Working with John McAslan + Partners, Woods Bagot has led a project to increase capacity at Sydney’s main rail hub
Woods Bagot has completed a major upgrade of Sydney Central Station, including the introduction of a new metro station. The project is a collaboration with John McAslan + Partners whose work focussed on a new main entrance sequence for the station with a distinctive 50m span vaulted roof.
The existing station supports 96 percent of Sydney’s train services and sits at the heart of the city-region’s entire rail network. The new metro station has been integrated into the existing early 20th-century station building.
A spacious, top-lit hall serves as the new Northern Concourse, and a vaulted roof allows natural light to flow through the interchange.
At the heart of the upgrade is the construction of two new metro platforms, located beneath the existing Intercity platforms 13 and 14. This establishes a connection between the new Metro line and the existing suburban, intercity, and regional rail services.
The upgrade now enables the station to handle 40,000 metro passengers per hour, representing a 60 percent increase over the current capacity.
Woods Bagot principal and transport lead John Prentice said, “The design vision and approach place the customer experience at the centre of the transformation.
“The new metro and concourse insertions are designed to be purposeful, functional, and sculpturally rich to complement the historic qualities of the original station. The selection of materials integrates the proposals into their local context and provides a civic quality to the new station works,” Prentice added.
The practice collaborated with John McAslan + Partners on a new Northern Concourse for the station, which transforms what was previously a maze of pedestrian tunnels into a bright, open public space. The redesign is intended to significantly improve user orientation and navigation while also enhancing connectivity between the surrounding areas.
Director of McAslan’s Sydney studio, Troy Uleman, said, “The reimagined Northern Concourse has created a new heart for Central that respects the station’s existing Edwardian architecture. The new roof sensitively intersects and contrasts with the heritage sandstone buildings, while kite-shaped skylights create a unique sense of place.”
The Central Station upgrade is part of the larger Sydney Metro project, Australia’s biggest public transport infrastructure initiative, with an anticipated budget in excess of AU$20 billion.
When the current phase of expansion is completed, the network will have 31 stations and 66 km of track.
>> Also read: John McAslan + Partners completes new Sydney metro station
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