Testing underway on Sydney Metro City and Southwest line

The 15.5km twin Chatswood to Sydenham metro railway lines in Sydney has started on-track testing to secure the safe and efficient operation of the metro system before services commence in 2024.

Platform Screen Door interface testing has been achieved across all seven new city stations. This test concerns rolling stock engineers checking each door of the train, and each platform screen door is a specified distance apart.

Meeting this requirement confirms Sydney Metro provides safe, fully-accessible services for customers with level access between platforms and trains at all stations.

Additional testing will prove the performance of the doors under operating conditions.

The other tests comprise:

• Kinematic envelope test, which confirms the safe distance between the top and sides of the train and the tunnel
• Testing of brakes, containing brake testing on different gradients
• ‘Car-Car Clearance Test’ to guarantee all curves/turns pass without issue
• Overhead wire and track interface testing
• Train recovery, where one train is connected to a motionless train and moved to a station to simulate the recovery of a failed train.

These tests assure the proper operation of necessary safety functions and that communication and signaling systems are performing as envisioned.