At a packed media conference at Norwest's Crowne Plaza Hotel on Friday, the Minister for Transport, John Watkins (pictured), was rattled when asked by the Hills News why the yards were to be built so close to expensive suburban real estate.

As Mr Watkins flustered, Tim Parker, a North-West Metro project team member, stepped up to the microphones and said the yards were ``in the best place''.

He said they would not be like the old-fashioned marshalling yards (of Enfield, Chullora or Redfern), but modern workshops under cover on commercial land.

Mr Watkins said he wanted to make it very clear to the community that the government was fully committed to the metro, despite remarks that morning by Baulkham Hills Mayor, Sonya Phillips, doubting it would ever happen.

``We've got at least 80 people involved and we're spending $106million initially getting on with the project,'' Mr Watkins said.

This is in addition to $132.5m allocated for property acquisitions along the 38kilometre rail corridor from Epping to the Hills by 2015 and Rouse Hill by 2017.

The Deputy Premier also announced the appointment of Macquarie Bank and Ernst & Young as financial and commercial advisers for the $12billion project, before addressing a meeting of 120 locals on various aspects of the metro.

``As financial and commercial advisers, it will be their primary responsibility to ensure the NSW Government receives a metro line that is value for money,'' he said.

Professor David Richmond, the co-ordinator-general Department of Premier and Cabinet, dismissed criticism of the project's viability, saying that the population of the region was growing rapidly.

See Letters, 14