Shoal celebrates opening of Sydney Metro City and Southwest

Shoal Group joined in celebrating the opening of the Sydney Metro City and Southwest line, a 15.5km underground rail line connecting Sydenham in Sydney’s inner west to Chatswood in the north. This is the second section of the Sydney Metro to open, following Metro Northwest in 2019.

While much of the public acclaim since opening has focused on the architecture of the stations, the smooth working of this large, complex and technology intensive system is very much due to the Systems Engineering and Safety Assurance (SESA) efforts of Sydney Metro Agency and supporting contractors, including Shoal Group.

Leveraging our expertise in rail Systems Engineering, Shoal developed the Sydney Metro Systems Architecture for the entire Metro system and undertook comprehensive interface identification throughout the development of Concept and Stage 1 design activities, supporting lead design contractor, Mott MacDonald.

“Today marks another proud moment for Shoal Group as we witness the opening of Sydney Metro City and Southwest,” said Shoal Group CEO, Shaun Wilson. “Our expertise on Systems Architecture Modelling, Requirements Management, Technical Risk Management, Design Management & Systems Assurance was applied to ensure seamless integration to support the successful delivery of a transport system that will reshape the future of Sydney’s urban mobility.”

Throughout the project, Shoal’s careful consideration and planning ensured that the engineering performance and safety of the railway sub-systems were verified and validated. This rigorous process not only supported the operational readiness of the metro system but also minimised interface dependencies, risks, and complexity, paving the way for smooth execution and successful project delivery.

Sydney Metro is a state-of-the-art metro system, featuring turn-up-and-go driverless trains. It is expected to significantly improve the daily commute for thousands of Sydneysiders. With trains running every four minutes during peak times and every seven minutes during the day, commuters can now travel directly from Sydenham to Chatswood and beyond without the need to switch trains, providing a more efficient and streamlined journey across the city.

Shoal looks forward to continuing our work in delivering innovative and complex systems engineering solutions that enhance infrastructure and connectivity across our society.