Final preparations are underway for the opening of the Southwest Metro, with the first passenger service scheduled to depart Bankstown Station at 4:31am on Friday, 30 October.
The opening will extend the existing M1 Metro through to Bankstown, creating a continuous 66-kilometre line connecting southwest Sydney with the CBD and northwest. Final safety approval from the independent Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator has already been received.
The former T3 Bankstown Line between Sydenham and Bankstown closed on 30 September 2024 for conversion to metro standards.
Train Set 29 Prepared for First Service
Train Set 29 will carry the first passengers from Bankstown on opening morning.
The same six-car train operated the first passenger service from Sydenham when the Sydney Metro City section opened on 19 August 2024.
Ahead of Friday’s opening, the train is undergoing exterior and interior cleaning, updated onboard maps and decals, as well as final mechanical inspections covering its wheels, suspension, brakes, doors, air conditioning and passenger information systems.
Ten Stations Ready for Passengers
All 10 stations between Marrickville and Bankstown have now been upgraded for metro services.
More than 6,300 workers have contributed to the conversion of the 130-year-old railway corridor.
Station upgrades include refurbished buildings, resurfaced platforms, upgraded toilets, more than 2,000 wayfinding signs, 790 CCTV cameras, 145 passenger information displays and 360 platform screen doors.
The corridor also uses a combination of fixed and mechanical gap fillers to address varying gaps at older curved platforms. Sydney Metro previously reported more than 1,300 gap fillers installed across the 10 stations.
Wiley Park, Dulwich Hill, Hurlstone Park, Punchbowl and Canterbury now have lift access for the first time, making all Southwest Metro stations accessible by lift.
Final Cleaning and Station Preparation
More than 200 hours of deep cleaning has been completed across the corridor ahead of opening.
Crews have also been removing temporary fencing, updating maps and signage and completing work around station precincts.
New public spaces have been delivered at several stations, including landscaping, seating and improved pedestrian connections.
A planned 13.8-kilometre shared walking and cycling route, known during development as MetroWay, is also progressing separately. The project went to tender in February, with a contract expected to be awarded by the end of 2026 and completion targeted for the end of 2028.
Faster Journeys From Southwest Sydney
From Friday, passengers will be able to travel directly through the CBD and into northern Sydney without changing trains.
Indicative journey times include:
- Marrickville to Gadigal: 12 minutes, saving 12 minutes
- Bankstown to Central: 28 minutes, saving six minutes
- Campsie to Macquarie University: 44 minutes, saving 17 minutes
- Lakemba to Victoria Cross: 37 minutes, saving 24 minutes.
Services will run every four minutes during weekday peak periods, every five minutes during the day and every 10 minutes during evenings and weekends.
Additional staff will be stationed across the new section during the initial operating period to assist passengers and monitor services as the Southwest Metro begins carrying customers.
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