History made as trains start testing under Sydney Harbour

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – For the first time in New South Wales transport history, trains are now testing deep below Sydney Harbour as the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project enters its next exciting stage.

The new metro trains are travelling the 15.5-kilometre twin metro railway tunnels, which extends the Metro North West Line from Chatswood Station to Sydenham Station, as part of a rigorous testing and commissioning program.

This is the first railway crossing below Sydney Harbour and once metro trains are operational next year, will move more people across the Harbour in peak hour than the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel combined.

The first stage of testing is completed at low speed, with trains manually driven at a maximum speed of 25km/ph. The trains then gradually move into high-speed testing, where the trains reach a maximum speed of 110km/ph.

Each train will also undergo acceleration and braking testing on the newly built track and complete a series of system checks to ensure it can perform reliably under operating conditions.

On-track train testing and commissioning will continue throughout 2023, ahead of passenger services starting through the Sydney CBD in 2024.

Once passenger services start through next year, customers will be able to travel from Central Station to Chatswood Station in 15 minutes, from Martin Place Station to Sydenham Station in 11 minutes and from Victoria Cross Station in North Sydney to Barangaroo Station in just three minutes on a fast a reliable metro service.

Plenary is part of the NRT consortium that delivered and now operates the $3.7 billion operations, trains and systems component of North West Metro and that is delivering the $3.7 billion City and Southwest extension.