Sydney Metro Metropolis Stock
| Company type | Electric multiple unit trainset |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Founder | Alstom |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Metropolis electric multiple units |
| Parent | Alstom |
Sydney Metro Metropolis Stock
The Sydney Metro Metropolis Stock consists of electric multiple units that serve the Sydney Metro system. Produced by Alstom under their Metropolis series, these trains represent Australia's inaugural fully automated passenger fleet and mark the return of single-deck electric trainsets in Sydney, a design absent from the suburban network since the 1990s.
Operations commenced in May 2019 with the inauguration of the Metro North West Line. Additional units were commissioned for the City & Southwest extension, which partially opened in 2024, with the Sydenham to Bankstown section anticipated to be operational by 2026. Altogether, 270 carriages forming 45 six-car trainsets have been delivered.
Procurement
In June 2012, it was announced that the North West Rail Link project (later known as Sydney Metro North West) would adopt single-deck "metro" style trains rather than the traditional double-deck trains commonly used in Sydney's network. By May 2013, Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian revealed two shortlisted consortia for the Operations and Train Systems (OTS) contract, which encompassed train construction, signalling installation, and line operation through a public–private partnership:
- Northwest Rapid Transit (a consortium including John Holland, Leighton Contractors, MTR Corporation, Plenary Group, and UGL Rail)
- TransForm (a consortium featuring Bombardier Transportation, John Laing Investments, Macquarie Capital, McConnell Dowell, Serco, and SNC-Lavalin Capital)
Transport for NSW selected Northwest Rapid Transit in June 2014 to deliver the $3.7 billion OTS contract, which was officially awarded by the New South Wales Government in September 2014. Northwest Rapid Transit then engaged Alstom to manufacture 22 automated six-car Metropolis trainsets and implement a communications-based train control (CBTC) signalling system at a cost of $1.7 billion.
Design and construction
Transport Minister Andrew Constance unveiled the train design in November 2015. A full-scale mock-up was subsequently displayed at events such as the 2016 Sydney Royal Easter Show. This model represented about 75% of the length of the front carriage and featured two doors instead of three.
Alstom produced the trains at its rolling stock facility located in Sri City, India. The first unit arrived in New South Wales in September 2017. Dynamic testing commenced in February 2018 to evaluate systems including braking, passenger information displays, lighting, and door mechanisms. In July 2018, Alstom secured a 15-year maintenance agreement covering both rolling stock and signalling infrastructure. Production of all 22 trainsets was finalized by December 2018. On 14 January 2019, the first driverless Metro train successfully completed a full journey from Tallawong to Chatswood.
Introduction into service
The trains entered service on the Metro North West Line on 26 May 2019 under the management of Metro Trains Sydney, a joint venture comprising MTR Corporation, John Holland, and UGL Rail.
In November 2019, the Northwest Rapid Transit public–private partnership extended its scope to include the City & Southwest extension. Alstom won a €350 million ($563 million) contract to supply an additional 23 six-car trainsets along with signalling systems for this extension. This contract includes project management, design, manufacturing, testing, and commissioning of fully automated Metropolis trains paired with Urbalis 400 CBTC signalling technology. It also provides options for further train acquisitions and potential expansion to eight-car configurations. By November 2022, four new trainsets were operational on the Metro North West Line ahead of the City & Southwest extension launch. By March 2024, all 45 trains had undergone testing across the entire line. The section between Chatswood and Sydenham opened in August 2024; completion of the Sydenham to Bankstown segment is projected for 2026.
The upcoming Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport line will deploy Sydney Metro Inspiro Stock manufactured by Siemens instead of Metropolis units. As of April 2024, no contract has yet been awarded for rolling stock on Sydney Metro West.
Incidents
On 2 April 2025, a Metropolis train set 25 departed from Chatswood with one set of doors left open. Although personnel quickly recognized the problem, the doors remained ajar until the train arrived at Crows Nest, where staff manually shut them and subsequently removed the train from service.
Design
Each single-deck unit is equipped with two specific zones designated for prams, luggage, and bicycles. Featuring three doors on each side per carriage and lacking internal gangway doors, a six-car arrangement accommodates 378 seated passengers and can carry up to 1,100 individuals in total. The trains are operated using Alstom’s Urbalis 400 communications-based train control technology, which supports fully automated, driverless functionality including management of door operations, obstacle detection, and emergency protocols.
Seating consists of longitudinal bench-style arrangements with color-coded sections to identify priority and disabled seating areas. Spaces for wheelchairs include foldable seats to provide flexibility for prams or wheelchair users. Door status is communicated through indicator lights showing white for closed, green for open, and flashing red during door movement (opening or closing).
Additional onboard amenities comprise CCTV surveillance, internal passenger information display (PID) screens presenting upcoming station names alongside interchange symbols, digital audio announcements, air conditioning systems, emergency assistance points, and USB charging outlets located at the ends of cars 01 and 02.
Train operations are coordinated from a centralized control facility in Rouse Hill, where engineers have the capability to manually override train controls if necessary. Maintenance activities are conducted at the Sydney Metro Trains Facility situated in Rouse Hill, while overnight storage is provided at Marrickville following the inauguration of the City & Southwest extension.
Since early 2024, certain train sets have been refreshed with a teal-colored stripe running beneath the side windows along their entire length.
Service formation
The fleet comprises 270 Alstom Metropolis carriages arranged into 45 six-car sets, numbered as detailed below:
| ←Template:StnlnkA | Sydenham→ | |||||
| 01 : 45 |
0101 : 4501 |
0103 : 4503 |
0105 : 4505 |
0106 : 4506 |
0104 : 4504 |
0102 : 4502 |
- Cars numbered 01 and 02 serve as control trailer cars.
- Cars 03 and 04 are motor cars without control capabilities but equipped with pantographs.
- Cars 05 and 06 are motor cars without control functions.
Car number 01 is always oriented towards the Tallawong end of the line; car number 02 faces the Sydenham end.
The contract permits expansion to eight-car formations by inserting two additional infill carriages between cars 05 and 06 if passenger demand increases.
See also
- Sydney Metro Inspiro Stock - driverless trains designed for the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport initiative