A plan to upgrade Chester Hill Station is moving full steam ahead, after approval was secured and contract signed.
Delivered through the NSW Government’s $800.7 million Safe Accessible Transport program, the upgrades are set to make the local station more inclusive and easier to use for people with disabilities, the elderly, and parents and carers with prams.
The transformation of the station will see the installation of a new lift, stairs and concourse for improved connections between Chester Hill Road and the station platform.
Continuous canopy coverage will be provided from the station entry to both platform Boarding Assistance Zones.
There will also be an accessible parking space, an accessible kiss and ride space, additional bike parking and upgrades to the existing bus stops along Chester Hill Road.
The NSW Government said a new family accessible toilet, unisex ambulant toilet, hearing loops, platform regrading and tactile indicators will also serve to integrate with safety improvements, including enhanced lighting, CCTV and wayfinding signage.
Member for Auburn Lynda Voltz welcomed the approval, saying the upgrades are much needed for the local community.
“I am thrilled that Chester Hill Station will be upgraded, the community has been advocating for these improvements for a long time and our government is going to deliver this much needed project,” she said.
“It has been a long and exacting process to get us to this point, but we have to be sure we are delivering exactly what the community wants and needs.
“We have a very diverse community with many young families and carers with prams, people with disabilities, the elderly, women and girls to whom this station upgrade is going to mean a world of difference.”
The planning approval comes after community consultation, which saw residents call for increased accessible kiss-and-ride parking spaces, improved interconnectivity of services, incorporation of heritage elements and revised metered parking.
Gartner Rose has been awarded the contract to design and construct the upgrade.
Construction is expected to start in early 2025.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.