An intensive five-week construction program is underway to complete upwards of 335 critical tasks inside the Southwest rail corridor, marking a major step towards passenger services on the Southwest Metro.

From last Saturday through to Friday 1 May 2026, on-track testing will temporarily pause on the Bankstown extension to provide a safe work window for hundreds of workers to complete a significant program of work.

During this time, teams will install 1,140 fixed gap fillers across 10 upgraded station platforms. The gap fillers add to 170 previously installed mechanical gap fillers, which are a key safety feature of the new line and will allow gap free access for passengers between trains and the curved platforms.

Crews also plan to utilise this window to close out remaining overhead wiring maintenance, minor bridge works, guardrail upgrades, ballast replacement and earthworks.

Station works, including tiling, landscaping, painting and concourse works, will be another focus area.

The intensive program of work is critical to be able to progress to the next stage of the Southwest project – trial running. When finished, it will bring conversion works across the southwest line to more than 85 per cent complete.

Once open, Southwest and inner west communities will have frequent and reliable metro trains every four minutes in the peak – 15 trains per hour compared to the previous 8 per hour – and fast travel times.