a bus interchange. It was ahead of its time. Chatswood transport planners learnt nothing from the Hurstville experiment. The late John Dunn, railway consultant, was a friend of mine. Your Transport department needs to get the best outcome or the users will not be happy.
6. Spend the State Government’s money and political capital wisely.
7. Actions speak louder than words.
8. Best wishes,
From a reader: TRAIN VISION 2012 TO 2032
The NSW Transport and Road alerted me to their big picture objectives. Hon Ray Williams MP Hawkesbury offered his reply to me as Government went into caretaker mode to my letters from 13 December 2014 to Member for Willoughby Gladys Berejiklian and the Premier ML15/01092. Regardless of completed double deck heavy rail loops such as completed 2010 Chatswood to Hornsby via Epping – the way ahead is for the exclusive use of single deck. Therefore fanfare for Rouse Hill to Chatswood Project requiring seven months of disruption as Chatswood platform is redesigned and the wiring is removed and replaced 2018-2019. There will be bus gridlock on the west side of Chatswood station to the Pacific Highway. This planned downgrade surely must be an election issue in Willoughby. Is it right to trash a Labor party achievement when the money for the Epping to Chatswood Fitout could have been applied elsewhere? Surely the Rouse Hill project [NWRL]should terminate at Epping? I used the feeder line as envisaged in outer Beijing, China in 2007. Seventy per cent of passengers must stand. General infrastructure in Sydney does not keep pace with population increase therefore to stand up all the way from Rouse Hill to Chatswood or later by the Chunnel to Sydney Harbour Southside is a very bad idea and I will vote accordingly.