For the first time, a Sydney Metro train has travelled the entire length of the M1 Metro North West & Bankstown Line from Tallawong to Bankstown.
The train stopped at all 31 stations along the 66-kilometre route, hitting speeds of 100 kilometres an hour on the new section of track.
Transport for New South Wales said this marked an “exciting milestone” for the line extension, which will open later in 2026.
When the project is completed, a metro train will run every four minutes during peak times, with 15 metro trains an hour.
This is an improvement compared to eight trains an hour on the former heavy rail T3 Bankstown Line, almost doubling the services connecting South-West Sydney to rest of the city.
Passengers at Bankstown will be able to travel to Gadigal Station in 30 minutes, saving 15 minutes compared to the 45 minutes it took to get to Town Hall on the former heavy rail line.
The current high-speed testing phase requires at least 9000 hours and 30,000 kilometres of combined testing to be completed before the line can open.
Across the Southwest line, 79 per cent of works within the corridor and at stations are now complete.
Tiling is largely finished at four stations, with construction continuing at the remaining six. Painting and landscaping are also underway at most stations.
Testing is progressing on the platform screen doors and mechanical gap fillers, with the technology passing its first round of tests at every station.
The next stage will involve integration testing with the test train later this year.
During the high-speed testing phase on the Southwest extension, more than 70 critical integration tests will be carried out to confirm systems operate together and to validate the performance, functionality and safety of the trains and new infrastructure.
As part of the final conversion, crews will complete works to integrate the Southwest Metro with the existing metro network.
This will require multiple full and partial closures on the M1 Line in the lead-up to opening, to allow crews to safely carry out work in the rail corridor.
Metro services will not run on the line from January 17-18 or from January 24-25, with replacement buses in operation between Tallawong and Chatswood, and Sydney Trains services between Chatswood and Sydenham.
Minister for Transport John Graham said: “The first metro train to cover the entire 66-kilometre length of line is an exciting day for all of Sydney.
“It is even more exciting for the people of Southwest Sydney who have been patiently waiting for their turn to join the metro network.
“With a service every four minutes, metro will transform this area’s connection to the rest of the city, providing many more opportunities in jobs and education.”
