South West Sydney Leaders Push For Macarthur Metro Funding

Camden Council has joined South West Sydney leaders calling for a funded Macarthur Metro extension through Oran Park and Narellan. The proposal was advanced at a NSW Parliamentary Reception on 23 September 2026, but the rail link remains in business-case development rather than construction.

South West Sydney is growing faster than its rail network. Camden’s population is forecast to rise from approximately 147,000 people in 2026 to more than 256,000 by 2046, while Camden, Campbelltown and Liverpool together are projected to reach one million residents.

The South West Sydney Alliance launched research at the reception that estimates the region’s economy generated approximately $43.5 billion in 2025. Prepared with Astrolabe and CBRE, the research calls for NSW and Commonwealth governments to turn existing rail business cases into a funded, staged delivery program.

Camden Mayor Cr Vince Ferreri said the transport gap was becoming harder to ignore as new homes and employment areas expanded. "We can’t keep building homes without building the infrastructure that makes those communities work," he said, calling for a metro route from Bradfield through Oran Park and Narellan to Macarthur and Campbelltown.

The practical gap is significant. Camden Council says its local government area has only one train station, at Leppington, while residents of Oran Park, Narellan, Mount Annan, Harrington Park and Gregory Hills commonly rely on buses or cars to reach rail services.

Independent reporting has documented what that means for residents without easy access to a car. Maddelyn Phillips, a 17-year-old from The Oaks, told ABC News, "I am the norm — all of us drive everywhere."

Travel can be slow even when destinations appear close. Wollondilly resident Ally Dench told ABC News it could take up to an hour to reach Campbelltown from Theresa Park, despite the centres being only 25 to 30 kilometres apart, with congestion affecting Narellan Road, Harrington Park and Oran Park.

Young people face a sharper version of the problem. Picton High School student Chloe Maljkovic told ABC News that three buses travelled through Wilton on weekdays and that getting around was "incredibly hard", leaving many teenagers dependent on parents for transport.

The proposed southern metro would connect more than commuter suburbs. Camden Council says a route through Oran Park, Narellan and potentially Mount Annan could link residents with Bradfield City Centre, Western Sydney International Airport, Campbelltown Hospital, Western Sydney University’s Macarthur campus and Macarthur’s existing rail interchange.

That route is separate from a possible Bradfield-to-Leppington or Glenfield connection. Sydney Metro says business cases are being prepared for both potential corridors, while the 23-kilometre Western Sydney Airport Metro between St Marys, the airport and Bradfield is under construction.

The distinction matters for anyone buying a home or planning a commute. The Macarthur Metro has not been approved for construction, and possible station areas such as Oran Park, Narellan and Mount Annan do not have confirmed routes or opening dates.

Western Sydney International Airport is scheduled to begin passenger flights on 25 October 2026, creating a near-term test for cross-regional transport. The airport metro will eventually connect the airport with St Marys and Bradfield, but it will not directly serve Camden, Campbelltown or Macarthur.

The Commonwealth announced $1 billion in March 2025 to secure future rail corridors between Leppington and Bradfield and between Bradfield and Macarthur. That funding protects corridors and supports planning, but it does not provide a construction commitment for the southern extension.

For residents in Oran Park, Narellan and Mount Annan, the sensible assumption is that rail remains a future planning possibility rather than a service they can rely on. Bus links to Leppington, Campbelltown and Macarthur are available, but indirect routes, transfers and peak congestion can make driving appear quicker, particularly around Narellan Road and Camden Valley Way.

The region’s transport history explains some of the frustration. The Camden railway line connected the district with Campbelltown from 1882 until its closure in 1963, and earlier proposed corridors around Narellan, Harrington Park and Oran Park also raised concerns about impacts on established properties.

That history leaves two tests for any future project: provide practical access to growing communities and give residents clarity about corridor impacts. Government business cases will need to settle the route, staging and funding before the campaign becomes a construction program.

For a day out, the potential corridor would place the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, Oran Park Town Centre, Narellan Town Centre, Campbelltown Hospital, Western Sydney University’s Macarthur campus and Macarthur Square on a more connected regional network. Those destinations are accessible by existing roads and buses, but travellers should check timetables and allow extra time during weekday peaks rather than planning around an unconfirmed metro.

The campaign’s central question is whether rail decisions will arrive alongside the homes, jobs and airport connections already planned for South West Sydney. For Camden’s growing communities, the answer remains under development.