Sydney's Bankstown Metro brings commuters a timetable-free journey

Packed opening services give way to steady evening travel, while Chris Minns makes further expansion conditional on affordability.

Channel: 9 News Australia ·

AustraliaStory of October 31, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of 9 News Australia's most watched videos since yesterday, with 79,271 views.

9 News Australia: The news service of Australia's Nine Network, owned by Nine Entertainment. 1.9M subscribers and 1.7B views.

Sydney’s Southwest Metro line finally opens to massive crowds | 9 News Australia

Things we can learn from the video

Press to jump

0:24Passengers gather before dawn for the ribbon-cutting and crowd onto the first service.
1:19A route graphic connects the refurbished Bankstown-Sydenham section with the wider metro line to Tallawong.
1:53The report puts passenger numbers above 92,000 before 10am, as commuters welcome frequent trains replacing buses.
2:22Further expansion becomes a political question; Minns says more metros will be built when affordable.
3:07Annalise Bolt reports steady evening peak-hour travel from Marrickville Station.

For one passenger on Sydney's newly opened Southwest Metro, the improvement is simple: no more checking an app before travelling. Trains arrive every four minutes, the commuter says, replacing the wait for temporary buses with a service they can board without planning ahead.

The report from Australian broadcaster 9 News Australia follows the opening of the converted Bankstown-Sydenham railway, connecting southwest Sydney into the metro network through the city centre. Crowds arrive before dawn for the ribbon-cutting, and the first train fills with passengers, some dressed for the occasion.

"This really is like Metro Christmas," one person says.

The broadcaster reports more than 92,000 passengers before mid-morning. Its route graphic traces the refurbished stations between Bankstown and Sydenham, now part of a continuous metro line reaching Tallawong in Sydney's northwest.

Among those celebrating is runner Lee Warren, who spent the night running along the metro alignment before the opening. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns describes his relief that services began without major disruption.

But the opening also brings a question about what comes next. Reporting from inside a train, state politics reporter Liz Daniels sets out the debate over further extensions, contrasting demands for a longer-term vision with the government's financial caution.

"We will build metros when we can afford to build it," Minns says.

By the evening peak, reporter Annalise Bolt finds steady travel at Marrickville Station. Her closing observation captures the practical change for passengers whose journeys previously depended on replacement buses: "Sydney just got smaller, Mark."

Published on Trari