Italian Prime Minister visits construction site

Mr Baird and Ms Berejiklian also welcomed Italian Ambassador to Australia, Pier Francesco Zazo, to the Kellyville construction site where Italian-based consortium Salini Impregilo is building the $340 million skytrain.

Mr Baird said it was great to see work well underway on the skytrain project, which is already supporting more than 170 local jobs, with another 75 workers to be recruited as construction ramps up over the coming months.“It is a great honour to welcome the Italian Prime Minister here to Kellyville where we’ve got the best from across Australia and around the world working on the impressive skytrain which will stretch four kilometres from Bella Vista to Rouse Hill,” Mr Baird said.

“The NSW Government is thrilled the Italian Prime Minister appreciates the North West Rail Link for the significant project that it is. “It’s full steam ahead on the North West Rail Link and the community couldn’t be happier that after 16 years of Labor’s broken promises, this government is getting on with the job of building a state-of-the-art rapid transit network.

"There are now 13 construction sites in full swing along the route and three tunnel boring machines are currently underground digging Australia's longest tunnels from Bella Vista to Epping as we work flat-out to open the train line for customers in the first half of 2019."

Ms Berejiklian said as well as getting a first-look at the final design of the skytrain columns, she was also pleased to release new designs for Kellyville Station for the community to see, one of eight new North West railway stations under construction.

Image 1:The first of two gantries that will build the 4 kilometre skytrain between Bella Vista and Rouse Hill,
Image 2: The first skytrain test pier unveiled.
Image 3: Artists' impression of Kellyville station.

"Kellyville station will be built on the elevated skytrain, complete with state-of-the-art platform screen doors, lifts and 1,200 new commuter car parking spaces for customers,” Ms Berejiklian said. “Rapid transit will transform the way of life for people in the North West and it’s fantastic that residents are able to see the features and designs of their local stations taking shape. 

“The NSW Government has made it clear that if we receive a mandate next March, the Rapid Transit network will be fast-tracked under Sydney Harbour through the CBD and west to Bankstown, unblocking major bottlenecks in the city and allowing up to 60 per cent more trains every hour across the train network.”

Skytrain facts:

• There will be a total of 121 piers on the four kilometre skytrain
• It takes 28 cubic metres of concrete to build a column
• It takes 58 cubic metres of concrete to build a total pier
• $340 million skytrain contract awarded on schedule in December 2013 and expected to be completed in 2017
• Work includes four kilometre skytrain between Bella Vista and Rouse Hill, a 270 metre landmark cable-stayed rail bridge over Windsor Road similar in design to Sydney’s Anzac Bridge and a further 2 kilometre of associated surface civil construction works and railway embankments.
• Average skytrain height 9 metres and 13 metres high at Kellyville
• Windsor Road bridge is the first cable-stayed railway bridge on a curve built in Australia.

 Kellyville Station facts:

• Along with Rouse Hill Station, it is one of two stations on the skytrain
• 1,200 commuter car parking spaces, the most of any North West Rail Link station
• 4 bus bays and 4 taxi spaces
• 10 kiss-and-ride spaces
• Parking and storage for 45 bicycles.