Sydney Metro Northwest trains are now being tested on the line’s elevated Skytrain section, including over the 270-metre long cable-stayed railway bridge over Windsor Road at Rouse Hill, with state transport minister applauding what he called an “historic” milestone for the project.
Testing of the driverless, automated trains was initially contained to the Sydney Metro HQ at Rouse Hill, but it is now expanding, with the new vehicles now going over Windsor Road and on to the Skytrain towards the new Kellyville Station.
“How incredible is this? That impressive new bridge over Windsor Road now has our driverless metro train doing test runs across it, meaning Metro is really becoming a reality,” Constance said.
“This is a historic moment that will help change the way we get around our great city for generations to come.”
The Skytrain section takes Sydney Metro Northwest between 10 metres and 13 metres above ground for four kilometres between Kellyville and Rouse Hill, both of which will be elevated stations.
Trains travelling on the Skytrain are being currently tested at 60km/h. Speeds will eventually go up to 100km/h before testing moves on into the new twin 15km railway tunnels between Bella Vista and Epping.
Nine of the 22 trains that will service the Metro Northwest line have now been delivered and are undergoing testing.
Constance said that 10,000 kilometres of train testing had been completed at Rouse Hill prior to the initiation of tests upon the Skytrain.
“Sydney Metro is on track to open in the first half of next year – we’re getting on with the job of testing our new generation trains and finishing our stations to deliver a world class mass transit system to Sydney,” he said.