Webuild halts night and weekend work on Sydney Metro West as cost dispute threatens $11bn project

Key facts

• Webuild halted all night and weekend work on the $11 billion Western Sydney Airport Metro project since Friday.
• More than 1,200 members of the public will walk 1.3 km from Bays West to Pyrmont station boxes on the Metro West line.
• The final tunnel boring machine on Metro West broke through into Hunter Street station cavern in February.
• Total tunnelling across all Sydney Metro projects since 2014 has reached 128 kilometres.
• The NSW Government awarded $11.5 billion in contracts in December for track, rail systems, stations, tunnel fit-out, and train fleet.
• Metro West is scheduled to open in 2032, with travel times: Pyrmont to Parramatta in 18 minutes, Bays to Hunter Street in 4 minutes.
• The project is expected to enable up to 18,000 homes around Burwood North and North Strathfield stations, and up to 15,000 around Sydney Olympic Park.

Work slashed at Western Sydney Airport Metro amid cost dispute

Italian infrastructure giant Webuild has dramatically scaled back work on the $11 billion Western Sydney Airport Metro line, cutting all night and weekend shifts since Friday. The move comes as a dispute with the NSW government over billions of dollars in extra costs escalates, threatening to delay the project’s opening. Three sources on the project, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, told The Australian Financial Review that Webuild has reduced working days to eight hours and restricted labour to critical works only. As a result, tradies are sitting idle and subcontractors have begun laying off workers.

Public walk through Metro West tunnels marks historic milestone

While the airport line faces turmoil, Sydney’s other major metro project, Metro West, reached a symbolic milestone. More than 1,200 members of the public will today experience the first ever underground station-to-station walk, descending into the Bays West station box and walking through 7-metre-high tunnels. The 1.3 kilometre route takes walkers within 25 metres of the Anzac Bridge footings, beneath Johnstons Bay, and reaches a depth of 45 metres as it approaches the Pyrmont station box. When the line opens in 2032, the journey from Pyrmont to Bays West will take just two minutes, and from Pyrmont to Parramatta just 18 minutes.

Tunnelling complete across all Sydney Metro projects

The walk follows the breakthrough of the final tunnel boring machine on the Metro West project into the Hunter Street station cavern in February. That event marked the end of 128 kilometres of tunnelling across all Sydney Metro projects since work began in 2014. With tunnelling now finished, the project’s focus will shift to station construction and tunnel fit-out. The NSW Government has already awarded $11.5 billion in contracts, awarded in December, to deliver 60 kilometres of track, rail systems, five Metro West stations, tunnel fit-outs, supply and operation of the train fleet, and the Hunter Street Station development partner.

Housing and transport ambitions tied to Metro West

The $27–29 billion Metro West investment is not just about transport; it is designed to be the backbone of major rezoning and housing reforms. The government plans to build up to 18,000 homes around Burwood North station, up to 18,000 around North Strathfield, up to 15,000 around Sydney Olympic Park, and up to 8,500 near Bays station. When services begin in 2032, passengers will enjoy fast travel times: Bays to Hunter Street in 4 minutes, Pyrmont to Hunter Street in 2 minutes, Pyrmont to Parramatta in 18 minutes, and Westmead to Hunter Street in 22 minutes.

Airport line dispute threatens broader metro timeline

The stand-off at the Western Sydney Airport Metro project casts a shadow over the state’s broader metro ambitions. Webuild’s work stoppage, if prolonged, could delay the airport line’s completion, which is critical for the new airport’s planned opening. Premier Chris Minns has pushed back on the contractor’s demands, stating, “We won’t be gouged.” The government is now under pressure to resolve the dispute quickly to avoid cascading delays across Sydney’s transport infrastructure program.

The bottom line

• Webuild has halted night and weekend work on the $11 billion Western Sydney Airport Metro, leaving tradies idle and subcontractors laying off workers.
• The dispute over billions in extra costs threatens to delay the project’s opening, with the government refusing to be ‘gouged’.
• Metro West’s tunnelling is complete, and 1,200 members of the public walked through the tunnels today, marking a historic milestone.
• The $27–29 billion Metro West project will enable up to 18,000 homes around key stations when it opens in 2032.
• Total tunnelling across all Sydney Metro projects since 2014 has reached 128 kilometres, with $11.5 billion in contracts awarded in December.