Six train and platform doors to stay shut when Sydney's M1 metro extension opens

Sydney Metro has assured safety regulators it will keep six train and platform screen doors closed at stations along the final section of the city's $30 billion M1 metro line when it opens to passengers.

The doors are a small fraction of those along the south-west section between Bankstown and Sydenham, but signal the complexity of gaining final approval from the national rail regulator for passenger services.

Transport Minister John Graham said the decision to keep the doors closed was agreed with the regulator to ensure there were "not even minor safety issues" when the line opens.

"It is a complex rail system, and that's one of the reasons why we're making sure that at first passenger service, we can meet the safety case. We're very confident that will happen," he said.

Three screen doors will remain closed at Dulwich Hill station, and one each at Canterbury, Campsie and Marrickville. They are located at points on curved platforms where the distance between driverless trains and the platform is widest. The corresponding train doors will also remain closed.

Opposition transport spokesperson Natalie Ward described the measure as a "monumental stuff up" that the government would have known about for months.

"Only this government could deliver a brand-new metro late, then open it with the doors shut," she said. "This is an embarrassment and someone needs to be held accountable. Taxpayers paid billions for every door to work."

Analysis

Why This Matters

The final M1 section will carry passengers through a busy south-west corridor, and closed doors could leave some waiting for the next service at certain points on the platform.
The decision shows the difficulty of delivering a driverless metro that satisfies the national safety regulator's requirements.
It also creates a political problem for the NSW government, with the opposition accusing it of opening a new line with known faults.

Background

Sydney Metro is an automated, driverless rail network being expanded across the city. The M1 line is the state's centrepiece public transport project, intended to deliver high-frequency services on a route that previously operated as part of the suburban heavy rail network. The final stage involves converting an existing line to metro standards, a process that has required new safety assessments, including how platform gaps are managed on curved sections of track.

Key Perspectives

NSW Government (Transport Minister John Graham): Defends the arrangement as a safety-first measure agreed with the regulator and says the government is confident the safety case will be met for the first passenger service. Opposition (Coalition transport spokesperson Natalie Ward): Calls the situation a "monumental stuff up" and an "embarrassment", arguing taxpayers paid for every door to work and demanding accountability for the late and partially functioning line. National rail regulator: The independent arbiter of the safety case, whose requirements Sydney Metro must meet before passenger services can begin.

What to Watch

Confirmation of a firm opening date for the final section of the M1 line.
Whether the closed doors are reviewed and reopened shortly after services begin, or remain in place indefinitely.
Whether the government answers opposition questions about when it first knew the platform gap issue existed.

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