The Great Race: Metro fast, but is the Mustang faster?

We tested how quick the new Sydney Metro really is. Four journos: one on the Metro, one aboard the old train, a third on foot, the fourth driving a 2021 Ford Mustang. WATCH to see who was fastest.

Call it The Amazing Race, Sydney Edition.

The last leg of the Sydney Metro is finally open, promising to revolutionise travel through the city and beyond with driverless trains whizzing under the city at 100km/h.

But, does it stack up?

In the spirit of semi-scientific inquiry, The Daily Telegraph decided to see just how fast the new Sydney Metro really is.

Four teams, one riding the Metro, another the old heavy rail, a third on foot, and the fourth behind the wheel of a 2021 Ford Mustang boasting a 5.0 litre V8 engine set off to see who could make it from the new Victoria Cross station to The Telegraph’s offices in Surry Hills Monday morning.

Ready to rumble: The Daily Telegraph's James Morrow, saddling up his Mustang convertible; James O'Doherty, ready to board the Metro, Tamaryn McGregor, preparing to take the train, and James Willis, ready to run in the Great Race. Picture: Richard Dobson

Call it the ultimate test of man versus machine … and machine … and machine.

At Victoria Cross, Metro rider and state political editor James O’Doherty found commuters abuzz, while extra staff were on hand to answer questions.

Once aboard the Metro, the journey between Victoria Cross and Central took just under 17 minutes, including travel time through the stations themselves – though a few minutes were spent on the front end navigating the station and waiting for a wayward colleague.

James O'Doherty sets off on the Sydney Metro to race other journalists on different modes of transport from North Sydney to the News Corp office in Surry Hills. Picture: Richard Dobson

It took another three minutes to complete the final leg by foot.

Meanwhile, despite being subject to Sydney’s notorious speed limits, National Affairs Editor James Morrow’s Mustang pulled up in front of The Daily Telegraph’s Surry Hills offices in 16 minutes – technically pipping our Metro rider at the post.

Admittedly, Team Mustang had a few things in its favour besides eight cylinders of American muscle.

Our starting line behind the Victoria Cross station allowed us to hook a quick right onto Berry Street and from there pick up the highway down to the Bridge.

James Morrow ready to rev up the Mustang. Picture: Richard Dobson

And kicking off just as peak hour was ending meant that road traffic was flowing relatively freely for a Monday morning.

The Metro was also running slower than normal on Monday, with operators holding trains at stations longer than they normally wood, according to officials.

On a normal day at an earlier hour, the Metro with its indicative travel time of nine minutes along this section would absolutely have won (and come without tolls or fuel costs).

Sydney Metro Chief Executive Peter Regan said trains will speed up at platforms in coming months, when commuters get used to the service to make journeys “a little bit faster”.

Once the kinks are smoothed out, that time is expected to shrink to just nine minutes.

But if there was a big loser out of all this, it was the old heavy rail that now looks absolutely snail-like.

Tam McGregor takes the train. Picture: Supplied

Reporter Tamaryn McGregor found he usually bustling North Sydney Train Station down the road from Victoria Cross all but bare on Monday morning, with less than 10 people waiting on Platform 1 for the T1 service into the city.

The trip from North Sydney to Central included three stops – Milsons Point, Wynyard and Town Hall, before the final destination.

The train departed at 9:53am with multiple carriages completely empty – a strange sight before 10am on the Sydney public transport network.

James Willis settles into his stride … briefly. Picture: Richard Dobson

The trip, from closer in to the Bridge than Victoria Cross took a total of 14 minutes, with very few passengers boarding the train at stops throughout the journey. Add another five minutes walking on either end and it was nearly 25 minutes,

Those few who boarded the train were regular commuters who appeared to be travelling to work or younger adults travelling to university.

Looking out the window as the train entered and exited the platforms along the way, hardly any commuters could be seen waiting on the platform’s edge for their service to arrive.

In regards to the journey on foot, The Daily Telegraph’s runner, James Willis, cited poor weather conditions and a bout of food poisoning for only making it 300 metres into the trip, before ringing other journalists requesting a lift to Holt Street. We’ve marked him down as a DNF.

Originally published as The Great Race: Metro fast, but is the Mustang faster?