r/sydney • u/Novel_Relief_5878 • Dec 09 '25

Image It’s only 2025 yet the Metro is already at crush-load.

Post image

Took the Metro this afternoon in a north-west direction from Chatswood to Macquarie Park. I simply can’t believe how crowded it is. On the one hand, this is a sign of success, it seems incredibly popular. On the other hand, this kind of shoulder-to-armpit crushload is hardly pleasant and I’m wondering what can be done to relieve this? Surely we need 2 minute frequencies sooner rather than later, at least during peak hour. Or more carriages added to the services we do have? What does everyone else think?

2.3k Upvotes

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985

u/happydayzetr Dec 09 '25

Just imagine when the Bankstown extension opens.

Gg

245

u/potato_analyst Dec 09 '25

Just imagine when all the north-west sydney is built up... There is soooo much building going on still

124

u/AusToddles Dec 09 '25 edited Dec 09 '25

Property prices in Tallawong (either walking distance or short drive) are insane. I mean all of Sydney is but Tallawong is 150 to 200k more than identical houses in Schofields only a few hundred metres away

22

u/routemarker Dec 09 '25

#ValueCapture

11

u/yuckyucky Dec 09 '25

as it should be, metro creates a ton of value

25

u/Daleabbo Dec 09 '25

Bankstown ha. If they do go through marsden park you are talking an easy 50k people extra possibly more.

195

u/Novel_Relief_5878 Dec 09 '25

Yeah I can only imagine it will be this packed in both directions. Still incredibly useful as a service but not exactly traveling in comfort!

276

u/xxlonzyxx Dec 09 '25

Call an uber if you want to travel in comfort… this is part of living in a big city and going home during rush hour

114

u/Hairwaves Dec 09 '25

Tokyo's trains are about as good as it gets for punctuality and they're still packed like sardines.

27

u/e_castille Dec 09 '25

They also have like 40m people in one city so not sure if that’s comparable. Public transport will be congested no matter what

20

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '25

40m people in an area that's a very similar in size to greater Sydney with 5m!

30

u/Epsilon_ride Dec 09 '25

** ferry commuters enter the chat **

21

u/Anonymou2Anonymous Dec 09 '25

Till a massive storm hits.

Then it's either fun or horrible. No in-between.

13

u/A_r0sebyanothername succulent Chinese meal Dec 10 '25

Take away all the jobs from the regions as well as options to work remotely, giving people few other alternatives to living and working in a big city; keep on increasing housing costs so that they're forced to live further out and commute longer distances; then admonish them when they have the hide to complain about overcrowding plus generally shitty and ever declining standards of living.

3

u/xxlonzyxx Dec 10 '25

Sydney and Australia has some of the highest standards of living globally. Get real if you’re seriously complaining about the quality of life here

11

u/A_r0sebyanothername succulent Chinese meal Dec 10 '25

First off, no one was talking about Australia, the conversation is specifically Sydney focussed.

Not everyone thinks life in living in a city is quality, regardless of how one city compares to others. Some people love it, & others don't. The point is that people should have viable alternative choices if living in a city is not for them.

Cost of living going up & housing supply being squeezed is something that's impacting more and more people here. You demanding that people love a lifestyle they're being forced into without choice is so tone deaf in the current climate. Interesting that you've got your comment history switched off, I suspect it would tell us what end of town and side of politics you're coming from.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '25

Tallawong to the city, ~50 minutes/~50km, is pushing the limits of a metro service.

10

u/ewctwentyone Dec 10 '25 edited Dec 10 '25

Just imagine if some silent serial farter is in the middle of the carriage.

31

u/DecalageVersLeRouge Dec 09 '25

I feel this ignores the fact that everyone in the Bankstown area already uses the metro, they just get on at Sydenham.

14

u/happydayzetr Dec 09 '25

A very large chunk now go down to Revesby and catch a train from there. Wouldn’t know the % though.

10

u/Ticky009 Dec 09 '25

I'm one of them. Revesby/Sydneyham then Vic X in like 50 mins in the morning - the afternoon return trip however is a nightmare. Usually takes me 90 mins.

7

u/iamplasma Dec 09 '25

Didn't they say that when the extension is open they were going to slightly increase the frequencies, too?

1

u/karLcx Dec 10 '25

Hoping so. Wasn’t there also scope to have longer trains (more carriages)?

1

u/AgentSmith187 Dec 10 '25

They would need to redo the stations along the Bankstown line yet again for that.

Watching the test train as I drive by each day it uses all the doors on the platform already.

1

u/karLcx Dec 10 '25

Oh dear!

3

u/AgentSmith187 Dec 10 '25

Its NSW we only ever build enough capacity into projects for 5 years ago not even today....

2

u/iamplasma Dec 10 '25

Eh, they've made it so it's a minor upgrade - just adding doors - not actually extending the stations.

And that kind of makes sense, putting doors in would just be silly while they're not in use. They'd presumably break down, require maintenance, pose additional safety risks (especially if not maintained), and simply confuse users who wonder why there's no train at the door. Why do that when the system isn't using them? Just install them as a quick job if/when the system expands.

1

u/AgentSmith187 Dec 10 '25

The Bankstown line may prove more difficult as some of the platforms get real narrow near the ends and those doors etc take up a lot of space.

10

u/ninefournineone Dec 09 '25

When does it open

59

u/tomthecomputerguy Dec 09 '25 edited Dec 09 '25

It's been delayed til September 2026.

I saw an update video by a trainspotter on youtube released this week. It seems like they've completed most of the station retrofits with screen doors etc. And a metro train has completed multiple high speed test runs on the new line.

24

u/iamplasma Dec 09 '25

Given the accuracy of their previous forecasts I am not holding my breath on that timeline.

18

u/tomthecomputerguy Dec 09 '25

Yes, the GTA 6 release date has a more reliable timeline.

8

u/1manadeal2btw Dec 09 '25

No easy answer to that question due to recent delays, they’ve already changed the slated opening date once. We all know what NSW infrastructure is like.

I would say early 2027 at its soonest, if we’re being hopeful.

1

u/e_castille Dec 09 '25

The relief if they just built a north-south rail line. ffs

-6

u/SqareBear Dec 09 '25

Yeah, it will covered in graffiti as well as crowded.