AUSTRALIA: The first Western Sydney Airport metro train has arrived in Sydney with wider aisles, dedicated luggage storage and passenger features designed specifically for journeys to the new airport.

Rendering of a Western Sydney Airport metro train on elevated track near the airport.
Rendering of the Western Sydney Airport metro train. Image: Siemens AG.

The first of 12 new trains was transported from Vienna, where the fleet is being manufactured at Siemens Mobility’s production plant, and assembled at the Orchard Hills stabling and maintenance facility after arriving via Port Kembla. Sydney Metro says dynamic testing on the 23-kilometre, six-station line is expected to begin later in 2026.

Wider aisles and space for airport luggage

The new fleet has been configured around travellers carrying suitcases rather than simply repeating the layout used on Sydney Metro’s existing M1 Line. The central aisles are approximately 30 centimetres wider than those on M1 trains, while luggage can be stored beneath seats.

Passengers will also have a mixture of longitudinal seating and forward- and rear-facing seats for groups. High-resolution onboard displays are intended to show real-time flight information using a direct feed from Western Sydney International Airport.

Further technical details published by Siemens Mobility describe large windows, flexible seating and standing areas, additional handrails and grips, and wide double doors intended to support faster boarding and alighting. Siemens is supplying the trains as fully automated, driverless units as part of the line’s turnkey rail systems package.

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Official figures point to three-carriage trains

Official project material identifies the fleet as 12 three-carriage trains. A previous NSW Government design update gives capacity as 645 passengers per train and up to 7,740 passengers an hour in each direction.

Those official figures differ from the supplied secondary report, which described four-carriage trains and a capacity of up to 7,800 passengers. The three-carriage configuration is also repeated in Sydney Metro’s July 2026 arrival update and in Siemens Mobility’s project documentation.

Western Sydney Airport Metro Train Arrives
Photographer: Frank Freudenthaler | The Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport Line train

The airport itself is scheduled to receive its first commercial passenger flight on 25 October 2026, while the supplied report says the metro line is not expected to open until late 2027. That gap means the first train’s arrival is a fleet-delivery milestone rather than the start of airport rail service.

For passengers, the clearest difference is inside the train: the design gives more room to move with luggage, provides dedicated storage and combines conventional metro seating with features specifically intended for an airport journey.

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