The Parramatta Metro precinct will include condo units, a commercial tower, student housing and a hotel (Image: NSW government)
Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation and Malaysia’s Gamuda have won an A$880 million ($636.7 million) government contract to build a metro station and 970 housing units in western Sydney’s Parramatta area.
The deal to design and build the integrated Parramatta Metro station project includes condo units, a commercial tower, student housing and a hotel in the commercial hub 24 kilometres (15 miles) west of central Sydney, the New South Wales government said on Tuesday.
“These plans give a great snapshot of the future of Parramatta – hundreds of homes, student accommodation, office space, and vibrant public spaces all footsteps from rapid public transport that will get you to the Sydney CBD in 20 minutes,” said John Graham, NSW’s minister for transport. “By boosting housing, we are maximising the benefits of this once-in-a-generation transport investment.”
Parramatta Metro is part of the A$29 billion Sydney Metro West project, a 24-kilometre rail line that will double capacity between Sydney and Greater Western Sydney, which as Australia’s fastest growing region, now accounts for about 44 percent of the city’s total population. Construction of the station is scheduled to commence in mid-2027 and the line will open to passengers in 2032.
“Leveraging on our extensive experience in creating rail-connected communities, MTR will bring our integrated rail and urban development expertise to strengthen Parramatta’s transformation into a leading economic hub in Western Sydney,” MTR Corporation said.
Civic Link
On the residential side, the integrated station development will include a 43-storey build-to-rent residential tower with 470 apartments and a 24-storey building with 500 student housing units. The commercial element incorporates a 29-storey tower, and an eight-storey hotel.
MTR chairman Jacob Kam Chak-pui (Image: MTR)
The new precinct is located between Church, Macquarie and George Streets and will centre around a landscaped park that will form part of Parramatta’s future Civic Link connecting to the new Powerhouse Museum and Parramatta River foreshore. The precinct will also feature pedestrian laneways linking to nearby rail, light rail and bus services, the government said.
The plans announced this week would increase residential dwellings from 111 to 970 compared with a concept plan that was approved in March 2025, supporting a NSW state government strategy to provide more housing close to public transport. Building uses and design details are subject to further development and planning approvals, and the final proposals will go on public exhibition for community feedback, the NSW government said.
The project is one of several major housing initiatives being pursued by the state government around stations on the Sydney Metro West corridor. The government said it has identified potential for thousands of additional homes in areas including Pyrmont, Sydney Olympic Park, Burwood North and North Strathfield.
“Connecting major transport investments with more homes, close to jobs, services and amenities is sensible city planning,” said Paul Scully, the NSW minister for planning. The state government “is committed to unlocking housing supply in the right locations”, he said.
This project marks the first time that Gamuda Engineering Australia, Gamuda Land Australia and MTR Corporation Australia have partnered together on one integrated development, and is “a strong signal of confidence in what we can deliver together”, Gamuda said.
MTR Contracts
The contract extends MTR Corporation’s footprint in Australia, where the company holds a 60 percent stake in a joint venture that has operated Melbourne’s metropolitan rail network since 2009.
The company also leads the Metro Trains West consortium with China’s CRRC Corporation, which will be responsible for operations and maintenance of the Sydney Metro West network for 15 years after the line opens to passengers in 2032. The contract includes the delivery of 16 next-generation metro trains equipped with artificial intelligence-assisted systems.
Petaling Jaya-based Gamuda has also benefited from several projects tied to Sydney’s build out of the city’s metro network.The company was awarded a tunnelling contract in 2022 and earlier this year was appointed to deliver the Sydney Metro Station Package West, which includes the design and construction of five new metro stations.
Gamuda’s other investments in Australia include an interest in the Hazelwood North Solar Farm and Battery Energy Storage System, a 450-megawatt hybrid solar and battery energy storage project spanning 1,100 hectares (2,718 acres) in Latrobe Valley, Victoria, and two renewable energy projects in the island state of Tasmania.
