The wait is almost over: Southwest Metro gets official opening date!
22.10.2026
Southwest Metro services will officially begin at 4:31am on Friday, 30 October
The opening will mark a major milestone in Sydney's transport network, connecting communities from Bankstown through the CBD to the northwest on one continuous 66-kilometre Metro line.
On Friday 30 October, passengers in Bankstown, Punchbowl, Wiley Park, Lakemba, Belmore, Campsie, Canterbury, Hurlstone Park, Dulwich Hill and Marrickville will have access to fast, reliable, turn-up-and-go services, with trains every four minutes during weekday peaks.
The new Metro will deliver 50 per cent more passenger capacity than the old T3 Bankstown Line it replaces, along with faster journeys and direct connections to more jobs, education and opportunities across Sydney.
The opening date follows final safety approval from the independent Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator, received yesterday.
From next Friday, passengers will benefit from the following travelling times:
•Bankstown to Central: 28 minutes - saving six minutes
•Marrickville to Gadigal: 12 minutes - saving 12 minutes
•Campsie to Macquarie University: 44 minutes – saving 17 minutes
•Lakemba to Victoria Cross: 37 minutes – saving 24 minutes
•Canterbury to Chatswood: 31 minutes – saving 23 minutes.
Services will run every four minutes during weekday peak hours, every five minutes during the day, and every ten minutes in the evenings and on weekends.
More than 2,600 driverless metro services will travel on the fully integrated Sydney Metro M1 network each week. With Metro services operating to Bankstown, around 48,000 trips are expected to be made across the metro line on a typical weekday during the 8am and 9am peak.