The ibises, sensitive alarms and a four-week wait: The tricky last stage of a Sydney metro line

Commuters in Sydney will have to wait at least another four weeks before the government announces the opening date for the final stretch of the $30 billion M1 metro line. Wildlife intrusions, particularly from ibis birds, have complicated the testing of driverless trains on the 13-kilometre section between Sydenham and Bankstown. Transport Minister John Graham acknowledged that “clearly some issues to resolve” remain before the line can officially open. Testing of trains has been ongoing on the southwest section of the M1 line. Sitthixay Ditthavong Graham, who met with officials from the national rail safety regulator on Friday, noted that Sydney Metro expects “much firmer information” about the progress of testing by the end of September. This would allow the agency to provide a more definitive timeline for the opening date, assuming all goes smoothly. Two key operational challenges include ensuring the intrusion detection system functions effectively without generating excessive false alerts and integrating screen doors and mechanical gap fillers between platforms and trains. During a budget estimates hearing, Graham admitted that wildlife intrusions, including from ibis birds, continue to present difficulties. He stated that the current system is “working well and providing alerts, erring on the side of too many rather than too few.” Confident documents previously indicated that the government aimed to launch the first passenger service on this section by mid-October. However, under scrutiny from Greens MP Cate Faehrmann regarding whether this target was overly optimistic, Graham emphasized that commuters had been “very patient” and that he wanted to avoid giving them a “false start.” The city section between Chatswood and Sydenham was originally scheduled to open in early August 2024. Delays in obtaining regulatory approvals pushed back the initial passenger services to several weeks later. Since September 2024, tens of thousands of commuters have relied on replacement buses daily between Sydenham and Bankstown. This disruption followed the closure of the T3 heavy rail line to facilitate the completion of the M1 line's final segment. In mid-2018, the previous Coalition government warned that the line would require a closure lasting three to six months. Even prior to the shutdown in September 2024, the Minns government suggested the closure might extend beyond its initial 12-month estimate. The Bankstown metro station marks the southwestern terminus of the 66-kilometre M1 line. With the corridor between Sydenham and Bankstown now closed for 23 months, Graham acknowledged that delivering the project within 15 to 18 months was “just wasn’t possible” due to its complexity. Nevertheless, Graham claimed that authorities had made significant strides in reducing weekend closures of the operating part of the M1 line between Tallawong and Sydenham, thereby enabling comprehensive testing of trains across the entire corridor. Despite anticipated increases in passenger numbers once the final stage opens, Sydney Metro acting chief executive Hugh Lawson stated that the agency does not expect to need additional trains to expand the existing 45-train fleet or increase service frequency. Current weekday peak times see trains running every four minutes in both directions. An increase in service frequency to every three minutes would necessitate purchasing more trains. Lawson explained that it typically takes around three years for a new train to become available in Sydney after an order is placed. Meanwhile, the government continues to face a prolonged disagreement concerning costs, timelines, and accountability.