Will there be Wi-Fi? Your Sydney Metro questions answered

There are some big questions readers of The Daily Telegraph have asked about the $7.3 billion Sydney Metro, which opens to the public on Sunday. We’ve compiled a list of 12 questions, which were sent to Sydney Metro CEO Jon Lamonte. These are his responses.

• How Sydney’s $8.3b metro will operate
• First passengers ride Sydney Metro
• Free Sydney Metro travel on opening day

Free Wi-Fi will not be available on the Sydney Metro Northwest however passengers will get full mobile coverage throughout the system, including in tunnels which are 60 metres underground.

The 22 metro trains also have back up batteries on board to ensure emergency lighting and airconditioning can remain operational in the unlikely event of a power blackout.

These are a couple of the key questions readers of The Daily Telegraph have asked about the $7.3 billion project, which opens to the public on Sunday May 26.

Sydney Metro CEO Jon Lamonte answers your questions. Picture: Toby Zerna

The Daily Telegraph pulled together comments from readers on the newspaper’s website along with social media to compile this list of 12 questions, which were sent to Sydney Metro CEO Jon Lamonte.

These are his responses.

Will the trains and stations have Wi-Fi for passengers to use?

There’s full mobile phone coverage throughout the metro system, including inside the twin tunnels between Bella Vista and Chatswood which are 60 metres under Sydney at their deepest point.

There are only 4,000 carparking spots along the metro, won’t these have filled up by 6:30am?

Carparking is a big issue for Sydney commuters.

We added an extra 1,000 car park spaces following community feedback. There are now 4,000 new spaces available when Sydney Metro opens. New commuter car parks have been built at Tallawong, Bella Vista, Hills Showground, Cherrybrook and Kellyville.

Temporary electronic signage will be placed at key locations approaching the stations to advise customers of the status of parking to help manage demand during the first few weeks of operations.

What happens if this metro is derailed either in tunnel or above ground?

Sydneysiders have had their Sydney Metro questions answered.

The fully automated technology used by Sydney Metro is based on similar driverless systems worldwide. These systems are used by more than 40 million people every day right around the world in places like Singapore, Paris and Dubai.

A key focus of fully-automated railway operations is safety as well as reliability, and we’re using systems based on the best proven international practice. Sydney Metro has conducted numerous drills and tests and has been working closely with the emergency services so that appropriate plans are in place to respond to any incidents.

If a Sydney Metro train service stops in the tunnels, customers should listen for announcements or ask a Customer Journey Coordinator about what to do. If customers need to leave the train, they will be provided with information and assistance so they can do so safely.

What happens to the timetable if someone deliberately keeps the doors open at the platform, stopping the metro from leaving?

If there is an obstacle blocking any of the doors of a metro train as they are closing, the doors will reopen, providing further opportunity for people to safely move on and off the train.

If the problem continues, the Customer Journey Coordinators at stations will investigate and seek to clear the obstacle. There will be at least one Customer Journey Coordinator at each Sydney Metro station at all times when the line is operating. The Operations Control Centre at Rouse Hill will also be keeping watch over the system and can provide assistance to allow trains to keep moving.

What happens if this metro breaks down in a tunnel? How does it get pushed out or fixed?

What happens if the trains break down in a tunnel?

In the unlikely event a metro train stops in the tunnels, Sydney Metro has systems and measures in place to ensure the train and passengers are safe at all times. While Sydney Metro trains are powered by electricity from overhead wires, the trains also have some back-up power from batteries on board. The batteries will ensure emergency lighting and airconditioning remain operational.

Should a problem be encountered with an individual train, it can be ‘pushed’ through along the tracks by other metro trains to the next station if required.

What happens when someone jumps in front of it?

Most of Sydney Metro is deep underground in tunnels or high above the north west on the skytrain. At every station, platforms screen doors run the length of the platforms and provide a physical barrier — people cannot get on to the tracks.

For the first time in Australia, platform screen doors will be used on a railway, keeping people and objects like prams away from the tracks.

There are also more than 1,300 security cameras throughout Sydney Metro’s network linked directly to the Operations Control Centre, monitoring the network to keep the rail corridor secure.

What happens if someone is attacked on this metro?

Each station is staffed when the line is open.

Each station is staffed when the line is open. Each station also has up to 12 video help points. When the blue button is pressed for general assistance the call will be connected via a video feed directly to staff at the control centre. When the green emergency button is pressed, the call will be prioritised and a trained Operations Control Centre staff member will respond to your emergency.

Each train has 30 help points for on board emergencies. The calls made via audio help points are prioritised and a trained operations control centre staff member will respond to an emergency. If the situation requires on-site attendance, the Operations Control Centre will co-ordinate a Customer Journey Coordinator to be available on-site to assist the commuter.

What is the procedure for the elderly or people with a disability getting on and off — won’t they slow down the train timetable?

Sydney Metro is a fully accessible railway. Every station has at least two lifts and level access between platforms and trains.

Metro stations have at least two lifts in addition to kerb ramps and accessible kiss and ride drop-off /pick-up points. Features such as tactile flooring and braille on help points allow for visually impaired customers to navigate Metro stations.

For those who are hearing-impaired, all Sydney Metro stations will have audio service announcement loops to assist with the arrival and departure of trains.

There are procedures for the elderly or people with a disability getting on and off.

Access to the Metro for wheelchair users has been made easy with features such as wider Opal gates, accessible toilets and level access between platform and trains. This means no more step into a train. Each train has 12 dedicated wheelchair spaces and separate priority seating. The aisles on the trains are wide, allowing for efficient movement of wheelchairs and prams.

When planning an accessible trip on a Sydney Metro train, customers can call 131500 ahead of their trip, so staff can make arrangements to assist you.

Is there any way to bypass a broken down train, from the pictures it looks like single track in each direction?

The line between Tallawong and Chatswood includes a number of turnbacks and crossover points along the line, allowing trains to navigate around the system in the event of disruptions, delays or problems with an individual train.

We built a massive crossover cavern deep under Castle Hill so that trains could cross tracks 30 metres beneath the surface near the new Castle Hill station.

This gives Sydney Metro the flexibility to rearrange services and get customers where they need to go even in the event of service disruptions.

Fast track to the future.

Won’t Chatswood become overcrowded with full trains arriving at the station every 4 minutes during peak?

While Sydney Metro will provide trains every four minutes in the peak in each direction at Chatswood, Sydney Trains has recently upgraded the T1 North Shore Line, with suburban trains increasing from 14 trains an hour to 20 trains an hour. This means a train arriving at Chatswood every three minutes in each direction during the peak.

While it may take a little while for customers to get used to, Sydney Metro and Sydney Trains will work together to ensure customers can seamlessly transition from metro services to the suburban network. A key feature of the upgraded Chatswood Station is direct platform access from Sydney Metro trains to Sydney Trains services.

Why didn’t the line continue all the way through to the city from opening day?

We’re building Sydney Metro as quickly as we can.

We’ve already started tunnelling from Chatswood towards the Harbour and the city to extend the new line by 2024, when Sydney will have 31 metro stations and a 66km stand-alone metro line.

Why didn’t the line continue through to Schofields for an interchange with the Richmond railway line?

A public transport corridor has been set aside from the end of the metro line at Tallawong Station through to Marsden Park. You can find more information about the NSW Government’s long term public transport plans at: https://future.transport.nsw.gov.au/