The option of tunneling through the escarpment to reduce the rail travel time to Sydney isn’t exactly new.
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State governments have been talking about it for more than 60 years.
In 1950 the then Labor government pledged to carve a 2.4-kilometre tunnel between Clifton and Scarborough, at a cost of £3 million.
A story in the Mercury at the time stated the tunnel would feature twin tracks to allow trains to pass in each direction (the tunnel at Clifton only features a single track).
“The Minister for Transport indicated on Wednesday that it was to be completed by 1956,” the Mercury report said.
But it wasn’t.
In 1998, the Labor government revisited the idea of a tunnel in its “integrated transport plan” called Action for Transport 2010.
“The State Government will ensure that a high speed rail link is built between Wollongong and Sydney prior to 2010,” the plan stated.
“This will be achieved by the construction of a Thirroul tunnel reducing journey times on this route by 15 minutes.”
But, again, the tunnel wasn’t built.
In 2003 Connell Wagner was commissioned to assess an 11-kilometre Thirroul tunnel.
It estimated the tunnel would cost around $1.5 billion, take eight years to complete and save 15 minutes for commuters heading to Sydney and 19 minutes for those travelling to Wollongong.
The study found an 11-kilometre tunnel “is not economically viable” and instead recommended an “incremental upgrade” strategy.
That strategy was substantially cheaper than the Thirroul tunnel but would bypass Coalcliff station and require the relocation of Otford and Helensburgh stations.
