What is the name of Australia's first fully automated, driverless metro railway, which opened in 2019? It is Sydney Metro.
Sydney Metro opened its first passenger service on May 26, 2019, when the Metro North West Line began running between Tallawong and Chatswood. The project introduced Australia’s first fully automated, driverless metro railway, using computer-controlled trains and platform screen doors at stations.
The trains are part of Sydney Metro’s wider network rather than a separate railway branded only as “Metro North West.” The original line later became connected with the City & Southwest project, extending metro service through central Sydney to Sydenham in 2024. Sydney Metro’s trains can operate without a driver, although staff remain important for customer service, safety and disruption management.
The answer is sometimes confused with Sydney’s older suburban rail network, which uses conventional driver-operated trains, or with proposed metro projects in Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne. “Sydney Metro” is the system name; the 2019 opening specifically refers to its first stage, the Metro North West Line.