N環球 
Sydney's Southwest Metro to Open on October 30
The Minns Labor Government confirmed on October 21 that the Southwest Metro will carry its first passengers at 4:31am on Friday, October 30; the converted former T3 heavy rail line creates a continuous 66km driverless metro from Tallawong to Bankstown.
Why it matters
For more than two years, southwest Sydney residents have relied on free pink replacement buses to get into the city. After the opening, Bankstown to Sydenham will take 21 minutes with a train every 4 minutes at peak — the first real milestone for Australia's largest public transport project.
Full report
The New South Wales government announced on Wednesday, October 21, that passenger services on the new Southwest Metro will begin at 4:31am on Friday, October 30. Premier Chris Minns revealed the date in an Instagram video earlier in the day, thanking commuters, families and local businesses for their patience during the conversion.
The 13km Sydenham-to-Bankstown corridor converts the former T3 heavy rail line into a fully driverless metro: all 10 stations have been upgraded with full-height platform screen doors and accessible boarding. Once open, a continuous 66km metro line will run from Tallawong in the northwest through the CBD to Bankstown in the southwest. Sydney Metro chief executive Camilla Drover called transforming the century-old railway 'an extraordinary feat of engineering,' with teams completing extensive testing and commissioning.
The old T3 line closed in September 2024 with the shutdown originally planned to last 12 months; the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator's review of the final safety data slowed the process — transport minister John Graham last week would only say the opening was 'very close,' 'a matter of weeks, not months.' Media reports had speculated an October 18 launch; with the date now set, the pink replacement buses can finally be retired.
💬 Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!