Put your Opal cards away! This weekend you can hop on one of the first Sydney Metro trains to Chatswood without paying a cent.
On Sunday May 26, the new Metro North West Line will officially open, launching the huge NSW government project to develop Australia’s first driverless railway system. To mark the occasion, they’re throwing open the gates on all services between Tallawong and Chatswood – so you can test it out for yourself.
All Sydney Metro stations will open around 11am on Sunday, with the final metros of the day leaving Chatswood at 10.05pm and Tallawong at 9.35pm. It’s also the start of Vivid Sydney this weekend (lights on between 6pm-midnight), so if you were planning to check out Chatswood’s lights (also free of charge) you can save yourself a hefty Uber fare home.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian is pretty chuffed about the project, which has been delivered on time and more than $1 billion under budget. And if you’re concerned about the lack of humans in the drivers’ compartment, we hear the new driverless trains have completed more than 180,000 kilometres of testing.
Planning to mix your modes of transport? Remember to tap on and tap off for regular bus, train and light rail services. It’s just the shiny Metro North West Line that’s free to use.
Planning your Vivid Sydney route? Here are the 11 best Vivid Lights to seek out.