Australia’s first metro line reaches the centre of Sydney

by Erik Buch

Sydenham | © Metro Sydney

For many years, Australia’s metropolis of Sydney with its more than 5 million inhabitants relied on an extensive suburban railway network – branded Sydney Trains (previously: CityRail) – as the backbone of its public transport system, after the once very extensive tram network had disappeared by 1961. Following the reintroduction of the tram in its modern form in 1997, with three lines in service today, the continent’s first metro line has also been operating here since 2019, albeit only in the city’s outer suburbs so far. But the time has come: today 19 August 2024 at 4.54 a.m., the first scheduled train made its way via the city centre northbound – the 15.5 km extension from the previous Chatswood terminus under the harbour and across the CBD Central Business District to the new Sydenham terminus south of the city centre started operation. 250,000 passengers are expected to use the new metro section on weekdays.

In Sydenham and at two of the seven new intermediate stations – Central and Martin Place – there are direct connections to the suburban lines of Sydney Trains, and with slightly longer walking distances in other places. The new extension is largely underground, with the exception of the Sydenham terminus – all stations are equipped for driverless automatic operation with half-height platform doors that only open when the train stops. The trains run on European standard gauge 1,435 mm and under 1,500 V direct current from an overhead catenary, just like the suburban lines.

In a few years’ time, Metro Line 1 will be again extend – from Sydenham over 10 stations and 13.5 km to Bankstown, for which the existing T3 suburban railway line will be adapted and converted for metro operation. In total, the metro system in Sydney is to cover 113 km and 46 stations, of which 51 km and 21 stations are currently in operation.