Sydney metro rail line’s opening on August 4 goes down to the wire

The planned opening of Sydney’s $21.6 billion metro rail line on August 4 is running down to the wire because the national rail safety regulator is yet to grant approval for passenger services.

Just 10 days before the first commuters are due to hop on board, about four exercises involving firefighters still have to be undertaken before the regulator will decide whether to grant final approval for the city section of the Metro City and Southwest line.

The National Rail Safety Regulator confirmed that a number of documents and activities still had to be completed and provided by the line’s private operator, Metro Trains Sydney, and the agency overseeing the project, to allow it to process the application.

Sydney Metro chief executive Peter Regan and Transport Minister Jo Haylen in front of the entrance to the Barangaroo metro station.Credit: Nick Moir

“Timing of the decision will depend on the provision of that documentation,” it said on Thursday.

“[The regulator] will process the application as quickly as possible, noting that it requires sufficient time to undertake the internal review process to assess the documentation.”

The regulator’s comments comes as several sources close to the project said there was a risk that the line would not open to passengers on August 4 because of the tight timeframe. “It seems to be 50:50,” one said.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said August 4 remained the target date, but the line would not open unless it had regulatory approval and the government had confidence it was safe and reliable.

“We have to ensure the regulator is satisfied, and we are working to fulfil all of those necessary processes,” she said.

Sydney Metro chief executive Peter Regan said the agency was still targeting an August 4 opening, but it had been clear from the outset that it was subject to final sign-off by the regulator and the operator completing trial running.

“We’ve got everything in place on the basis that we are targeting August 4. But it’s definitely August and as early in August as possible,” he said.

The agency said that the last time Sydney opened a new metro rail line, the national rail safety regulator gave approval to remove restrictions on carrying passengers at 4.01pm on May 22, 2019, four days before the Metro Northwest between Tallawong and Chatswood opened.

A new park surrounding the Barangaroo station will open to the public on Monday.Credit: Nick Moir

On Wednesday, the fighters’ union lifted an indefinite ban on members taking part in critical safety exercises to allow agreed drills to be undertaken. Some of the extra exercises involving firefighters are to familiarise them with the stations and rest of the line.

The new line’s private operator was savaged two weeks ago by Fire and Rescue commanders for its dire response to a system-wide outage, which suddenly stopped 31 driverless trains.

A new park surrounding the entrance to an underground metro station at Barangaroo will open to the public on Monday. The 7000-square-metre precinct around the station entrance has almost 200 trees and plants, new footpaths, streetlights and bike parking facilities.

More than a dozen long concrete benches, each weighing 12 tonnes, have been installed, as well as new bus stops, and drop-off points for taxis and vehicles, close to the station entry.

A cast iron replica of a historic boat is also located near the entrance, marking the location where the 200-year-old artefact, which archaeologists believe was used for cargo in the 1800s, was found during excavation for the station.

A second underground entrance to the station will be opened when the $2 billion-plus Central Barangaroo development is completed, most likely to be in 2029.

Haylen said the station would make Barangaroo, as well as the nearby Walsh Bay arts and culture precinct and The Rocks, more accessible for Sydneysiders and visitors.

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