An agreement between the NSW Government and UTS has paved the way for detailed planning to begin on the construction of an underground railway station at the University's Kuring-gai campus.

The Minister for Transport, Carl Scully, and the Vice-Chancellor Professor Tony Blake, have exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a framework for consultation between the University and the Department of Transport on the planned UTS Kuring-gai railway station - part of the new $1.4 billion Parramatta to Chatswood Rail Link.

Professor Blake said the Kuring-gai railway station and the Rail Link itself will result in significant benefits for students, staff and local residents.

"The station will enable the University to develop its full potential on the Kuring-gai campus, increasing community access to tertiary education and reducing considerably the number of cars on local roads," Professor Blake said.

"At present, only 13 per cent of UTS staff and students use public transport to and from the Kuring-gai campus. The station will be of considerable benefit to them and will make the campus much more accessible to prospective students from across Sydney who find it difficult to get here by car.

"The rail link is a vital piece of transport infrastructure which in turn will confer significant educational, social and employment benefits for Sydney.

"It will improve links between three university campuses in Sydney - UTS Kuring-gai, Macquarie and UWS Rydalmere - and other commercial and government organisations along the north-west corridor of Sydney. This area is rapidly becoming the focus for companies in the fast growing IT sector."

Subject to planning approval, construction of the new Rail Link will begin in 2001 and is scheduled to open in 2006.