Sydney Bankstown Metro First Test Train

In Backtrack's last update, nearly the most exciting thing was how many leaves had collected on station platforms along the line… But they say a week is a long time in politics but also so this past week on the metro. I didn't expect to be making a video update so quickly after the last one.. But with so much news happening I had to make one. We are now 7 months into the closure of the line and some big news this week. This video we'll cover the first test train run on 3rd April 2025 , the news that the T6 line which only opened on 19 October 2024; is now closing for 2 months, and well the stuck door which didn't close…

[RGC]

Hi Marty, excellent video. Great seeing a test metro train finally running on the Bankstown line. I am guessing replacement buses will be used while the T6 line is temporally closed. hopefully, they will have everything running before too long. Anyway, take care. Rob in Melbourne Australia.

[HugoBrown]

No Frills "Saved our Lives" another great video, have to admit I've never been on the T3 or T6 line or the suburbs there, I should go have look see what its like. Love all the additional historical information hope you will add some more historical facts in the videos

[MarkNguyen]

I just saw the Metro train pass by at Punchbowl today!!! 😮 no wonder

[robertcoleman]

Thanks Marty for the update cheers Bob.🛤🚇🍺

[whophd]

6:35 probably worth exploring how this was the "standard" platform width in the era of quadruplication (Central to Homebush). Before they squeezed in 6 tracks with quadruplication 100 years ago, this was how various stations looked, like Newtown or Croydon. Yep it's taken literally 100 years to build the 7th+8th western line tracks with Sydney Metro West, but the first 3 pairs of lines all came in rapid succession every 20-30 years from the mid-1800s. At least with the new one, it roughly doubles the capacity of the existing three.

[whophd]

7:25 somehow if they could magically continue that platform under the ground, join to the tracks on the other side for Olympic Park, it would make a great shuttle service with a metro.

[sigmaoctantis]

Yesterday afternoon (16/04) I saw a metro train stopped at Dulwich Hill.

Ah! Rookwood station. I recall in the late '60s there was a Rookwood station on the cemetery side of the line, probably half a kilometre East from Lidcombe station. There was a somewhat decrepit looking sign on an otherwise empty platform. At that time, I believe you could ask to have the West bound train stop there.

[jasonchavez-lw]

TsetsTransport did the best video in regard to this, he was able to get some footage of all the testing up until nearly 3 in the morning. Pity you weren’t able to get some footage of it as well.

[Epic]

I really do miss Franklins i'm in my 40s and I too grew up shopping at Franklins with my family

[electro_sykes]

I wonder if part of the platforms at Yagoona and Birrong will in future be permanently walled off.

[anguscovoflyer]

they have now done a day test all the way to Bankstown

[BigBlueMan]

6:00 Marty the Sefton Park junction might be cool from a railway nerd perspective but for an actual effective modern railway operation in a 5m+ city it is awful, those curves are extremely slow (I think line speeds are only 25-40kmh in every direction) and awkward; and the area is a capacity killer for those lines.

[Matlockization]

I don't know why the Bankstown line was singled out for development.

[electro_sykes]

Birrong and Yagoona are some of the least used stations on the entire suburban network. Hence why they didn’t both sending metro there. But they had enough riders to justify a shuttle than cutting service altogether

[PeterCowanYouTubePersonal]

Absolutely disgusting, ruining a high capacity, comfortable rail service, shutting it down & replacing it with this horrible, privatised, seatless metro garbage. ABSOLUTELY CRIMINAL.

[nikolabee]

Biggest and most EXPENSIVE downgrade, another stunt for the masses. Such such such a waste! 'If it ain't broke don't fix it', if only Jo Haylen learnt, she got what she deserved.