Why doesn't Sydney have a subway system like London or New York? According to transport experts, the city doesn't need one. While Sydney has a tightly packed central area, it's much less dense in its suburban areas than, say, New York or Paris, they say.

Actually, as of 2026, Sydney does have a subway system, officially known as the Sydney Metro. While for over a century the city relied on its "Sydney Trains" network—which consists of double-decker trains that mostly run above ground but loop through tunnels in the CBD—the new Sydney Metro is a dedicated, fully automated (driverless) underground rapid transit system. The first stage (Metro North West) opened in 2019, and the landmark M1 Line extension opened in August 2024, finally connecting the North West to the CBD via new deep-underground stations like Martin Place and Gadigal, and continuing under Sydney Harbour to Sydenham. The reason Sydney "didn't" have a traditional subway for so long was due to the high cost of tunneling through the city's hard Hawkesbury sandstone and a historical preference for the high-capacity, suburban-style double-decker trains that better served the city's sprawling geography. Today, the Metro is revolutionizing the city's transit, with additional lines like Metro West and the Western Sydney Airport link currently under construction to further expand this modern underground network.