City commuters on the packed M1 metro service on Sydney’s north shore were left distressed and gripping tightly to handrails, as an automatic door on the driverless underground train remained open for minutes, while the service was operating at high speeds.
The incident occurred at peak hour, shortly after 8am between Chatswood and Crows Nest station, with commuters expressing shock while video taping the horrifying incident.
Dramatic footage captured the wild scenes, leaving many passengers scurrying and clinging onto railings, while two metro staff members blocked the open door.
An electronic signage board above the open exit displayed a “this door is out of service” message.
The two workers, with earpieces in were seen using a two-way radio as the incident unfolded, and prevented passengers from getting close to the door by forming a human shield.
Metro Trains Sydney Chief Executive Daniel Williams said the malfunctioning door was being investigated, after a fault was detected about 8:01am.
“There was a Customer Journey Coordinator (CJC) and a Customer Operations Lead (COL) on board the service,” Mr Williams said in a statement to the Daily Telegraph.
The two staff members were alerted by the Operations Control Centre located at Tallawong station.
“They tried to remotely fix the issue. When this was unsuccessful, the OCC instructed the frontline staff to manually close the door,” Mr Williams confirmed.
Mr Williams said the two staff members stood by the door until the service came to halt at Crows Nest station.
“The door was able to be closed at the next station , and the metro removed from service,” he said.
The private operator of the service, Metro Trains Sydney, apologised to affected passengers for the trauma the incident caused, and said the matter was now “under investigation”.
Wednesday is typically the busiest day for the widely used rail network.
Since the city-section of the metro rail line opened in August 2024, commuters have become accustomed to regular station wide announcements that the CBD bound trains are approaching capacity during peak morning periods.
