Fare-free train travel after days of commuter chaos
On Monday, travel will be free on all Sydney trains, Airport Link, and Metro services on the Opal network.
Opal gates and readers will be turned off and passengers will not need to tap on and off.
The free travel will not extend to buses, ferries and light rail, regional train services or coach ticketing, which will charge fares as normal.
The NSW government announced the changes on Saturday to placate frustrated commuters after a "nowhere-near-good-enough" power outage caused carnage to the network on Tuesday.
A live wire suspended above train tracks near Strathfield station at Homebush hit a passing train, triggering a power outage and creating chaos for hundreds of thousands of travellers.
Commuters queued at stations across Sydney on Wednesday morning, waiting for a trickle of replacement buses, themselves hampered by increased traffic clogging the city's roads.
Repairs to the overhead wiring were completed on Wednesday, but Premier Chris Minns acknowledged the reliability of Sydney Trains had "not been up to the mark".
Transport Minister John Graham said more than a million people would benefit from the free travel but he didn't expect it would make up for last week's inconvenience.
"We acknowledge that it strained the patience of an entire city," he said in a statement on Saturday.
"We want them to know the NSW government also expects better of the system, and we are working to improve reliability and maintenance."
A "short and sharp" independent review is also set to assess maintenance, punctuality and customer communications across the network.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jenna Ortega Makes a Fur Coat Look Exquisitely Goth in Sydney
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Maybe it's just the blistering heat, but I find myself impatiently counting down the days until fall—and as we enter that transitional time of the year, nothing gets me more excited for the impending crisp weather quite like spooky movies or TV shows. Enter Wednesday. Fittingly, the first half of season two premiered earlier this month, and in the wake of its release, the cast has continued to promote the show with a fashion-filled global Doom Tour, leading up to the part two release on September 3. To wrap up the tour, the Wednesday crew traveled to Cockatoo Island in Sydney, Australia, this week, where star Jenna Ortega treated us to yet another winning press look styled by Enrique Melendez. Although Ortega continues to stick true to the Wednesday Addams aesthetic, her latest fit felt like a nod to another Addams family member—Cousin Itt—all thanks to her coat covered in long fur. The hirsute outerwear stemmed from the Valentino Resort 2026 collection, which was designed by Alessandro Michele, who recently took the post of creative director at the Italian luxury fashion house. Luckily for Ortega, it's been a lot cooler down under, and she looked all bundled up in her cropped coat, which featured thick, jet-black fur forming the base, with strands of white hair decorating the trim like icicles. (In case you haven't noticed, hair has been a recurring motif in Ortega's fashion these past few weeks.) In keeping with the gothic tones, Ortega layered the coat over a strappy black leather top and matching midi skirt. She completed her ensemble with gloves and the same lace-up leather boots from Miista that she wore to the New York City premiere of her show's latest season last week. I mean, if the wedge heel ain't broke, why change it? All throughout the promo for Wednesday season two, we've seen Ortega continue to push the boundaries of her fashion, and while we love to watch her mystery series, her red-carpet style has proven to be just as thrilling. Thank goodness the show's already been renewed for season three. You Might Also Like 4 Investment-Worthy Skincare Finds From Sephora The 17 Best Retinol Creams Worth Adding to Your Skin Care Routine Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jenna Ortega's Beach Outfit Swaps Swim Trends for an Anti-Summer Leather Trench
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Usually by August, I've seen every swimwear trend of the season. This summer brought back Burberry bikinis, full-coverage bottoms, and Pucci print suits. But on August 13, a trench coat-clad Jenna Ortega proved I actually haven't covered it all. Though Season 2 of Wednesday dropped on Netflix last week, the show's press tour is still going strong. Most recently, the star-studded cast jetted to Australia in kooky, Addams Family-core attire. Without breaking her method dressing streak, Ortega went straight from the airport to Bondi Beach—in the same anti-summer set, no less. If you thought she'd swim in an all-black bikini—perhaps to channel her gothic character—think again. Ortega didn't style swimwear at all: just a leather trench coat tied over a satin slip dress. The 22-year-old also dipped her feet in the ocean with knee-high Dior D-Major Boots in tow. Don't worry, she went barefoot as to not damage the $2,150 Cruise 2025 shoes. Wednesday may be morbid, but she's not a Dior destroyer. View Deal View Deal As evidenced by her weeks-long Wednesday promo, Ortega will never turn down an outfit change. Last week in New York City, she styled a Willy Chavarria skirt suit and an Elena Velez dress within hours of each other, swapping her statement hat for her $100,000 Aupen bag. In Australia, however, the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star wore the same swimwear substitutes at the airport. Outside her gate, she was papped in the aforementioned leather trench. Once again, the waist strap was tied to cover a black graphic tee underneath. By pairing it with the same moto boots, Ortega's jacket felt extra autumnal. Her studded carry-on tote nearly blended into its patent leather exterior. Oval-shaped sunglasses finished Ortega's airport 'fit in true Wednesday form. Sure, the forecast may call for itty-bitty shorts and sundresses, but according to Ortega, trench coat season came early. Shop Styles Inspired by Jenna Ortega View Deal View Deal View Deal View Deal View Deal View Deal View Deal View Deal View Deal View Deal
Vogue
9 hours ago
- Vogue
It's Showtime! Jenna Ortega Tries a Twist on Beetlejuice Stripes
The world promotional tour for Netflix's second season of Wednesday has seen Jenna Ortega and stylist Enrique Melendez delight in a suite of gothic, glamorous fashion: a sea witchy Vivienne Westwood corset dress, a ruffled, backless black Ann Demeulemeester slip dress, super sharp tailoring via Willy Chavarria, and a a reptilian skin-like Ashi Studio gown, to name a few. Heading all the way to Australia, there was still plenty to pull from: and the goth life stops for nothing and no one—case in point, Ortega's paddle in the surf at Bondi Beach in a Matrix-esque leather trench, combat boots in hand. Her latest look is less Wednesday Addams, more Beetlejuice (Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice!). Photographed at a fan event on Cockatoo Island in Sydney, Australia, Ortega wore a leather, pumpkin orange and black striped Fendi dress.
