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The long-awaited extension of Sydney’s $30 billion M1 metro line has reached a major milestone, with testing occurring along the length of the line, including the troublesome link between Sydenham and Bankstown, ahead of a likely opening date in mid-October.
After almost two years spent commuting on pink buses, the end is finally in sight for commuters, as metro trains completed the first end-to-end journeys along the entire line between Bankstown and Tallawong during testing on the weekend.
With work almost complete, the railway has also been officially handed over to its operator, Metro Trains Sydney, and end-to-end operations will be progressively added during higher patronage periods over coming weeks in the lead-up to final trial runs and regulatory safety approvals.
It will come as a relief to the tens of thousands of commuters who have had to catch replacement buses each day between Sydenham and Bankstown since the line closed September 2024 to complete the final 13-kilometre section of the M1 line.
The government says the south-west extension of the line will deliver capacity for an extra 17,000 people per hour during peak periods and significantly cut travel times along the network.
A trip from Marrickville to Gadigal station in the city will take 12 minutes, saving 12 minutes. A trip from Lakemba to Victoria Cross in North Sydney will be 37 minutes – a saving of 24 minutes. The 28-minute trip from Bankstown to Central will be six minutes faster than currently.
After a series of delays to the opening, the government has steadfastly refused to nominate a completion date for the south-west metro other than to say it would occur in the second half of this year.
The former Coalition government had told commuters in 2018 that the line would need to be closed for three to six months. Before the line closed in September 2024, the Minns government warned it might take longer than its earlier estimate of 12 months.
However, the completion of the handover to the network operator matches a timeline outlined in confidential Sydney Metro documents previously obtained by the Herald. If everything goes to plan, it means the completed line is likely to be on target for an October 18 opening date.
Premier Chris Minns said the testing showed “we’re in the home stretch”.
“I know communities across south-west Sydney have been incredibly patient while this work has been carried out. We’ve got a little more to do to make sure everything is thoroughly tested and ready before we welcome passengers,” he said.
“When the Southwest Metro opens later this year, it will completely change the way people travel across Sydney, giving thousands of people faster, more frequent and more reliable public transport every day.”
As final testing starts, passengers will continue to travel between Tallawong and Sydenham, but from Tuesday, those services will arrive at Platform 2 at Sydenham permanently for the first time. The empty trains will then continue through to Bankstown as part of testing.
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