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Premier Chris Minns,left,on one of the driverless trains undergoing testing on the new line between Sydenham and Chatswood.Credit:Nick Moir

The opening as early as April of the main section of the$21.6 billion Metro City and Southwest line,the second stage of the metro rail network,hinges on the testing of the computer-driven trains and complex systems.

Since the first single-deck train snaked through tunnels under the harbour in April,trains have clocked up about 2000 kilometres travelling between Chatswood and Sydenham – or about 500 hours of “low-speed dynamic testing”.

Three trains are being tested on the line,including one loaded with water canisters to simulate it being full of passengers.

Tanks,each carrying 1000 litres of water,simulate the weight of people on board a Sydney Metro train.Credit:Sydney Metro

Metro City and Southwest project director Hugh Lawson said the challenges involved in testing and commissioning the line would not be over until it opened.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done on this project. Yes,a lot of the physical build is complete,but we have got a lot of tough and difficult testing of all the integrated systems to go. That is just as important as building the stations and digging the tunnels,” he said.

The planned opening of the main section of theMetro City and Southwest,which will connect to theMetro Northwest line,will mean passengers can travel from Rouse Hill to Martin Place in 46 minutes without having to switch trains at Chatswood. Alternatively,a trip in the opposite direction from Sydenham to Macquarie University will take 33 minutes.

The project team will begin high-speed testing after approvals are in place in the coming weeks. Speeds will be progressively increased in increments of about 10 kilometres an hour,after which a series of tests will be undertaken to ensure brakes and acceleration work as intended.

“Once everything is passed,we move up to the next speed,and ultimately get to the maximum line speed which is 100 kilometres an hour,” Lawson said.

Sydney Metro hopes to get to the maximum speed by the end of the year,and will then start to test multiple trains on the line at any one time.

Lawson said his team considered a range of factors during testing at different speeds such as the kinematic envelope – the space between the train and tunnel walls – stopping position,doors and the quality of the ride.

While the stations appear finished,workers are focused on testing. “A lot of the systems integrate with the train. So,you need trains to complete the testing of some of the systems in the stations like tunnel ventilation systems and how they operate while trains are running,” Lawson said.

The rail project has beendogged by cost blowouts and the challenge converting a 128-year-old line between Sydenham and Bankstown into one capable of carrying the driverless trains. The government estimates the conversion will cost anextra $1 billion,pushing up the bill for the entire project to $21.6 billion – almost double the price tag last decade.

The main section of the Metro City and Southwest has to open before a 13-kilometre stretch of the Bankstown line can be closed to commuters for a year to allow workers to convert the track.

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