As part of the planned privatisation of most of NSW's power generation and electricity distribution infrastructure, Premier Morris Iemma is proposing to build a new subway system to supplement the existing Sydney rail network. The SMH describes the plan in "Billions for metro lines in asset sale".

THE Iemma Government is finalising plans for as many as five metro subway lines to criss-cross Sydney, to be funded from the sale of further state-owned assets. ...

His comments follow the Government's announcement that it plans to tap funds from the $15 billion sale of part of its electricity assets to help pay for the first subway line - almost certain to be a metro from the Sydney CBD, running under Parramatta Road towards Olympic Park - to be announced next month. This line would be cheaper than the other subway lines proposed as it would not require a harbour crossing, and would be a trade-off for building the M4 East motorway extension, which is subject to strong local opposition.

Parramatta Road, Victoria Road, Anzac Parade and the northern beaches have a serious shortage of fast transport links and there have been long-term proposals to give them all a European-style metro subway system - on which trains are shorter, stations closer and services much more frequent. Details of the metro lines being studied by the Government are unclear. But the Premier, Morris Iemma, said yesterday: "It's not if Sydney gets a metro, but when." ...

The former co-ordinator general of rail Ron Christie proposed to cabinet in 2001 that three metro lines needed to be built by 2020. One would run from Cronulla, through Miranda and Sydney Airport, then to Glebe and Sydney University, crossing the harbour to Willoughby and on to Dee Why via Chatswood. A second line would start at Parramatta and pass along Victoria Road and then through the city to the University of NSW before terminating at Sydenham. His third line was to run from Hoxton Park to Parramatta, then on to Northmead and Baulkham Hills and on to Castlereagh.