The Sydney MetroAlstom Metropolis TS sets are the current class of Alstom Metropolis electric multiple units operating on the Sydney Metro network. It is the first automated passenger train stock in Australia as well as the first single-deck set to operate in Sydney since the withdrawal of single deck trains on the Sydney Trains network in the 1990s. A total of 176 carriages, making up 22 6-car sets, entered service in 2019 with the opening of the Metro Northwest line, consisting of 13 stations between Tallawong and Chatswood. 23 more sets will be rolled out for the Metro City & Southwest Line commencing service in 2024, expanding the Metropolis fleet to 45 sets.
Design
Each single-deck train features two dedicated areas for prams, luggage and bicycles. There are three doorways per side per carriage and no internal gangway doors between the carriages. In a 6-car configuration the trains have a seating capacity of 378 people, with a total capacity of 1,100. The trains utilise Alstom's trademark Urbalis 400 Grade-of-Automation signalling system that ensures trains are capable of operating automatically at all times including door closing, obstacle detection and emergency situations. The trains feature longitudinal 'bench-style' seating per carriage, with distinctly coloured seats for priority and disabled passengers. Seats in wheelchair spaces can fold up in order to fit prams and wheelchairs. Above the doorways, a light flashes green if the doors are open, and red if the doors are closed. Much like the M set, H set, A & B sets and Hunter railcar sets, the Metropolis sets include multiple CCTV cameras, internal Passenger Information Display screens and Digital Voice Announcements capable of conveying basic and essential information. Each set uses full-colour LCD PIDS screens which flash blue with the name of the next station, along with icons for available transport mode interchanges. The sets are also fitted with air conditioning and Emergency Help Points, as with other existing Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink sets. An exclusive feature of the Metropolis sets is the inclusion of USB charging ports inside the carriages. The Metropolis sets are operated via a computer control centre based at Rouse Hill. In the event the system is otherwise unable to operate the train, an engineer can manually take over the train's functions.
History
Prior to the introduction of services, a full-scale model of the new train was built for use on public display, including at the annual Sydney Royal Easter Show. It consisted of the front carriage, including its distinctive nose. It was approximately 75% of the length of the final design for the new carriages, having two doors instead of three. The sets were manufactured at Alstom's rolling stock facility in India, with the first six-car Sydney Metro train arriving in Rouse Hill on 26 September 2017 to undergo testing in the following months. In February 2018, dynamic testing on the first of the trainsets began. Testing was done on brakes, passenger information displays, lighting and door operation. In November 2019, MTS was awarded a 10-year contract to operate the rolling stock on the metro network. To commemorate the new contract, 23 additional Metropolis sets were ordered, bringing the total fleet to 45 sets in time by the time the City & Southwest services commence. The rolling stock officially entered service on 26 May 2019 on the Metro Northwest line from Tallawong to Chatswood. In 2024, they will also serve City & Southwest line, with new fully underground metro-only City stations at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Pitt Street and Waterloo, as well as new underground metro platforms at Martin Place and Central. This line will then continue from Sydenham to Bankstown via the existing T3 Bankstown Line corridor, which will be progressively converted to serve the new system. The fleet will grow to 45 sets by the time this section of the Sydney Metro network starts service.
