The Sydney Metro is like a futuristic film where everything is beautiful and peaceful | Melanie Tait

Public transport in Sydney has long been a major burden.

It’s difficult to live in this city without a car if you need to venture out from anywhere outside the CBD.

Anyone living along the Bankstown railway line will have to get used to the three worst words in the English language: “Train Replacement Service”.

I don’t like driving. In this city I have to rely on the car because how else are you supposed to get from Coogee to Kirribilli, from Darlinghurst to Punchbowl, from Marrickville to Gladesville without sacrificing half the day? I also have ADHD. I have a hard time concentrating and before I was medicated I was constantly having small seizures.

For your and my safety, I prefer to use public transport.

Public transit also means more time reading, more time out in the world with tiny contacts with others, and more time soaking up the energy of people out in the world doing things (I’m a writer, which means I spend a lot of time alone in my home office).

One can imagine the excitement when people heard that there was going to be a new railway line in Sydney that would take you from Sydenham to Central in a few minutes and across the bridge in a few more minutes.

In the lead up to the opening of the Sydney Metro, much emphasis was placed on the effort that was put into new stations such as Gadigal, Barangaroo and Victoria Cross, which would be beautifully designed hubs with engaging public art and dining options.

Art? Food? Efficient public transport?!

Sign me up.

Photos of the new stations were architectural porn. Videos of trainspotters gloating over the speed, lighting and cleanliness were as exciting as any trailer for a blockbuster. TikToks extolled the new must-visit restaurants! I even got a text from my most inner-western friend, who said it was a triumph that she would now be visiting us more regularly.

I’m currently rehearsing a new play and the news came in that we would start at 10:30am, which would give me a full two hours to mess around on the Sydney Metro.

That should be enough time to drive from Sydenham to Victoria Cross and walk 22 minutes to the theatre, right?

And then a lot more, as I discovered!

I got to Victoria Cross Station so quickly that I barely had time to read my book. The whole journey from one station to the other was so clean, quiet, fast and beautifully lit.

When I got off at the Victoria Cross platform, I was overwhelmed by the spaciousness and tranquility. The bright, warm and beautiful tiles on the high, wide roof. There were friendly, unobtrusive staff who patiently answered my questions.

As I strolled towards the exit, I noticed the public toilets. Public toilets that we can use, at a train station? They must be disgusting, right? I looked into the ladies’ room: it was spotless.

Once you exit, Victoria Cross station has something for all foodies: there’s a Maccas, a Marrickville Pork Roll, a Sushi Hub, a Bourke Street Bakery – and a few other independent eateries that seemed worth checking out.

That’s when I realised I had enough time to walk over the bridge again, check out Barangaroo and Gadigal stations, buy a coffee and some chocolate at the QVB and take the (old-fashioned) train to Milsons Point back to Kirribilli.

Walking through Gadigal Station felt like I was in a futuristic film where the future is beautiful, glittering and peaceful. Callum Morton’s extraordinary mural, The Underneath, is a reminder of the many lives of this city we live in. The colours – yellow, purple, blue, crimson – lifted my spirits.

I returned to Town Hall Station to take the regular train over the bridge again – and it felt like the moment after a night of drinking when the “ugly” lights are turned back on in the bar.

Compared to the metro, it was cramped, dingy and poorly lit. Announcements were loud and interrupted by KFC adverts. It felt less safe with its unguarded platforms. As I walked down the stairs at Milsons Point, my knee started to ache.

I’ve only been in the world of Sydney Metro for about an hour, but now I want to live there.

Later that afternoon I took it home, from Central to Sydenham. Six minutes. Six minutes!