High-speed testing along Sydney’s delayed $29 billion Southwest metro line will begin this week, amid ongoing safety tests at half of the stations.
It comes after the Herald revealed last week that Transport for NSW expects the Sydenham to Bankstown section of the M1 line to open in September 2026, two years after the train line was closed, and a year longer than expected.
Premier Chris Minns tours the Lakemba metro station on Monday.Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
Transport Minister John Graham said on Monday the existing metro service from Sydenham to Tallawong would be closed six times in the coming weeks to facilitate high-speed testing of the unopened section.
Graham said the most disruptive would be the closure of the weekend of November 22 and 23, and December 27-30.
The Bankstown line’s closure last September forced tens of thousands of commuters onto replacement buses every day, extending travel times and forcing residents into changed schedules.
The testing will involve trains running along the line at speeds of up to 100km/h, a step up from the current low-speed testing stage, which capped speeds at 25km/h.
A minimum of 9000 hours and 30,000 kilometres of combined testing will need to take place before the line opens. Increased activity is expected in the coming weeks and months.
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The current testing regime, which started in April, included a single train travelling along the line at low speed, racking up more than 700 hours and travelling 3000 kilometres. The high-speed testing phase will involve numerous trains. More will be added as the testing progresses.
