Australia's largest rail conversion project begins its last testing phase, with driverless trains running across 11 upgraded stations on the Sydenham-to-Bankstown corridor.
Sydney's Metro Southwest extension officially entered trial running on 3 August 2026, clearing the final operational gate before fare-paying passengers can board. The milestone marks the end of a years-long conversion project that transformed a 13-kilometre section of the historic T3 Bankstown heavy-rail line into a fully driverless metro corridor.
11 Stations Rebuilt for Driverless Operation
The project rebuilt 11 stations between Sydenham and Bankstown — Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, Hurlstone Park, Canterbury, Campsie, Belmore, Lakemba, Wiley Park, Punchbowl, and Bankstown itself. Each station now features platform screen doors, level boarding, and full lift access, replacing the open-platform layout of the former suburban rail line.
Once passenger services begin, the converted corridor will connect seamlessly with the existing M1 Metro Northwest line, creating a single driverless service stretching from Bankstown in the southwest to Tallawong in the northwest — a journey spanning more than 60 kilometres through central Sydney.
CBTC Technology Powers the Conversion
The line uses communications-based train control (CBTC), the same signalling system already operating on the Metro Northwest line. Six-carriage single-deck Alstom Metropolis trainsets run under fully automated control from Sydney Metro's Operations Control Centre, with no driver on board during normal operation.
During trial running, trains will progressively ramp up to four-minute intervals during morning and afternoon peaks, simulating the full timetable that passengers will experience. The journey from Bankstown to Central Station will take 28 minutes, a significant improvement over the former heavy-rail service.
AUD 20.5 Billion Mega-Project
The City and Southwest project is one of Australia's most expensive rail investments, with the final cost reaching AUD 20.5 billion — well above the original estimate of around AUD 12 billion. Cost overruns stemmed from station redesigns, pandemic disruptions, and industrial action that affected over 130 working days during construction.
Despite the budget blowout, the conversion represents a generational shift in Sydney's rail network. The driverless metro format allows higher frequency, greater reliability, and lower operating costs compared to the driver-operated heavy-rail services it replaces.
Opening Target: October 2026
Internal Transport for NSW planning documents identify 18 October as the target date for first passengers, though the NSW Government has not publicly confirmed a specific launch date. The opening remains subject to sign-off from Australia's independent rail safety regulator, the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR).
The Southwest extension is the second major piece of Sydney's metro network after the Northwest line opened in 2019. A third extension, the Metro West line connecting the CBD to Parramatta, is under construction and expected to open in the early 2030s.