Live option for Sydney Metro to run 24 hours a day

The private operator of Sydney’s best transport project confirmed it is actively investigating non-stop services on Thursday and Friday. Have your say.

The state government has kept the door open for hours to be extended on the popular Sydney Metro.

It comes as the network’s private operator confirmed it was investigating the possibility of non-stop services on multiple weekdays.

Last week the CEO of Metro Trains Sydney, Daniel Williams said they were “actively engaged… with the authorities” and “talking around potential 24 hour services on a Thursday and Friday.”

“Thursday and Friday there is less maintenance activity going on” Mr Williams said. “What we’d be looking to do is restructure that maintenance window to distribute it across the early part of the week so we can run trains through the night”

Mr Williams drew comparisons to the London “Tube” network, which runs on several days for 24 hours and is popular with shift workers.

Nathan Hoffmeister, Acting Project Director for Sydney Metro City, and Daniel Williams, CEO of Metro Trains Sydney, both say the Metro timetable has the ability to stretch. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“The belief is it will be pretty much the same in Sydney, but we still need to test that” he said.

Separate questions were put to the Metro’s government department, through Acting City Project Director Nathan Hoffmeister.

Mr Hoffmeister was asked if there was “an appetite for extended hours… 24 hours a day?”

He responded: “there is and it’s something that’s being actively looked at… what we can do. They are still going to have time for maintenance. At the same time, the system has the availability to stretch.”

When approached for comment, the state government said “there are no planned changes to the current Sydney Metro timetable.”

Crowded trains after the new CBD Metro opened in August. The line is now providing 200,000 individual passenger trips per day. Picture: Richard Dobson / Newswire

However, “Metro Trains Sydney is independently investigating how extended hours could work if required. Any change to the timetable would be based on evidence of operational needs and is a decision for the NSW Government.” the statement read.

The Daily Telegraph has been campaigning to have the Metro opened for longer hours due to the overwhelming benefits it would provide to the night-time economy.

A City of Sydney-commissioned study found improved public transport at night was needed to help the city’s night-time turnover to an annual worth of $30 billion by 2030.

Currently the Metro is required to shut for several hours overnight for important maintenance to tunnels, train sets, platforms and systems.

The Metro’s Operations Control Centre in Tallawong. Picture: Tim Hunter.

The network also has the ability in the future to increase service times to every two and a half minutes, although this has only been trialled during testing.

“Metro Mania” has resulted in Australia’s first automated train providing 200,000 individual passenger trips on weekdays.