It’s said that people vote with their feet. And if that’s the metric used to judge day one of the city’s new driverless train service, then Sydney Metro was a stunning success. As 40,000 Sydney commuters tapped their Opal cards onto the seven new glistening stations running through the CBD on Monday morning, commuters and train enthusiasts alike joined in celebrating what had been a long time coming.
Finally, the metro was here, ready to whisk Sydneysiders into a new era of transport that was quietly being built right under their feet. It was a good morning for Gilnar Khoury, who commutes to Martin Place from Epping for work at an investment bank. She and her husband had resorted to driving in because of train delays.
But with the new line, she had already saved at least a quarter of an hour on her regular commute to the CBD. “I’m just thinking of my kids going out and about,” she reflected. “They can go to Sydenham, and meet their friends in Marrickville .
.. this is what Sydney’s been needing for a long time.
” At Gadigal Station, Mohamad Winata couldn’t help but look at the ceiling. Morning commuter Gilnar Khoury was excited to use the new metro at Martin Place. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos “The station is amazing, the architecture is divine,” he said.
“Very European vibes.” Chris Carson compared it to the newly opened Elizabeth line in London: “Cavernous and clean.”.