The documents, obtained after a request by deputy Liberal leader Natalie Ward, describe Schofields as the “optimal interchange location”, citing the technical difficulty of retro‑fitting a new station at Tallawong on the existing M1 metro line.
A ministerial briefing outlines a scenario in which extensions of the Northwest and Western Sydney Airport metros would converge at Schofields, creating a single point where passengers could transfer between the two metro services and the T1 Richmond heavy‑rail line.
The briefing also notes that delivering the dual‑metro connection at Schofields would be complicated by the need to vary separate public‑private partnership arrangements for the M1 line and the under‑construction Western Sydney Airport metro corridor.
Early feasibility work considered a “first stage from Schofields to Tallawong” and examined the suitability of a protected transport corridor between Tallawong and Marsden Park, indicating that planners have been evaluating the corridor for several years.
The NSW government is allocating up to $40 million to complete the final business case for a metro extension from St Marys to Tallawong, while the state and Commonwealth are jointly funding a $100 million business case to explore south‑bound extensions from the new Bradfield hub toward Leppington, Glenfield, Campbelltown and the broader Macarthur region.
Transport Minister John Graham declined to comment on the specific interchange proposal but confirmed that the final business cases for both northern and southern extensions are “largely complete” and are expected to be tabled for government decision before the end of the year.
A highly confidential 2023 review, led by former federal infrastructure secretary Mike Mrdak, recommended up to $4 billion a year for metro expansion over a 25‑year horizon, including a $2.3 billion Bradfield‑to‑Bradfield South link by 2032, a $4.6 billion heavy‑rail extension from Leppington to Bradfield South by 2033, a $9.6 billion northern airport‑metro extension from St Marys to Schofields by 2037, and a further $3.2 billion to extend the M1 line from Tallawong to Schofields by 2039.
Construction of the 23‑kilometre metro line between Bradfield and St Marys, slated for opening this year, has been delayed by about 18 months after a dispute with the lead contractor. Graham said the government is prioritising the protection of taxpayer money while it works to resolve the commercial issues.