Austrailia's First Subway System for Sydney

[daveklepper]

Sydney opens Australia’s first metro line*

*May 28, 2019*


*Written by Mark Carter <https://www.railjournal.com/author/mark-carter/> *



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*THE $A 8.3bn ($US 5.7bn) first stage of the Sydney Metro Northwest metro
line between Tallawong and Chatswood opened on May 26, with around 140,000
people experiencing free travel for the day on the new service.*

*Not only is this Australia’s first metro line it is also the first
automated passenger operation in Australia to use driverless trains. In
addition, the 13 stations on the line are the first in Australia to be
equipped with platform screen doors.*

*Much of the newly-constructed 23km rail line between Tallawong and Epping
is underground with 15.5km in twin tunnels between Bella Vista and Epping,
and 4.4km on a continuous viaduct between Kellyville and Rouse Hill. At
Epping the new line has been extended to include the former Sydney Trains
13km Epping – Chatswood rail line which has been converted for driverless
metro operation. *

*The Northwest Rapid Transit Consortium (NRT), comprising MTR, John
Holland, Leighton Contractors, UGL Rail Services and Plenary Group,
previously won the $A 3.7bn public-private partnership (PPP) contract to
supply trains and systems, which includes a 15-year operation and
management contract. The fleet comprises 22 six-car Alstom Metropolis EMUs
which are fitted with Alstom’s Urbalis 400 CBTC system. The line is
electrified at 1.5kV dc overhead. *
https://www.railjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/SydneyMetroMacquarieUniversity_Paul-Hogan-1.jpg]*Macquarie
University station on the Epping – Chatsworth section which has been
upgraded for metro operation. Photo: Paul Hogan*

*Chatswood will be the major interchange between Sydney Metro
<https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/metros/final-sydney-metro-driverless-train-completed/>
Northwest metro line and the Sydney Trains commuter rail network for access
to the city centre until stage two, the Metro Sydney City & Southwest line,
opens in 2024. Construction of the $A 12.5bn 30km line is well underway.
Two more metro lines are planned to serve the second Sydney airport at
Badgery’s Creek and the western suburbs out to Parramatta. *

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[MidlandMike]

I remember in the early 80s, while visiting Sydney, riding underground trains.  I thought of them as subways, although they were double deckers.  I guess they were the downtown loop of the commuter trains.

[JPS1]

MidlandMike

 I remember in the early 80s, while visiting Sydney, riding underground trains.  I thought of them as subways, although they were double deckers.  I guess they were the downtown loop of the commuter trains. 

You are correct.  They are commuter trains.  I lived in Melbourne from 1999 to 2005.  I traveled to Sydney monthly, so I am familiar with the commuter trains running underground.