With the delivery of the first of twelve three-car metro trains, Siemens Mobility has reached an important milestone in the turnkey Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project. Over the coming months, the train will undergo extensive testing and commissioning, initially at the stabling and maintenance facility in Orchard Hills, NSW, and subsequently on the main line.
Once the new 23-kilometre metro line opens, all trains will operate fully automatically (GoA4), connecting Greater Western Sydney with the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport, which is scheduled to open in October 2026. The trains are based on Siemens Mobility’s proven Inspiro platform and have been specifically tailored to the requirements of the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport line. The project is being delivered by the Parklife Metro consortium, comprising Siemens Mobility, Plenary Group, Webuild and RATP Dev, as part of a public-private partnership with Sydney Metro and is one of Australia’s most advanced rail infrastructure programmes.
The Turnkey Project
In 2022, Siemens Mobility was awarded the contract to deliver Australia’s first turnkey rail project under a public-private partnership: the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project. The 23-kilometre metro line will connect the new Western Sydney International Airport with the Bradfield City Centre.
The contract covers twelve fully automated, driverless metro trains as well as digital rail infrastructure, including signalling, electrification, telecommunications, platform screen doors and a depot. Railigent X, Siemens Mobility’s IoT suite for digital services and applications, will provide data-driven insights and AI-supported analytics. As part of the 15-year full-service contract, the vehicle fleet can be proactively monitored and remotely diagnosed, while potential problems can be identified before they affect operations.
The project is designed to be carbon-neutral and fully automated and is expected to create 14,000 construction jobs, contributing to economic growth in New South Wales and across Australia. Siemens Mobility is part of the Parklife Metro consortium alongside experienced international infrastructure partners. Siemens Mobility’s share of the contract is worth €900 million.
If everything proceeds according to plan, the new Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport line is scheduled to open in December 2027.
We have previously reported on the project here:
https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/siemens-mobility-to-deliver-a-turnkey-metro-system-for-sydney/
Sydney’s first metro line – and the first of its kind on the entire Australian continent – opened in 2019. This North West Line is also operated without drivers; Alstom supplied the trains and signalling technology. More information is available here:
https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/australias-first-metro-line-reaches-the-centre-of-sydney/
Another metro line is currently under construction between Westmead and Hunter Street. It will be 24 kilometres long and is expected to open in 2032. A network map of Greater Sydney can be found here:
Sydney rail network map
