The Sydney Metro Metropolis Stock is a class of electric multiple units that operate on the Sydney Metro network. Built by Alstom as part of their Metropolis family, the trains are the first fully automated passenger rolling stock in Australia as well as the first single-deck electric trainsets to operate in Sydney since their withdrawal from the suburban rail network in the 1990s.
They first entered service in May 2019 with the opening of the Metro North West Line, with additional trainsets ordered for the City & Southwest extension, which partially opened in 2024, with the remaining Sydenham to Bankstown section expected to open in 2025. A total of 270 carriages, making up 45 6-car sets have been built.
History
Procurement
In June 2012, the North West Rail Link project (later Sydney Metro North West) announced that it would use single deck "metro" style trains, rather than the double deck trains more commonly used in Sydney.[8][9] In May 2013, Minister for TransportGladys Berejiklian announced that two consortia had been shortlisted for the Operations and Train Systems (OTS) contract. The winning consortium would build the trains, install signalling and other electronic systems, as well as operate the line as a public–private partnership.[10]
Northwest Rapid Transit subsequently contracted Alstom to build 22 6-car automated Metropolis trainsets for the line, as well as install a communications-based train control (CBTC) signalling system at a cost of $1.7 billion.[15][16]
Design and construction
In November 2015, the design of the train was unveiled by Minister for Transport Andrew Constance,[17] with the full-scale model of the train later displayed at public events such as the 2016 Sydney Royal Easter Show.[18][19] It consisted of the front carriage, and was approximately 75% of the length of the final design, having two doors instead of three.[20]
The trains were manufactured at Alstom's rolling stock facility at Sri City in India,[21][22] with the first train arriving in New South Wales in September 2017.[23][24] In February 2018, dynamic testing on the first of the trainsets began.[25] Testing was done on brakes, passenger information displays, lighting and door operation.[26] In July 2018, Alstom was awarded a 15 year maintenance contract for the trains and the signalling system.[27] In December 2018, production of the 22 trainsets was completed.[28] On 14 January 2019, the first driverless Metro train completed the full journey between Tallawong and Chatswood.[29]
Introduction into service
On 26 May 2019, the trains entered service on the Metro North West Line,[30] operated by Metro Trains Sydney, a joint venture between the MTR Corporation, John Holland and UGL Rail.[13]
In November 2019, the Northwest Rapid Transit public–private partnership was extended to cover the City & Southwest extension. As part of this contract expansion, Alstom would deliver an additional 23 6-car trainsets as well as signalling to serve the extension at a cost of €350 million ($563 million).[31][32] The contract includes options for additional trains and extension of existing trains to 8 cars in length in future.[31][32] By November 2022, four of these additional trainsets had entered service on the Metro North West Line, ahead of the opening of the City & Southwest extension.[33] In March 2024, it was announced that all 45 trains had been tested over the full length of the line.[34] The Chatswood to Sydenham portion of the City & Southwest project extension opened in August 2024, with the remaining Sydenham to Bankstown portion of the line expected to open in 2025.[35]
Driving end of the trainOriginal digital displays before commencement of the City and Southwest Line
Each single-deck train features two dedicated areas for prams, luggage and bicycles. There are three doorways per side per carriage and no internal gangway doors between the carriages.[39] In a 6-car configuration the trains have a seating capacity of 378 people, with a total capacity of 1,100.[40] The trains utilise Alstom's Urbalis 400 communications-based train control signalling system that ensures trains are capable of driving and operating automatically at all times without a driver or attendant on board, including door closing, obstacle detection and dealing with emergency situations.[41][42]
The trains feature longitudinal 'bench-style' seating per carriage (similar to most metro rapid-transit/subway trains), with distinctly coloured seats for priority and disabled passengers.[43] Seats in wheelchair spaces can fold up in order to fit prams and wheelchairs. A doorway-status light is installed above each doorway, which illuminates white when the doors are fully closed, green when the doors are fully open, and flashes in red when the doors are opening or closing.
Features of the Metropolis sets include CCTV cameras, internal passenger information display (PID) screens and digital voice announcements.[44] The PID screens display the name of the next station, along with icons for available transport mode interchanges. The sets are also fitted with air conditioning and emergency help points.[44] There are also USB charging ports at the end of cars 01 and 02.[45][46]
The Metropolis sets are operated via a control centre based at Rouse Hill. In the event the system is otherwise unable to operate the train, an engineer can manually take over the train's functions. The trains are maintained at the Sydney Metro Trains Facility at Rouse Hill,[47] with overnight stabling of trains at Sydney Metro Trains Facility South in Marrickville following the opening of the City & Southwest extension.[48]
Service formation
The 270 Alstom Metropolis carriages form 45 six-car sets. Individual vehicles are numbered as follows:[citation needed]
^Douglas, Neil; Thornton, Peter (2019). "Passenger Benefits of Sydney Metro". Australasian Transport Research Forum. Archived(PDF) from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
^"North West Rail Link Project Overview June 2012"(PDF). Sydney Metro. June 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2024. the North West Rail Link has been identified for the first new single deck services which will be introduced across key parts of the network in the next decade and beyond
^Saulwick, Jacob; O'Sullivan, Matt (26 May 2019). "It's been promised at every election for generations, but now it's a reality". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 May 2024. in June 2012, Mr O'Farrell and Ms Berejiklian announced a break with that pre-election promise. Releasing a 50-year transport "masterplan", they said the line would be built as a stand-alone metro.
^"Contract finalised for $3.7bn Sydney Metro extension". www.theconstructionindex.co.uk. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2024. The consortium's AU$3.7bn (£1.95bn) contract package includes AU$1.7bn for new metro trains and core rail systems
^Douglas, Neil; Thornton, Peter (2019). "Passenger Benefits of Sydney Metro". Australasian Transport Research Forum 2019 Proceedings. Archived(PDF) from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
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