Thousands affected as power outage trigger enormous train delays in Sydney

News.com.au

20-05-2025

Commuters are in for a chaotic morning as several train lines remain delayed due to power supply issues at Strathfield station in the city's west.
Trains were brought to a grinding halt on Tuesday afternoon about 2.30pm after part of a train's rooftop power connecter became tangled with the overhead powerlines, which were brought onto the track.
The issue triggered massive delays across the train network, with five of six lines temporarily closing and leaving hundreds of commuters stranded for several hours, generating an enormous crowd through Central Station.
Crews were on the scene overnight working to restore the power issue, and have removed a 'defective train' and repaired the overhead wiring.
'Teams are completing the final inspections before we reinstate the power later this morning to allow all six tracks from the west through Homebush to operate services,' a Transport NSW spokesman told NewsWire.
'Sydney Trains apologises again to passengers for the inconvenience of the continuing disruption.'
The affected lines include the T1, T2, T3, T5, T6, T8, T9 and BMT lines, with commuters urged to seek alternative travel arrangements until the power supply issues are completed.
Most trains will continue to be delayed on Wednesday morning, Transport NSW confirmed, with the Strathfield lines are expected to re-open early on Wednesday morning, though delays and gaps in services are still expected throughout the morning period.
According to Sky News as of 6am, 15 per cent of all T1 lines are running on time, 25 per cent of T3 and 88 per cent of the T4 lines are operating as normal, whereas only five per cent of the Airport lines are on time and zero per cent are running on the T5 lines.
'Repair crews have worked throughout the night, and we expect all lines at Strathfield to be open again around 6:30am," a Transport NSW statement read.
'Trains will continue to operate on all lines but will not run to timetable and the frequency of service will be reduced.
'You may also need to change trains to continue your journey.'
Limited replacement buses will replace trains between Lidcombe and Ashfield.
As wild weather rips through Sydney and on The Central Coast, with flooding at Cockle Creek causing massive delays between the Newcastle Inerchange and Fassifern on The Central Coast and Newcastle line, with buses replacing trains.
Trains at the Hunter Line are also not running due to flooding at Sandgate.
While limited buses are replacing trains, they are unable to access some stations due to the flooding.