Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance today unveiled the first glimpse of Sydney’s new metro train, with a life-size train model delivered for customer testing on Sydney Metro Northwest. The 13-tonne life-size train model has been delivered to the Showground Station site and is a full-scale version of approximately 75 per cent of the front carriage – including the distinctive nose section where customers will be able to travel while looking directly out the front of the fully automated train. “This is a pretty exciting glimpse of tomorrow’s Sydney,” Mr Constance said.

SYDNEYSIDERS familiar with making the split-second decision as to whether to go up or down the stairs when they get on the train soon won’t have that option. The city’s new trains are all single deckers.

And the distinctive Sydney swing seat, which can be altered to face either direction, has also been banished in favour of London Underground-style benches facing each other.

The new layout will mean commuters can gaze longingly at one another over their morning coffee and iPads.

If they bore of that, passengers will be able to look out of the front window of the new trains, which will be completely automatic and devoid of drivers.

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance unveiled the 13-tonne life-size model of the new train this afternoon. The trains will operate on the city’s new $8.3 billion Metro Northwest line to the Hills District from 2019. Eventually the trains will also serve the CBD and Bankstown in the city’s west.

“This is a pretty exciting glimpse of tomorrow’s Sydney,” Mr Constance said.

Doors at the end of the carriages have also been ditched with customers able to see from one end of the train to the other.

Mr Constance said the life-size train model will be tested over coming weeks with a range of people including school groups, parents with prams, the less mobile as well as emergency services and engineers.

“We’ll take the feedback from future customers on board before the new trains go into full production next year — they’ll be able to have their say on internal features like seating, safety, customer information, lighting, the grab poles and hand grips as well as well as how easy it is to move through the carriage and use the multipurpose areas.”

The Government has hailed single-deck trains as being able to disembark passengers more quickly than double deckers where people have to descend the stairs. However, critics have pointed out double-deck trains can carry more passengers overall.

Future passengers are also being given the chance to choose between turquoise or blue for the train’s final colour scheme. Despite the fact neither choice matches the orange hue which is currently used on the Sydney Trains system.

Following customer testing, the life-size train model will go on public display.

Double-deck trains will continue to operated on other Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink lines.