Plans to close Sydney's Bankstown rail line for six weeks a year for five years have been ditched following community opposition to the disruption caused during construction to convert it to carry single-deck metro trains.

The state government has also promised residents that the heritage character of stations along the 122-year-old line between Bankstown and Sydenham, such as ticket booths and platform buildings, will be retained following the multibillion-dollar project.

The Bankstown Line will be converted to carry single-deck, driverless metro trains. Credit:Simon Alekna

While the six-week annual closures will not go ahead, Transport for NSW is yet to reveal exactly how it will find the time needed for construction of the metro line.

It said a “program of closures is being refined to minimise impacts” and was investigating “short individual station closures”.