Sydney Metro Northwest train testing expands to Kellyville

Testing on the Sydney Metro Northwest has begun expanding across sections of the new line beyond the Tullawong terminus, storage, maintenance and operations depot area where testing has been limited to thus far.

Trains have begun rolling over the new Windsor Road bridge and onto the new Kellyville Station this week with the ultimate aim to move into the new 15km long tunnels between Bella Vista and Epping soon.

The NSW Government says so far there have been 10,000 journey kilometres of train testing contained within the Rouse Hill / Tullawong area, 44km of the project's catenary is now installed (out of a total 78km) and 9 out of the first 22 trainsets have been delivered.

Trains are limited to 60kph during the initial testing phase on the elevated track section through Kellyville and Rouse Hill, eventually, trains will be tested at 100kph before moving onto the underground sections.

Sydney Metro Northwest and the second phase City & Southwest is Australia's first driverless railway that will provide passengers who sit at the front of the train a forward view - something that is not possible in any other Australian railway system.

The initial fleet of 22 trains will be expanded once the line is extended to Bankstown via the CBD as part of the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project.  Each 6-car train will seat approximately 400 people and the combined seating and standing capacity will be 1100 passengers.

When demand warrants it, Sydney Metro stations will be expanded to handle 8 car trains which coupled with up to 2-minute headways on the line could boost the passenger carrying capacity to over 45,000 passengers per direction, per hour.

The terminus and outer stations on the new Sydney Metro line are seeing significant planning proposals either proposed adjacent or within an easy walk of the new stations.

As Urban.com.au reported on Tuesday, NSW Government development agency Landcom will oversee staged development on a site located directly south of the Tullawong terminus station.

Upwards of 16 buildings scaled up to 8 levels in height producing approximately 85,000 square metres of residential space across 1,107 dwellings are on the cards.

A further 5 projects are currently before council, 3 have been approved and three other projects are currently under construction in the immediate area as well.

The first phase of the Sydney Metro is expected to begin operations in 2019 with the full line open to Bankston by 2024.