Trains stuck at Macquarie University and Macquarie Park, where doors failed to open on one train

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

About 42,000 commuters have used Sydney’s new driverless northwest Metro in its first three hours of operation after it was officially opened on Sunday morning.

But users took to Twitter to report large crowds at Chatswood station, trains stuck at Macquarie University and Macquarie Park stations, as well as service gaps at numerous stations.

The network experienced a hiccup when, at about 1pm, one of the trains overshot the platform at Macquarie Park station. It was realigned but the automatic doors failed to open. They were eventually manually opened by workers. Commuters were taken off the train, which was taken out of service to be looked at, Sydney Metro said.

Sydney Metro (@SydneyMetro) There’s a 15-20 min service gap on the metro network due to a technical problem with doors on one train. Further information will be provided shortly.

Brenden Wood (@BrendenWood) Sydney Metro Day One: Hundreds of gawkers watching the ever-increasing line getting larger at Chatswood Metro station. Talk on the line is that the new Metro trains has stopped operating. “Broken down on day one.” #sydneymetro pic.twitter.com/ob5YgkCXoL

Owen Martin (@marto1059) Sydney today @charliepick #theweekly. Shot video of driverless train refusing to match up doors with gates on Free Opening day of new #SydneyMetro line. 'Computer says No!' apparently.

Pics show what finally happens for passengers waiting after breakdown(s) along the line pic.twitter.com/vFlPt6vE1G

The driverless northwest Metro will face its first peak-hour test on Monday.

The first commuters boarded trains at Tallawong station in Rouse Hill on Sunday following the offical opening by the premier, Gladys Berejiklian, and the transport minister, Andrew Constance, on Sunday morning.

“This means tens of thousands of people will have access to this wonderful way of getting around greater Sydney,” Berejiklian told reporters. “This is the start of a whole new network, a whole way of doing things.”

More than 20,000 people have worked on the $7.3bn northwest project and work is now underway to extend the line from Chatswood to Bankstown.

When the northwest line reaches full operation, trains will run every four minutes each way during peak hour between Tallawong and Chatswood.

But they will run once every five minutes at peak for about six weeks, which Constance previously described as a “ramp-up period”.

He said on Sunday that life was about to change “for so many people who work hard every day” and he was “looking forward to tomorrow with the first commute in the morning peak”.

“This is the start of something very special for our state,” Constance told reporters.

Constance said he was looking forward to Monday “with the first commute in the morning peak”.

The fully automated trains are required to operate with a 98% on time running reliability, according to a government fact sheet.

Pamela Lee (@ozquokka) Free train certainly attracts the crowds... (@ Macquarie Park Station - @131500trains in Macquarie Park, NSW) https://t.co/8V2PYhkiY2 pic.twitter.com/kjsHEsRctv

Sydney Metro (@SydneyMetro) We know there are still some teething issues we need to work on.

We’ll use your feedback to improve our operations and communications over the next few weeks.

Sydney Metro asked for patience on Twitter while announcing the service had seen 42,000 customers in the first three hours of operation.

“We’re now into the complexities of building under the harbour, under the sea, and out to Sydenham and on to Bankstown,” Constance said.

Later, another metro project will link greater Parramatta with the CBD.

Berejiklian said she could not wait for people to try the service and give their verdict.