3 hours ago
2
The NSW government is refusing to release documents detailing when the long-delayed final stage of Sydney’s $30 billion M1 metro line might open, sparking calls for it to name a date as commuters are set to endure more than two years of major disruptions.
Tens of thousands of commuters have had to catch replacement buses each day between Sydenham and Bankstown since September 2024, when the T3 heavy rail line was shut to complete the final 13-kilometre section of the M1 line.
Transport for NSW rejected an application by the Herald under freedom of information laws for documents that related to the Metro Southwest project’s targeted opening date, citing cabinet information and an “overriding public interest against disclosure”.
The two documents captured by the request include one from April relating to the “go-live readiness” for the final section of the M1 metro line.
The government has repeatedly declined to give a target date for opening the final section, other than to say it would be in the second half of this year. In mid-2018, the former government told commuters that the line would need to be closed for between three and six months; even before the line closed in September 2024, the government said it might last longer than its earlier estimates of a 12-month shutdown.
Greens transport spokesperson Cate Faehrmann said the least the government could do for residents forced to catch replacement buses for almost two years was to be honest with them about when the metro line would open.
“The claim that all briefings regarding the opening of the new metro are cabinet-in-confidence is an abuse of the provision. I can’t think of any reason as to why it’s not in the public interest to disclose this information,” she said.
Transport Minister John Graham said south-west Sydney residents had shown great patience as the government worked to reopen the old Bankstown rail line as the newest addition to Sydney Metro.
“We will announce a date of opening when we are confident we can deliver on that date,” he said.
Bankstown resident Keshminder Purva, who catches replacement buses six days a week, said the government should disclose the target date. “Why keep it a secret? They should let the public know,” she said.
“The metro should be up and running sometime this year and nobody knows the end date. Some people predict September [and] others predict it could be in October, if not next year.”
She has to walk 30 minutes from her home to Bankstown station to catch a replacement bus to Sydenham, and then a train into the CBD, making her entire trip to work well over an hour each way. Previously, it took her about 50 minutes.
Purva said the journey became longer when buses were delayed by road incidents or congestion. “Canterbury Road is always chock-a-block. If there is an accident, everything gets stopped,” she said.
Regular commuter Uzair Saeed agreed the government should disclose the target date for the opening because the closure of the heavy rail line and the need to catch buses had been disruptive.
“They should have some dates. This has happened for the last two years,” he said of the disruption.
Coalition treasury spokesman Scott Farlow accused the government of showing contempt for commuters by refusing to provide detail on the opening date.
“It is a decision focused on the Labor government’s spin operation over the delivery of services for the community and accountability to the public,” he said.
Action for Public Transport spokesman Jim Donovan said residents along the corridor had endured major disruptions and deserved to be told the target date.
“Potential users of the metro deserve better,” he said, adding that repeated weekend shutdowns of the operational part of the M1 line was disrupting people. “Unless it is really commercial in confidence, which is difficult to see, we should know about [the target date].”
While full-line testing has paused during the Vivid festival over the next three weeks, the M1 line between Tallawong and Sydenham will be shut over the weekends of June 20-21, June 27-28, July 11-12, July 18-19 and July 25-26 as part of “southwest-enabling” works.
Sydney Metro said any changes to the final stage, such as software upgrades, required testing on the full M1 line to ensure it did not negatively impact the operational section of railway.
“These possessions will allow the team to complete critical work to extend metro services to Bankstown,” it said.
Apart from final commissioning and testing, the opening of one of the most complex parts of the mega-project will hinge on final approval by the national rail safety regulator for passenger services.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
