The transformation of Sydney’s Southwest Metro is making significant progress, with major works underway across the 130-year-old T3 Bankstown line.
At Canterbury Station, the first full set of Sydney Metro’s platform screen doors have been installed to create a 180m-long barrier along the edge of both platforms.
A total of 160 out of 360 platform screen doors have been fitted across the ten Southwest stations being upgraded to ensure public safety with the remainder to be installed by the end of November.
Each of the state-of-the-art glass doors take approximately six hours to prepare and install, before being connected with electrical cables, powered on and prepared for testing and commissioning.
Since major construction commenced following the closure of the T3 Bankstown line a month ago, between 400 and 800 people have been working on the Southwest conversion every day.
Work completed to date as part of the Southwest conversion includes:
- Track adjustments, overhead wiring and signalling work at Sydenham to disconnect the future Sydney Metro tracks from the adjacent Sydney Trains and ARTC networks
- Commissioning of the new T6 line to provide a four-car shuttle service from Bankstown to Lidcombe
- 20.21km of 21.34km of security and rail segregation fencing installed
- 160 of 360 platform screen doors installed at Bankstown, Canterbury, Campsie, Marrickville and Dulwich Hill stations
- 105 of 170 mechanical gap fillers installed at Marrickville, Canterbury, Hurlstone Park, Campsie, Dulwich Hill Stations, with installation works underway at Belmore, Punchbowl and Lakemba stations
The New South Wales Government is also turbocharging the delivery of new housing along the Southwest Metro line by supporting transport-oriented development at the majority of stations on the line including an accelerated precinct at Bankstown Station.
The new metro will allow thousands of people to live next to a high-frequency metro line with a train every four minutes during the peak. Prior to the shutdown, some stations along the Southwest line only had four trains an hour in the peak.
Additionally, a new 17km walking and cycling path will be built along the Sydenham to Bankstown alignment, giving people even more travel options.
Once the final section of this line is open, Sydney will have a 30km fast and reliable metro network from Sydney’s North West, under the harbour and below the Sydney CBD and out to Bankstown in the city’s South West.
This is all part of the State Government’s plan to build more housing close to infrastructure such as metros, jobs and essential services, building well-connected communities for New South Wales.
During the conversion period, free and frequent pink Southwest Link buses have carried over million passengers impacted by the closure of the T3 Bankstown line.
New South Wales Premier, Chris Minns, said, “This new Metro will completely reshape how people across South Western Sydney travel around our city, providing world class public transport options that have been missing for far too long.
“New South Wales is losing twice as many young people as we’re gaining, and building new homes near public transport with major projects like this is a critical part of the solution to making housing more affordable.
“I want to thank the thousands of workers who have worked around the clock on this conversion and the many more who will deliver this converted line.”
New South Wales Minister for Transport, Jo Haylen, said, “Platform screen doors are an essential part of delivering a modern new transport system and it is fantastic to see them standing proudly at Canterbury, where passengers will soon be able to jump on board a metro train with ease.
“We are making every second of this closure count so that people living in Sydney’s southwest will have access to game-changing fast, reliable and safe metro services.
“We have hit the ground running to ensure safe and reliable metro services are a reality for hundreds of thousands of people in Sydney’s inner west and southwest sooner rather than later.”
Member for Canterbury, Sophie Cotsis, said, “This is a transformational project and one that will leave an important legacy in the area.
“When the conversion is complete, passengers will have access to a 21st century high-tech metro line with a train every four minutes during the peak, along with fully accessible stations and services.
“This is a huge win for commuters in the southwest who can expect faster travel times to destinations around Sydney, including Canterbury to Central in just 16 minutes.”
