Sydney’s new metro line faces next big test from opening day crowds

Sydney’s new metro line under the heart of the city faces its next big test on Monday when up to 200,000 people are expected to travel on the $21.6 billion rail link on its opening day.

The first driverless train to carry passengers from Sydenham station in the city’s south will leave at 4.54am, while another will depart from Tallawong in the north-west at the other end of the M1 line at 4.38am.

The train from Tallawong will travel along the existing Metro Northwest line, which was opened five years ago, before passing onto the new extension from Chatswood. Together, the lines form the M1.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen on a driverless metro train at Sydenham station on Friday.Credit: Steven Siewert

The metro extension from Chatswood to Sydenham via the city centre finally received clearance from the national rail safety regulator on Thursday after an earlier targeted opening date of August 4 was missed.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said Monday had been chosen for the opening because it was the earliest that the first passenger services could start after regulatory approval was granted.

“We need the time to stand up all the teams. This is a very complex system, and [the] metro is just one part of that,” she said. “Our city has not seen a change this big since the opening of the Harbour Bridge.”

The new line’s weekday start contrasts with the Sunday opening of the first stage of the metro from Tallawong to Chatswood in May 2019, when 90,000 people filed through station gates in the first six hours.

Sydney Metro chief executive Peter Regan said the agency expected up to 200,000 people to travel on the new line per day but emphasised it was difficult to predict numbers on the opening day.

“We’ve been testing the system for a long time, and the trains and the systems have been tested over the last 15 months. Clearly, putting passengers into the system is a totally different experience altogether,” he said.

Regan said one of the biggest challenges would be commuters taking time to familiarise themselves with their trips and where to switch to other transport services such as double-decker trains and buses.

“Some people immediately just adapt to what is always there, but others will take some time to work out what’s the best route,” he said.

Metro trains will run every four minutes during peak periods in both directions.Credit: Steven Siewert

Haylen said staff would be deployed across the network on trains and platforms on Monday to ensure commuters could easily navigate the system.

“This is probably the first time for many people in Sydney that they’ve caught a metro, and people need to take their time. Be patient, and don’t run for the doors,” she said.

Meanwhile, the firefighters union has repeatedly raised concerns about emergency response plans for incidents along the metro line.

Staff have been deployed to stations to help commuters familiarise themselves with the metro system.Credit: Steven Siewert

In a bid to allay concerns, Haylen said passengers could have “absolute confidence that this is a safe railway”, citing approval from both the independent regulator and Fire and Rescue NSW.

The new metro line comprises six new underground stations, including at North Sydney, Barangaroo and Martin Place, as well as new platforms at Central and Sydenham.

The first weeks of operation will influence the start of a 12-month closure of the T3 Bankstown line to allow it to be converted to operate metro trains and the launch of a new timetable for Sydney’s rail network.

The 13-kilometre stretch of converted track between Sydenham and Bankstown will form the final part of the new metro line, and is due to open late next year.

Haylen said she wanted to ensure the city section of the new line was working reliably before the Bankstown line shuts down for construction work. The government has targeted the 12-month closure to start by October.

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