After two years of replacement buses, the wait is over for commuters along the Bankstown railway line.
The Sydney Metro extension between Sydenham and Bankstown opens on Friday, 30 October.
The line has been closed to trains since September 2024, with free Southwest Link buses carrying passengers while the 130-year-old corridor was converted to metro standards.
The disruption has been felt strongly by the tens of thousands of commuters who use the line every day.
Before that, many travellers on the line had put up with trains they found to be cramped and uncomfortable while a number of stations had no lifts between platform and concourse.
That was a daily obstacle for elderly passengers, people with disabilities and mums with prams. Under the conversion, every station on the line has been upgraded to be fully accessible by lift.
The Bankstown extension is the final stage of the M1 line.
Metro services first began running from Tallawong in the Hills District to Chatswood in May, 2019 and the line was extended under the harbour and through the city to Sydenham in August, 2024.
Once Bankstown opens, passengers will be able to travel on modern, air-conditioned metro trains from Bankstown all the way to Tallawong.
Trains will run every four minutes in the peak, or 15 an hour compared with eight on the old line.
Prior to the upgrade, a train trip from Bankstown to Town Hall took 45 minutes but the Metro journey from Bankstown to Gadigal (a couple of minutes walk from Town Hall) will be only 30 minutes.
A spokesperson said it will carry 50 per cent more passengers than the T3 line it replaces. It is expected to handle about 48,000 passenger journeys on a typical weekday during the 8am and 9am peak.
Transport Minister John Graham has commented that the service will deliver “faster, safer and more reliable public transport for people living between Bankstown and Sydenham.”
He also thanked commuters for their patience.
“This is a huge moment for southwest Sydney,” Premier Chris Minns said.
“It’s an investment that will make a real difference to these communities for generations to come.”
For the Muslim community, the benefits are practical and immediate.
Those who work in the city will benefit from faster trips in ultra-modern trains as previously referenced.
Lakemba is one of the stations on the line, and Lakemba Mosque, which turns 5 next year, has long been recognised as the spiritual home for Muslims in Australia.
Faster, more frequent trains and step-free access will hopefully encourage worshippers from other areas to make the journey to Lakemba to pray at Australia’s most iconic masjid.
The same goes for those visiting Lakemba’s restaurants, bakeries and sweet shops, and the many Muslim service providers, who have their businesses in the area.
And with reliable trains running, customers from across Sydney will find a major hub like Bankstown easier to visit, and again, local businesses should benefit.
The opening of the Metro will also be welcome news for the crowds who flock to Ramadan Nights on Haldon Street, Lakemba, annually.
For the past two years, visitors have had to rely on replacement buses to reach the festival.
Next Ramadan, they will be able to step off a metro train right at the heart of the action.
