Construction work at stations along the Southwest Metro line conversion has hit two-thirds completion ahead of communities across Sydney's south west getting their first metro services.
Due to open in 2026, the 13.5-kilometre metro line which includes stops in Bankstown, Wiley Park, Belmore and Canterbury will replace the bottleneck former T3 Bankstown rail line with a metro train running every four minutes in the peak - 15 trains an hour compared to eight trains an hour previously.
The installation of 182 kms of signalling cables and 210 kms of communication cables is now fully complete along the line.
At Marrickville, platform screen doors and mechanical gap fillers have been installed as overall completion passed 40% last week.
Security systems, poles and solar panels are installed, as well as work to upgrade the Illawarra Road and Livingstone Road overbridges, including bridge strengthening and the installation of bollards and anti-throw screens.
Passengers at Marrickville can look forward to travel times of:
- Marrickville to Central: 10 minutes - saving three minutes
- Marrickville to Gadigal: 12 minutes - saving 12 minutes
- Marrickville to Chatswood: 25 minutes - saving 22 minutes
- Marrickville to Macquarie University: 36 minutes - saving 22 minutes
- the program of works to transform the 130-year-old line, between Sydenham and Bankstown, for modern metro trains has been a complex and difficult task.
The conversion means the metro network is separate from the existing Sydney Trains network between Sydenham and Bankstown, improving the reliability of services on the line which had been a bottleneck for the train system.
As the Southwest Metro conversion progresses, Tuesday marks the 12-month anniversary of trains on the M1 Metro Line between Chatswood and Sydenham.
More than 66.8 million passengers have tapped on and off at M1 Line stations in the past year - with almost 100 per cent running on time.
In the past year, patronage has almost doubled on the northwest section of the line with passengers enjoying their direct city services and no longer needing to interchange across the platforms at Chatswood.
Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:
"South west Metro is a massive city changing project, and it's going to transform the way people move around Sydney.
"This service will change Sydney for the better delivering faster, safer and more reliable public transport for people living between Bankstown and Sydenham.
"We have to acknowledge this has been disruptive for the commuters in south western Sydney who used the heavy rail line we're converting, but once this is completed and in place it will make life far easier."
Minister for Transport John Graham said:
"We have seen Sydney Metro transform how Sydneysiders get around - especially over the past 12 months of services running through the city. Next, it is the turn of south west Sydney.
"We thank the communities here for their patience in using replacement buses before this game-changing train service begins.
"Metro will open more doors to job and education opportunities while also bringing more business to this part of Sydney."
Member for Summer Hill Jo Haylen said:
"The Metro between Sydenham and Chatswood over the last year has changed the way people get around in our great city, bringing with it new patronage for local businesses and new pathways for education and employment.
"I know that people in the Inner West, Canterbury and Bankstown are eagerly awaiting the delivery of fast, reliable Metro services, and have shown great patience while work has been underway.
"The two-thirds completion of construction of the Metro line between Sydenham and Bankstown is an exciting milestone heralding the soon-to-come arrival of a public transport system set to expand the connections and opportunities for the people of the Inner West and Southwestern Sydney."
