I spent the first day of the south-west metro’s life exploring the delights of the line. Now I want to move closer
News Source
•Sun, 01 Nov 2026 14:00:19 GMT
📰 What Happened
Sydney's new metro extension from Bankstown to Sydenham carried its first passengers on Friday. The trains have no drivers. Reporter Penry Buckley caught the very first service into the city at 4.31am and reached town in 21 minutes.
He then spent the morning riding the line stop by stop. In Bankstown he ate pho for breakfast at An Restaurant, where metro workers were celebrating the end of two years of building work.
By the afternoon he was back on a normal bus home. Even so, he wrote that he kept daydreaming about moving closer to the new line.
🔍 The Backstory
Sydney's metro is the biggest public transport project in Australia. The first section opened in 2019, running from Rouse Hill to Chatswood. It was extended to Sydenham in 2024.
The south-west part is different. It turns the old Bankstown rail line into metro track. That line is more than 100 years old and had to close for the rebuild.
Many locals worried about losing a direct train to the city. The opening was also delayed several times before trains finally ran this week.
🎯 Why It Matters
The new line cuts travel times for people in Sydney's south-west. It also shows how big transport projects can change where people choose to live.
Sydney's new metro extension from Bankstown to Sydenham carried its first passengers on Friday. The trains have no drivers. Reporter Penry Buckley caught the very first service into the city at 4.31am and reached town in 21 minutes.
He then spent the morning riding the line stop by stop. In Bankstown he ate pho for breakfast at An Restaurant, where metro workers were celebrating the end of two years of building work.
By the afternoon he was back on a normal bus home. Even so, he wrote that he kept daydreaming about moving closer to the new line.
Sydney's metro is the biggest public transport project in Australia. The first section opened in 2019, running from Rouse Hill to Chatswood. It was extended to Sydenham in 2024.
The south-west part is different. It turns the old Bankstown rail line into metro track. That line is more than 100 years old and had to close for the rebuild.
Many locals worried about losing a direct train to the city. The opening was also delayed several times before trains finally ran this week.
The new line cuts travel times for people in Sydney's south-west. It also shows how big transport projects can change where people choose to live.