A metro train has successfully navigated the first continuous journey from Tallawong in Sydney’s northwest, beneath the Sydney CBD, and out to Sydenham in the city’s southwest, ahead of Sydney Metro City & Southwest opening next year.
The 51.5km trip was completed after 6 months of planning, with the train performing well and the inaugural journey confirmed a success.
The initial test run took place over 4 hours on Saturday, with the train reaching the maximum speed of 100km/h in sections of tunnel between Epping and Sydenham. Future test trips will include stops at stations in the Northwest and City sections, ahead of a full test run replicating operational journey times later this year.
When metro services start through the city next year, commuters will be able to travel from Tallawong to Sydenham in 59 minutes, a significant time saving on the current journey that requires interchange at two train stations and takes upwards of one hour and forty-five minutes.
In 2024, Sydney’s northwest and CBD will be connected by a metro service every 4 minutes in the peak. Passengers will be able to travel from Castle Hill to Martin Place in 35 minutes, Macquarie University to Sydenham in 33 minutes and North Ryde to Central in 22 minutes.
Testing the full length of the new alignment is a major step forward in the rigorous testing and commissioning program that began in April 2023.
The first end-to-end journey launches the “integration mode testing” phase, which confirms trains can seamlessly transition beyond the Metro North West Line at Chatswood onto the new 15.5km twin metro tunnels to Sydenham.
More than 2,000 hours of a total 11,000 hours of testing have been completed so far to ensure the new line and trains function as expected and meet all safety and performance requirements.
Multiple trains are now entering the new line and undergoing testing at any one time, with four trains expected to be testing in the same tunnel by the end of the year.
Jo Haylen, NSW Transport Minister said:
“This is a huge milestone for Sydney Metro City & Southwest and brings passengers one step closer to having world-class metro services in the heart of this great city.”
“This new metro will give passengers significant time back in their day, by slashing travel times between the north west and the Sydney CBD.”
“This work is paving the way for Metro’s eventual extension to Bankstown, linking south west Sydney to the CBD and employment zones like Macquarie Park with a frequent and efficient Metro service.”