The Sydney Metro City & Southwest project has reached another milestone, with the awarding of a $41 million contract for new mechanical gap filler technology to be installed at stations between Marrickville and Bankstown.
The new technology is the first of its kind in Australia.
Hyundai Movex has been awarded the contract to design, supply and install 150 mechanical gap fillers at eight existing stations between Marrickville and Bankstown, which are currently being upgraded to Sydney Metro standards.
Minister for Transport, Veterans and Western Sydney, David Elliott, said commuters on the Bankstown line were a step closer to safer, more accessible platforms after the awarding of the contract.
“The contract also includes 360 platform screen doors for the stations between Marrickville and Bankstown, designed to keep people and objects like prams safe from the gaps between trains and platforms and allow trains to get in and out of stations much faster.
“When a train arrives at a station, the mechanical gap fillers will automatically extend quickly from the platform to the train before the platform screen doors open, allowing safe and easy access for all customers,” Mr Elliott said.
“Sydney Metro is Australia’s only fully accessible railway with level access between platforms and trains and lifts at all stations.”
Sydney Metro Chief Executive, Peter Regan, said the new technology, designed with the curved platforms of the T3 Bankstown line in mind, marked another major step on the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project.
“The platform screen doors and mechanical gap fillers have undergone a stringent year-long testing program in a variety of Sydney weather conditions,” Mr Regan said.
“Following a tender process, Hyundai Movex mechanical gap fillers and platform screen doors were selected based on their performance, reliability and safety. The company’s gap filler technology is also used on metro systems in South Korea.”
Hyundai Movex will work with its partners in Australia, including Ricardo Rail to deliver the mechanical gap fillers and platform screen doors in 2023.
The upgrade of the Bankstown Line to metro standards also means all ten stations between Marrickville and Bankstown will have lifts – including Punchbowl, Wiley Park, Canterbury, Hurlstone Park and Dulwich Hill which will be made fully accessible for the first time.