It’s been a rough few months for commuters along Sydney’s Bankstown line. But after closing its gates back in October 2024, Bankstown Station is almost ready to re-open, with high-speed testing between Sydenham and Bankstown now officially underway.
For some background context – the Bankstown to Sydenham train line conversion was initially estimated to take just over 12 months, with the opening date slated for late 2025. After what Transport for NSW described as a “complex and difficult project” (with industrial action impacting the timeline), it was confirmed that the Sydenham to Bankstown metro extension won’t be open until 2026, with the station entering “the final straight to completion” back in July. This week, Transport for NSW has announced another milestone – with high-speed testing kicking off along the 13.5 kilometre line.
After months of slow-speed trials along the extended line, metro trains are now hitting up to 100 kilometres per hour as the project accelerates toward its grand opening next year. Over the coming months, the trains will rack up a huge 9,000 hours and 30,000 kilometres of testing before passengers are welcomed aboard. Behind the scenes, the transformation of the 130-year-old rail corridor is nearly complete, with station works at all 11 stations now 75 per cent finished.
Once open, the Southwest Metro will extend the existing M1 line at Sydenham, creating a 66-kilometre route from Tallawong in the northwest to Bankstown in the south west, with 31 (pretty impressive) stations along the way. Services on the new line will run every four minutes during peak times – that’s 15 metro trains an hour compared to the eight that trundled along the old T3 heavy rail line. The result? Faster, more reliable, turn-up-and-go travel linking Sydney’s south west to the city (and beyond).
For residents along the line who’ve been dealing with bus replacements, construction, and chaos for a hot minute now, the end is finally in sight. And with journey times set to be almost cut in half (with the new line zipping from Marrickville to Gadigal in just 12 minutes, and from Bankstown to Central in just under half an hour) it should be worth the wait.
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