First driverless train set to run along final stage of Sydney’s metro line

Parts of Sydney’s metro rail line will shut earlier than usual on at least six nights this month to complete work needed before the first driverless train can run along the final section of the $21.6 billion link.

Train testing on the last section between Sydenham and Bankstown of the M1 metro line is planned to start by the end of this month or early March.

An exact date for testing will depend on contractors finishing electrical work and other upgrades during so-called track possessions on parts of the existing M1 metro line between Tallawong in Sydney’s northwest and Sydenham in the south.

Screen doors are installed on platforms at stations along the converted section of the Bankstown line.

The M1 metro line will close from 9.50pm to about 4am between Macquarie Park and Victoria Cross in North Sydney from Monday to Wednesday this week. Buses will replace trains on the shut section.

The line will also be shut from 9.50pm to about 4am from Central Station to Sydenham between February 24 and 26. The metro line usually shuts at 2am each day for maintenance and then reopens about 4am.

A 13-kilometre section of the T3 heavy rail line between Bankstown and Sydenham has been closed for at least 12 months to allow it to be converted to carry metro trains. The Minns government committed up to an extra $1.1 billion in late 2023 to complete the troubled conversion.

Tens of thousands of commuters have been taking replacement buses each day since the Bankstown line was closed for metro conversion works last September.Credit: Nick Moir

The first stage of testing on the Sydenham-Bankstown section will involve metro trains travelling at up to 25km/h. In the months that follow, they will be tested at speeds of up to 100km/h.

Metro trains could start carrying passengers along the converted line as early as September, resulting in services every four minutes in both directions during peak periods.

Sydney Metro said it was working hard to resequence construction and testing programs on the converted section to reduce any impacts caused by rail workers taking industrial action.

“Passengers on the M1 line will notice a number of partial possessions over the coming month as a result. We acknowledge this is frustrating for passengers, and we apologise for any inconvenience,” she said.

Members of the Electrical Trades Union and the Rail Tram and Bus Union have taken industrial action during a protracted dispute with the government over a new pay deal.

The conversion of the Bankstown line involves the installation of 360 platform screen doors at 10 stations, as well as 170 mechanical gap fillers between curved platforms and trains. The hydraulic platforms will extend to carriages before screen doors open, allowing commuters to step on and off safely.

Fencing up to three metres in height is being installed along the line, as well as screens on bridges to prevent people from throwing objects onto tracks.

Sydney Metro said 90 per cent of platform screen doors, mechanical gap fillers and fencing had been installed.

Since the heavy rail line was closed for conversion works last September, replacement buses have been shuttling up to 60,000 commuters each day between Bankstown and Sydenham.

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