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Southwest Metro extension opens, cutting Bankstown-Central to 28 minutes

By Drooid · Oct 29, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

Transport Minister John Graham opened the Southwest Metro extension at 4:31 am Friday.
The project costs just under $23 billion, with the Southwest segment alone costing $10 billion.
The new line adds 17,000 peak-hour seats and raises overall capacity by 50 percent.
Bankstown-to-Central travel now takes 28 minutes, six minutes faster than the former heavy rail.
Safety regulators kept six platform doors closed at four stations over gap-fill concerns.

Summary

Western Sydney International Airport opened, adding a second major gateway to Sydney on 25 October 2026.
A 24-hour cargo precinct began operations in July 2026, boosting air-freight capacity by roughly 33 percent.
The airport created over 12,800 jobs, with about half filled by local Western Sydney workers.
The $5.6 billion terminal is named for pioneering aviator Nancy-Bird Walton (1915–2009).
Some travelers mistakenly arrived at the wrong Sydney airport because of name confusion.

History

On 26 September 1855 the Sydney Railway Company opened the colony’s first passenger line from Sydney to Parramatta Junction, marking the start of suburban rail and goods transport via the Darling Harbour overbridge designed by William Randle. Later, Transport Minister John Graham inaugurated the Southwest Metro line, honoring aviator Nancy-Bird Walton, continuing the tradition of rail projects that shape Western Sydney’s growth.

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On 26 September 1855 the Sydney Railway Company opened the colony’s first passenger line from Sydney to Parramatta Junction, marking the start of suburban rail and goods transport via the Darling Harbour overbridge designed by William Randle. Later, Transport Minister John Graham inaugurated the Southwest Metro line, honoring aviator Nancy-Bird Walton, continuing the tradition of rail projects that shape Western Sydney’s growth.

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