Blighted $21.6 billion Sydney Metro cleared to open on Monday

Sydney’s much-delayed $21.6 billion Metro will open on Monday after the safety regulator which delayed its big day finally cleared it operate.

The blighted $21.6 billion new Sydney Metro line will finally open to the public on Monday, the NSW Government has confirmed, after the project was given the green light by the safety regulator.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen revealed on her social media late Thursday afternoon the new Metro would open on Monday, August 19, with the comment “I’ll see you on the train”.

The new opening date comes two weeks after the previously forecast launch of passenger services on the line.

In a light-hearted reference to the eleventh-hour cancellation of the original August 4 opening date, the post also read: “Yes, for real this time”.

“We look forward to welcoming passengers on board Sydney’s amazing new railway from Monday 19 August,” the Minister added in a statement.

“It’s been a long journey to launch Sydney Metro City services, but it will be worth the wait. I want to thank everyone for their patience as Australia’s biggest public transport project becomes a reality.”

It came after the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) confirmed on Thursday afternoon it had cleared the new Metro line, which runs from Sydenham to Chatswood, for operation.

“ONRSR has completed its assessment of the evidence in support of the operational safety case for Sydney Metro City Section and granted the necessary approvals,” a spokesman said.

He added a “commencement date for passenger services is a matter for the NSW Government via its relevant agencies”.

Final approval comes 11 days after the previously scheduled August 4 opening of the new line, which was delayed at the eleventh-hour.

The Transport Minister at the time blamed industrial action, as well as a major outage on the existing Metro Northwest last month, as the key reasons the new line wouldn’t get sign-off from the national rail regulator in time for that target.

It’s understood a “code red” notice issued by the Fire Brigade Employees’ Union (FBEU) last month, which banned their members undertaking safety drills on the new line, led to a backlog of practice runs which were completed earlier this month.

Ms Haylen added at the time further safety documentation had to be provided to the national rail regulator after the system-wide outage on the Metro Northwest in July stopped trains in their tracks, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded on board.

The Fire Brigade Employees’ Union – which was previously blamed for the delayed opening after not participating in the safety drills required for paperwork to be completed – has previously refused to rule out taking any further action to delay the project.

However it’s understood they can’t stand in the way of ONRSR’s decision to sign-off on the project.

Originally published as Blighted $21.6 billion Sydney Metro cleared to open on Monday