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Sydney commuters might soon get one small luxury that actually matters. A new undercover pedestrian network is set to link Hunter Street Station with Wynyard Station and Martin Place Station, creating the CBD’s longest east–west underground walking route. It promises faster movement through the city, protection from the weather, and fewer excuses for people who stop dead at the top of escalators.
Announced as part of the Hunter Street Station precinct, the network will stretch roughly one kilometre beneath the heart of the CBD. It’s designed to connect Barangaroo through Wynyard Walk, Brookfield Place, Hunter Street, and Martin Place, effectively stitching together four major transport hubs without forcing commuters back onto street level. The network is expected to open alongside Sydney Metro West in 2032. By 2036, more than 10,000 people are expected to pass through the station each morning peak hour, rising to 35,000 by 2056.
The underground network will be delivered via two key connections. To the west, the existing Hunter Connection Tunnel, built in the 1930s as part of the original Wynyard Station works, will be repurposed to link Hunter Street Station with Brookfield Place, Wynyard Station, and onward to Barangaroo via Wynyard Walk. To the east, a new multi-level walkway will connect the Hunter Street Metro platforms directly to Martin Place Station on the M1 line, using a repurposed construction tunnel fitted with escalators and a lift.
Above ground, the transformation continues. Lendlease has been awarded the contract to deliver a $2.2 billion over-station development at Hunter Street West, with construction set to begin in 2027 and complete in 2032, in line with the opening of Sydney Metro West. The 58-storey tower will include around 58,000 square metres of commercial and residential space, plus 1,000 square metres of retail, turning the station into one of the most active gateways in the CBD.
Transport Minister John Graham has described Hunter Street Station as the busiest stop on the Metro West line, offering a 20-minute trip to Parramatta alongside pedestrian links to Wynyard and Martin Place. He also framed the over-station development as part of Sydney’s broader effort to revive its city centre, particularly after dark. A second, eastern tower is planned for the precinct, led by Mirvac and Coombes.
Unfortunately, there are more disruptions in store for Sydney commuters. From 5 January 2026, oversized tunnelling equipment will begin to be dismantled and removed from the Hunter Street East shaft. The work will run 24 hours a day for around three months, with temporary traffic diversions, intermittent pedestrian detours, and occasional full closures between Bligh and O’Connell Streets.
It’s the kind of disruption Sydney knows well by now. Cranes, cones, night works, and detours as far as the eye can see. If the end result delivers on its promise, a weatherproof, friction-free way to cross the CBD without dealing with pedestrian crossings, it will remind Sydneysiders that the city’s best upgrades often ask for a little discomfort first.
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