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Welcome to 2026 where commuter travel delays are still the thorn in our side.
The good news? The M1 Metro line that will connect Tallawong to Bankstown via the city is nearing completion – yay!
The not so good news? Before the shiny new 66-kilometre metro line gets the green light to begin operating, eight weekends worth of high-speed testing need to take place. Which means delays, closures and commuter woes.
Southwest Metro project director Alia Karaman told Sydney Morning Herald unfortunately there’s no work-around these closures and the work must go ahead to ensure ongoing quality and safety of the metro line.
“If we don’t shut down, then it means we’re not able to complete a critical part of the work,” she said. “The number [of shutdowns] will vary depending on the functionality that’s required, the events and the weekend that we are targeting.”
RELATED READ: Sydney's new metro line has reached a major milestone – here's the latest update for Sydenham to Bankstown commuters
The weekend testing kicked off in mid-Jan and is expected to continue over the coming months in anticipation of a long-awaited opening of the M1 metro line.
While there is no specific date that has been shared with the public around when they can expect to ride on the new metro line, we can expect to all sigh a share of relief when this protracted project finally comes to a close.
My new year's resolution to not cry over delayed transport has already been scuppered. Alas, we’ll try again in 2027.
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