Historic first test Metro train connects Macquarie Park direct to city via new harbour tunnel

A Sydney Metro train slowly traversed Sydney Harbour in the early hours of this morning (Friday), via new rail tunnels connecting Macquarie Park direct to the city for the first time.

Sydney’s second harbour crossing by rail is part of the landmark Sydney Metro City & Southwest line, which will extend Metro services to Sydney CBD and beyond when it opens to passengers next year.

Macquarie Park is already home to three stations on stage one of Australia’s first autonomous Metro system; North Ryde, Macquarie Park and Macquarie University. The Metro extension will slash journey times from all three to the city to about 20 minutes.

Sydney Metro CEO Peter Regan said train testing would start slowly, before increasing in the coming months:

“The first stage of testing is completed at low speed, with trains manually driven at a maximum speed of 25km/h.”

“Gradually we will see the trains move into high-speed testing, where the trains reach a maximum speed of 110km/h.”

Manual testing will involve checking brakes, stopping distances and onboard systems. Trains filled with hundreds of 1000-litre water containers will simulate peak hour passenger loads for safety.

Passengers have recently returned to travelling by Sydney Metro in significant numbers.

Trips on the Sydney Metro Northwest line surged to 2,115,000 last month, the second highest monthly patronage since the line opened in 2019.

Macquarie Park Metro station - total monthly entries (Source: Transport for NSW Opal data)

89,690 people entered Macquarie Park station in March 2023, an 18% increase on the previous peak in May 2021 which was prior to the COVID-19 Omicron outbreak.

General Manager at Connect Macquarie Park Innovation District, Mark Ames, said Metro was a game-changer for Macquarie Park:

“The extension of Metro will change Sydneysider’s mental geography of our city,” he said.

“From next year you’ll be able to get on a train at Barangaroo and travel direct to Macquarie Park in just 18 minutes.”

“Metro will increase access to the tens of thousands of high value jobs in the Pharmaceutical, Telecoms and Digital industries available in Macquarie Park. It’s a huge opportunity for our growing innovation district.”

The test Metro train completed its inaugural journey around 3AM this morning, before resting at the new Barangaroo station.