Sydney Metro Train Door Malfunction Leaves Passengers Stunned, Sparking Safety Concerns

Commuters on the new AU$25 billion Sydney Metro line were shocked Wednesday to see a train door stay open while moving between two stations during peak hours.

Passengers traveling on the M1 line from Chatswood to Victoria Cross around 8 a.m. on Wednesday captured the incident on their phones.

Some riders on the driverless train recorded the open door, while a digital sign above one exit displayed a message stating, "This door is out of service." Meanwhile, other frightened passengers were seen holding onto handrails tightly, News AU reported.

Sydney Metro CEO confirms malfunction

Metro Trains Sydney CEO Daniel Williams addressed the incident in a statement, explaining the door malfunction was detected at around 8:01 a.m. on a train traveling between Chatswood and Crows Nest Station.

Two staff members, a Customer Journey Coordinator and a Customer Operations Lead, were on board. They were contacted by the Operational Control Centre, which attempted to fix the issue remotely. When the remote fix did not work, the control center instructed the staff on board to manually close the door.

"To enable the train to complete its short journey to the next station, two staff members stood by the door until the service came to a stop. The door was able to be closed at the next station, and the metro removed from service," Williams further said. "We apologise to customers for the concern this caused. The matter is under investigation."

Toby Warnes, Australian Rail Tram and Bus Industry Union secretary, pointed out that the two staff members "were put at incredible risk," adding that, "We're very lucky this morning that there was a staff member on the train qualified to at least provide some safety assurance to the passengers."

The new metro line officially started in August last year. The AU$21.6 billion project, funded by the former Liberal government, was originally set to launch on Aug. 4 but was delayed due to safety checks.

With the new metro, a trip from Chatswood to Sydenham takes about 22 minutes, while the journey from Sydenham to Tallawong takes just under an hour. Trains on the line can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h.