Does Sydney Metro have drivers?

Sydney Metro is the first fully automated driverless metro rail system in Australia.



No, the Sydney Metro is a fully automated, driverless system. It is Australia's first and only rapid transit network that operates without a driver or a guard on board. The trains are controlled by a sophisticated "moving block" signaling system and are monitored by a centralized operations control center. This automation allows for higher frequency—with trains arriving every four minutes during peak times—and greater reliability. The stations are equipped with platform screen doors that only open when the train has come to a complete, precise stop, which is a key safety feature for driverless rail. As of 2026, the network has expanded to include the new "City & Southwest" extension, connecting the Northwest to the CBD and beyond. This cutting-edge technology places Sydney among an elite group of global cities using "Grade of Automation 4" (GoA4) technology, which represents the highest level of rail autonomy currently available in the world.

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Metro plans to return to automatic train operation, which means train operators will no longer be responsible for driving, starting, stopping, or opening doors.

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But the explosion of car traffic in the postwar years persuaded the New South Wales government that urban freeways were the way of the future (the first in Australia, the Cahill Expressway, opened in 1958), and trams were an impediment to that vision.

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Metro's auto-open, manual-close, safety combo - While train doors will open automatically, train operators will still close train doors manually. After operators look outside their cab window to ensure everyone has safely exited or boarded the train, operators will manually close the train door.

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Sydney trains: eating and drinking is allowed, but no alcohol. Sydney buses, including privately operated services: eating and drinking is not allowed, except in special circumstances, such as for a medical condition. Fines of up to $100 apply. Sydney ferries: you can eat and drink on most services.

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Like entering a new world, the 170-metre-long hall is jaw-dropping, conjuring sci-fi thoughts. More than 30 metres beneath North Sydney, Australia's largest underground railway cavern will buzz with thousands of commuters every hour when the second stage of Sydney's massive metro rail network opens next year.

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About Sydney Metro West The Sydney Metro West project will support a growing city and deliver world-class metro services to more communities. This new underground railway will connect Greater Parramatta and the Sydney CBD.

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The world's first automated, driverless train has been unveiled in Germany's Hamburg.

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“Safety will be heightened given the always-on nature of the systems and huge pools of data will mean systems are constantly learning, growing and becoming even more intelligent. Driverless trains, and autonomous vehicles more broadly, aren't prone to human error and are therefore inherently safer.”

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