The highly anticipated Sydney Metro City line is officially up and running, and it’s already transforming the way Sydneysiders navigate the city. This exciting leap forward in public transport infrastructure introduces six new stations from Chatswood to Sydenham. Surpassing 1 million riders within just five days of opening, it’s safe to say the new line is an instant hit. We at Robert Bird Group (RBG) are proud to have played a pivotal role in the epic eight-year journey from holes in the ground to state-of-the-art stations, providing comprehensive design and advisory services from Stage 1 through to construction across all sites.
“It’s a real pleasure to see those stations being opened and starting to contribute to the community.” – Jody Cradock
Our involvement was multifaceted, with a particular focus on the final structural design of two key stations: Waterloo and Crows Nest. These stations each demanded the expertise of approximately 50 RBG engineers, who collectively invested over 65,000 hours of hard work to bring the vision to life. The team also provided temporary works and construction engineering expertise for several other stations, including Sydenham, Central, Gadigal, and Victoria Cross, as well as for the Sydney Metro City & Southwest Tunnel and Station Excavation.
The People Who Made It Possible
We sat down with some of the key figures at RBG behind this monumental project to hear their thoughts on the process. One recurring theme? An overwhelming sense of pride in what they’ve accomplished, from the innovative engineering solutions to the lasting legacy they’ve created. Eight years later, seeing the stations fully operational, to the delight of Sydney residents and visitors alike, is an immensely rewarding moment for those who have worked tirelessly to make it all possible. Another key achievement that many touched on was the exemplary teamwork from everyone involved in this vast, ambitious project. A diverse set of professionals with unique skills and perspectives all worked in unison to bring the Metro City line to fruition.
“When I joined the project, it was really good to see how everyone was working well together, whether it was project managers, client, contractor, and specialist consultants. It was a big multidisciplinary team, driven by a collective purpose to support Sydney Metro.” – Matt Orford
The Challenges of COVID-19
Ross Whiteside, Senior Associate and team leader of the RBG Sydney Infrastructure division, recalls the arrival of COVID-19 as one of the greatest challenges this ambitious project encountered. The first major hurdle of the pandemic arose when the Crows Nest’s for-construction design had to be completed just as Sydney plunged into a full lockdown in 2020. With offices suddenly abandoned during a critical stage, RBG’s design team quickly adapted to remote working and delivered the design from home without missing a beat – an impressive achievement under difficult circumstances. That, of course, wasn’t the end of the obstacles created by the restrictions. Construction at Waterloo and Crows Nest continued throughout the lockdowns, requiring the project team to navigate a whole new set of complex rules and regulations to ensure that work progressed smoothly.
“Personally, working on such a technically demanding project with many construction challenges has been fantastic for my personal and professional development” – Ross Whiteside
Future Expansion
Looking ahead, the success of the Sydney Metro City line lays the foundations for future metro projects in Sydney. The lessons learned from this project, particularly in terms of quality, safety, and longevity, will be invaluable in shaping these future developments. Here at RBG, we’re hugely excited about the prospect of Sydney’s Metro Line growing over the coming years, further benefitting communities in Sydney and making their city even more accessible. With our proven track record in delivering complex infrastructure projects and our successful work on the Metro City project, we’re well-positioned to continue contributing to Sydney’s transport network of the future and can’t wait to see what the future holds.
“What really excites me about this stage of the Metro opening is that it’s the first metro line connecting people through the centre of Sydney, and what I’m hoping it does is fuel Sydney’s desire to expand the network.” – George Andrianakos