Final stage in mega Sydney rail project opens for commuters

The final stage of Sydney’s multibillion-dollar Metro rail project opened to commuters on Friday, with travellers cheering as the first carriages arrived.

More than 1000 passengers lined the platform at Bankstown station from 2am ahead of the departure of the south-west Metro’s 4.31am service, the line’s inaugural passenger train.

It marked one of the most complex rail projects in the world, with the conversion of the 130-year-old Bankstown line and heritage stations to accommodate modern high-speed, automated, driverless trains.

Sydney’s giant rail project has been beset with cost blowouts and delays on the city and south-west line, resulting in a final price tag of just under $23 billion.

But on Friday, passengers and the NSW government put that behind them to herald the start of a new era in public transport for millions of people.

Ten new stations at Punchbowl, Wiley Park, Lakemba. Belmore. Kempsey, Canterbury, Hurlstone Park, Dulwich Hill, Marrickville, Sydenham are now open.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said it was a “huge day” for south-west Sydney residents.

“This Metro will knit different areas of Sydney together like never before. Commuters in Bankstown, Wiley Park, Belmore, Canterbury now have access to the same fast, reliable public transport connections that other parts of our city enjoy,” he said.

With services every four minutes during peak commuting times and 50 per cent extra capacity, the new Metro service will slash travel times, with Bankstown to Sydney CBD taking just 28 minutes.

Early morning commuters were impressed, one telling Today the new rail service was a welcome change to the pink buses he’d been taking for months as the project was being built.

“Oh, it was really, really great. It’s an honour to be on the first one of the first ones, actually, to go on the train and bring my son and my brother as well. So it was it was fun.”

Another said he was amazed by the public turnout for the new Metro line.

“It was like so cool. Like the atmosphere, there were so many people on it. Like you would think at 4.30am it would be fully empty, but it was packed. I don’t even think everyone got on.”

Professor Azadeh Dastyari, of the University of Western Sydney, says the Metro line will deliver major economic benefits for south-west Sydney.

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“What excites me about the Metro is the opportunities it opens up for people across Western Sydney,” she said.

“Shorter commutes will mean less time travelling and more time with family, friends and community. It will also make it easier for people to access jobs, education and essential services, improving both opportunities and quality of life.”