Passenger services commence on Sydney Metro city section

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: The Sydney Metro M1 Metro Northwest and Bankstown Line is now running between Tallawong and Sydenham, providing faster trips for commuters travelling across Sydney.

NSW Minister for Transport Jo Haylen MP joined senior project representatives and the travelling public on the first service, marking the opening of the Chatswood to Sydenham metro service and connecting the Northwest to Sydenham via the Sydney CBD.

The new M1 Line sees 45 state-of-the-art metro trains, which can carry around 1,150 passengers, run under Sydney Harbour, through six new underground stations at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Gadigal and Waterloo, as well as new metro platforms at Central Station and Sydenham.

With these new stations and platforms, the Sydney Metro now stops at 21 stations along the 51-kilometre line between Tallawong and Sydenham.

The new line has the capacity to move more people across Sydney Harbour in peak time than the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel combined.

Passengers can now catch a metro service every four minutes in peak time.

Plenary Chair and NRT consortium board member Paul Oppenheim said today was a marquee day for Sydney’s public transport system.

“We are immensely proud of this milestone and the whole project,” Mr Oppenheim said.

“Plenary’s involvement with Sydney Metro began as the financial sponsor in the successful NRT consortium appointed to deliver the Metro North West line under a public-private-partnership.

“Since opening on time and under budget in 2019, it has delivered more than 55 million customer journeys on more than 380,000 services, changing the lives of people in northwest Sydney.

“The PPP contract ensures we deliver a high standard of safety, reliability and customer service, reflected in overall customer satisfaction ratings of 98%.

“In 2019, we entered into arrangements with the NSW Government to extend the line through the City and Southwest, again under a PPP arrangement. The scope involved delivering and integrating new rail systems and rolling stock into a seamless single metro line operated and maintained by the private sector.

“We welcome all the new passengers from today. We trust they will enjoy the benefits of this safe, frequent, highly dependable and well maintained public transport system, and we look forward to delivering the Southwest section over the coming months.”

Mr Oppenheim said Plenary has arranged and invested more than $3 billion of private capital to partly fund this transformational project.

The extension of metro services from Sydenham to Bankstown will be the next stage of Sydney Metro’s transformation.

Strong progress has also been made on the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project, where major tunnelling is now complete. The Plenary-led Parklife Metro consortium is delivering the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport, Stations, Systems, Trains, Operations and Maintenance (SSTOM) package.

View the NSW Government media release.