Passengers on the Sydney Metro experienced a shocking morning on April 2, 2025, when a door of a moving train was left open during their commute. The incident occurred around 8:01 AM as the driverless metro service traveled between Chatswood and Crows Nest stations on the M1 line. Video footage of the train, which quickly circulated on social media, showed passengers gripping handrails as they rode with the door wide open, prompting immediate concern and confusion.
According to Daniel Williams, the chief executive of Metro Trains Sydney, a "door fault" had been identified on the train. He explained that two staff members, a customer journey coordinator and a customer operations lead, were on board at the time of the incident and were in communication with the Operational Control Centre (OCC). Attempts to remotely fix the door were unsuccessful, leading the OCC to instruct the staff to manually close the door.
As the train sped through the underground section, two staff members stood near the open door until the train came to a stop at Crows Nest station, where the door could finally be closed. Williams later issued an apology to customers for the distress caused, confirming that the metro had been removed from service following the incident. Fortunately, no passengers were injured during this unsettling episode.
Witnesses on the train described the scene as both surprising and alarming. Ben McKimm, a passenger who recorded the incident and shared the footage on X (formerly Twitter), recounted that riders were initially stunned when the outer doors at Chatswood station closed while the train door remained open. He noted that there was an announcement over the metro speakers indicating delays due to an issue with the door, but as the train left the station, the door stayed wide open.
"Everyone freaked out for a second and started looking at each other, but it didn’t feel unsafe, to be honest. To be fair to the metro workers, they did a great job and formed a sort of human barrier to the door," McKimm told PEDESTRIAN.TV. However, he also expressed concern that it was "a bit weird" for a driverless train to depart with the door open and not stop until reaching Crows Nest.
In the aftermath of the incident, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) has called for Sydney Metro to halt operations until interim safety measures are implemented. RTBU Secretary Toby Warnes emphasized the significant risks posed to both passengers and staff during the incident. He stated, "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. We could have easily this morning had passengers with no supervision at all on a train traveling up to 100 km/h through a confined tunnel all by themselves at an open doorway."
Warnes further demanded an immediate investigation by the NSW government, urging that the safety culture at Sydney Metro be addressed. He characterized the incident as one of the worst safety occurrences on the New South Wales train network in recent years. "Anyone wondering why we need workers on our Metro services only needs to look at this video. You can’t have trains – Metro or otherwise – driving without qualified people on board to keep passengers safe in the event things go wrong," Warnes remarked.
The Sydney Metro, which commenced operations in 2019, has expanded its network to connect Tallawong and Sydenham, with speeds reaching up to 100 km/h in tunnels and 110 km/h on surface tracks. This incident raises significant questions about the safety protocols in place, especially for a driverless system. As investigations continue, the focus will remain on ensuring the safety of passengers and the reliability of the metro service.
With the potential for such incidents to occur again, the RTBU’s call for a review and enhancement of safety measures comes at a crucial time for Sydney Metro. Passengers deserve reassurance that their safety is the top priority, particularly when utilizing a transport system that relies on advanced technology and automation.
As commuters await the findings of the investigation, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of human oversight in automated systems, especially in high-speed environments. The safety of passengers should always come first, and the hope is that lessons learned from this event will lead to improved safety measures across the network.
The incident has sparked widespread discussions about the future of driverless trains and the essential need for human presence to ensure passenger safety. As Sydney Metro seeks to address these concerns, all eyes will be on the outcomes of the investigation and the steps taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
