Sydney Metro passes first peak-hour test

Sydney's new driverless northwest Metro has passed its first real test during peak-hour on Monday morning, only suffering some minor hiccups.

A North West Metro train

A North West Metro train seen approaching Tallawong Station in Sydney. (AAP)

Sydney's new driverless northwest Metro train has passed its first peak-hour test on Monday morning - though not without a few teething troubles.

Trains along the new line generally ran smoothly on Monday morning, though a train at Cherrybrook station overshot the platform about 8:30am.

The hiccup wasn't as disruptive as a similar incident during Sunday's official opening that caused a 20-minute delay.
Commuters posted mixed reviews on social media, with many unimpressed by the frequency of trains.

Services were promised every five minutes during peak hours, but some Sydneysiders said they only arrived every 10 minutes.

"#sydneymetro your definition of peak hours needs to start way before 8am. It's 7.43am at Epping and train every 10 mins is terrible. There is hardly any standing room on the train," Twitter user @allenpaul01 posted on Monday morning.

Others lauded the time saved during their morning commute.

"Normally have to get 3 buses (almost always stuck standing) but today I just got 1 train (and a seat!). Heaps quicker than bus," Ryan McFayden tweeted.

"First time trying #SydneyMetro and am very impressed! Has saved me 20 minutes on my way in to work, very modern and fresh. Credit given where due- well done," Darin Skinner tweeted.

Nearly 140,000 people rode the new line between Rouse Hill and Chatswood following its official opening on Sunday - 42,000 of them in the first three hours.
When the newly-opened line reaches full operation, trains will run every four minutes each way during peak hour between Rouse Hill and Chatswood.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian apologised for the "small glitches" on opening day but said on the whole, things went really well.

"I hope today will be glitch free," she told Nine's Today Show early on Monday morning.

"But you'd expect in the first few weeks and even months that it won't be perfect. We are asking people to be patient and I want to thank everybody for their patience."

She said it would take a few months before people started using the network, as they work out how it fits in their daily routine.
More than 20,000 people worked on the $7.3 billion project over eight years. Work is now underway to extend the line from Chatswood to Bankstown.

Later, another metro project will link greater Parramatta with the CBD.

Customer service representatives are aboard each of the driverless trains, though the Rail, Tram and Bus Union released a statement on Monday warning of plans to remove the workers altogether "in the very near future".

Sydney Metro has been contacted for comment.


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Sydney Metro passes first peak-hour test | SBS News