The New South Wales Government has confirmed that the long-awaited Sydney Metro’s North West line will open to the public on Sunday May 26.
The 36-kilometre line, which stretches from Tallawong to Chatswood across 13 stations, started construction in 2011 and was delivered on time and $1 billion under budget, according to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
“This is an exciting time for the future of public transport. Thousands of commuters will have access to world class metro rail,” Berejiklian said.
The trains on the North West line are driverless and have no timetables, with a train promised every four minutes in each direction during peak times (to be increased to every two minutes in future). This automated system has undergone over 180,000km of testing prior to the public launch of the service.
The line also incorporates 4000 car parking spaces for commuters, and mover 1,500 weekly services have been added to bus timetables to support links to the Metro’s stations.
The state government has referred to the project as Australia’s first “fully accessible railway”, that being a a railway with lifts at every station and no gaps between the platform and the train.
“The true mark of a progressive global city is a reliable and world-class public transport system and the North West Metro is a key component that will advance the quality of public transport in Sydney,” said NSW Business Chamber Director of Policy, Advocacy and Influence Chris Lamont.
“This is the beginning of a revolutionary way to move large numbers of people around the city and conveniently link them to employment and educational hubs.”
Early works are continuing on the Sydney Metro project’s other component, Sydney Metro City & Southwest, which comprises a southerly line from Chatswood to Sydenham.
The full Sydney Metro project comprising 31 stations across 66km is expected to be completed in 2024.
“The new generation of driverless trains have now completed more than 180,000 kilometres of testing and final commissioning is underway,” said NSW Minister for Transport Andrew Constance.
“Sydney Metro is Australia’s first fully accessible railway which will deliver fast, safe and reliable travel.”
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