The future of autonomous public transport has arrived in Sydney's north west.

Days after an autonomous train carrying iron ore snaked its way from mine to port in Western Australia, the country's first driverless passenger train – albeit without commuters – passed a major test when it travelled over a cable-stayed bridge and an elevated viaduct at Rouse Hill.

A driverless metro train passes over the new cable-stayed bridge at Rouse Hill for the first time. Credit:NSW government

By early next year, a fleet of 22 driverless single-deck trains are due to carry their first passengers on the North West Metro line from Rouse Hill to Chatswood via Macquarie Park.

The testing on the bridge – dubbed a mini-Anzac Bridge – over Windsor Road and on the “Skytrain” viaduct signals an expansion of the inspection schedule for the trains beyond the headquarters for the $8.3 billion project at Rouse Hill.