To help passengers familiarize themselves with the new metro system, pink Southwest Link buses will operate on October 30 and throughout the first weekend. From October 26, passengers will be able to check route and timetable information on the New South Wales transport authority's website.
Passenger services on the Southwest Metro railway in Sydney, Australia, will commence at 4:31 AM on Friday, October 30. The New South Wales government stated that the launch of this new railway will create a direct travel opportunity across a 66-kilometer-long metro network stretching from Bankstown through Sydney's central business district to the northwest.
With the launch of the new metro, passengers in Bankstown, Punchbowl, Wiley Park, Lakemba, Belmore, Campsie, Canterbury, Hurlstone Park, Dulwich Hill, and Marrickville will receive fast and regular rail services. Trains will run every four minutes during peak hours on weekdays. At other times of the day, trains will operate every five minutes, and every ten minutes during evenings and weekends.
According to government data, the new metro will increase passenger carrying capacity by 50 percent compared to the old T3 Bankstown rail line. This will make travel to workplaces, educational institutions, and other destinations across various areas of Sydney easier.
Following the launch of the new railway, travel times on several key routes will decrease significantly. Traveling from Bankstown to Central Station will take 28 minutes, six minutes less than before. Getting from Marrickville to Gadigal Station will take 12 minutes, saving 12 minutes.
Traveling from Campsie to Macquarie University will take 44 minutes, which is 17 minutes less than before. Getting from Lakemba to Victoria Cross Station will take 37 minutes, saving 24 minutes. Reaching Chatswood from Canterbury will take 31 minutes, 23 minutes less than before. Considering the increased passenger interest on October 31 and November 1, trains will run every seven minutes.
More than 2,600 driverless trains will operate each week on Sydney Metro's integrated M1 network. Authorities estimate that once the metro to Bankstown opens, there will be approximately 48,000 journeys across the entire network during the morning peak hour from 8 AM to 9 AM on weekdays.
Rail infrastructure and stations have been modernized under the new metro project. This includes platform screen doors, new lifts, improved passenger information systems, and safety technology. Access and mobility facilities at stations have also been enhanced for people with disabilities, passengers with mobility difficulties, and families traveling with strollers. Lift access has been introduced for the first time at Wiley Park, Dulwich Hill, Hurlstone Park, Punchbowl, and Canterbury stations.
The project took more than two years of work to implement. During this time, 30,000 kilometers of trial train runs and over 6,000 schedule-based test journeys were completed. Transforming a nearly 130-year-old railway and heritage stations into a modern metro system was a complex task. In particular, extra caution was required to manage the variation in the gap between trains and platforms due to the curved platforms of the old stations. The government announced the opening date after receiving final safety approval from the independent national rail safety regulator.
Authorities have stated that some minor issues may arise in the early stages of launching the new rail service. As part of safety measures, six of the 360 doors on each train will be temporarily closed. Additional staff will be present at all stations and on trains to assist passengers.
To help passengers familiarize themselves with the new metro system, pink Southwest Link buses will operate on October 30 and throughout the first weekend. From October 26, passengers will be able to check route and timetable information on the New South Wales transport authority's website.
To mark the opening, various events are planned at Bankstown and Dulwich Hill metro stations from 10 AM to 1 PM on November 1.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said the new metro will bring a major change for the people of southwest Sydney. The convenience of trains running every four minutes during peak hours and reaching Central Station from Bankstown in 28 minutes will ease the daily commute for passengers.
Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the government is grateful for the patience of local residents who have been commuting on replacement buses for so long. The work to convert the old railway into a modern metro was complex, and the safety regulator conducted detailed testing in this regard.
Sydney Metro Chief Executive Camilla Drover said that for more than a century, this railway has connected the communities of Sydney's southwest. The new metro will begin the next chapter of that connectivity.
Source: Statements provided by the New South Wales Government and Sydney Metro
