Overview
Australia has hurtled its way into the history books, with the successful maiden voyage of its first driverless metro train completed last week. The trial run saw the train cruise along Sydney's new $8.3 billion Metro Northwest railway line in its entirety, a 36-kilometre journey linking Rouse Hill and Chatswood.
Once testing has wrapped up, construction is completed and the line is officially opened for business, it's set to be a major win for commuters in the area, with the government promising turn-up-and-go services every four minutes. And this is all expected to happen in the first half of 2019.
This part of the Metro Northwest project is in the final stages of completion, with Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance revealing it's expected to be up and running in a matter of months, clocking in at at least $500 million under budget.
The Metro Northwest is just one part of the government's overall Sydney Metro project, which will, along with Metro City and Metro Southwest, see a new railway linking Rouse Hill to Chatswood, travelling under the Sydney Harbour to the city, then down to Bankstown. Sydney Metro West will link the city to Parramatta. At this point; however, the final stages of the billion-dollar project — Metro Southwest and West, specifically — are not expected to be completed until 2025.
A map of Sydney Metro Northwest, City and Southwest.
The line has seen a swag of major rail upgrades, including revamped train stations, new carparks, and platform screen doors installed at all Sydney Metro stations.
Further testing will continue over the coming months to prepare the Metro Northwest for its first passenger journeys, which are slated to launch in the second quarter of 2019.
You can read more information about the Sydney Metro project at sydneymetro.info.