Latest news with #trainchaos
News.com.au
27-05-2025
- News.com.au
Sydney commuters face more chaos after Metro services stopped in the CBD during the afternoon rush
Sydney commuters faced more chaos as Metro train services between Barangaroo and Sydenham stopped running during the afternoon rush on Tuesday. A Sydney Metro spokesman said there was an issue with a pantograph that attaches the carriage to the overhead lines on one of the trains. The spokesman said services were still operating north between Barangaroo and Tallawong, but shuttle services had replaced trains south between Barangaroo and Sydenham after 4pm. 'Announcements are being made on-board and on platforms,' the spokesman said. 'Troubleshooting of the train is underway.' Commuters have faced ongoing issues during the past week after several incidents caused long delays on Sydney's train services. An emergency at Artarmon delayed services on Monday afternoon, which followed a virtual shutdown last week after an overhead electrical wire collapsed shutting off train lines in the city's west. Premier Chris Minns green lit free transport on Monday to compensate passengers for the inconvenience. 'Commuters should give us a chance to remediate on-time running and efficiency and make sure that punctuality is back to where it should be,' he said. 'I say that in the full knowledge that where we're at the moment is nowhere near good enough.'
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Commuters are warned to brace for MORE chaos on Sydney's rail network as major delays expected wreak havoc during morning peak hour
Sydneysiders should brace for more delays during their commute to work on Wednesday morning hours after a power failure caused widespread chaos. The network was brought to a standstill on Tuesday afternoon after a passing train became entangled in fallen wires suspended above the tracks near Strathfield station in Sydney's west, which triggered a power outage. Major disruptions across the network continued well into late Tuesday night, where buses were still replacing trains on several lines. Sydney Trains was unable to rule out further delays in its latest update shortly before midnight. 'At this stage we have no forecast if morning services will be impacted,' the alert read. 'We will let you know when we have more information.' About 300 passengers on board the struck train were stranded for three hours before they were evacuated one by one. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and none of the passengers were believed to have suffered any medical issues during the ordeal. NSW Transport Minister John Graham described the situation as dangerous, saying a 1500-volt power connector was sitting on top of the train carrying 300 passengers. This is a very serious incident, right in the heart of Sydney's train network,' Mr Graham told ABC News. Mr Graham said the train's pantograph collided with overhead wires causing the damage. Aerial footage showed passengers being ushered off the train and walking along the tracks to safety. The power outage caused three other trains to come to a halt, with staff arriving on site to evacuate the passengers. Mr Graham said works were underway to move the affected trains and remove them from the network, which would allow trains to operate once the wires are repaired. 'We are aware this will cause major problems and delays. We are advising in the morning to make sure you check the latest information,' Mr Graham said. 'It's possible there could be some knock-on effects.' The station in Sydney's west is a major interchange for multiple routes and the incident is causing cascading delays elsewhere on the network. Commuters have been advised to delay 'non-essential travel or consider alternative transport arrangements'. 'This incident occurred between Homebush and Strathfield station. This is such a big part of the network. Those lines running close to each other, any disruption has a ripple affect,' Mr Graham said. 'It has impacted every line on the Sydney metro apart of the T4 Line.' The Metro, Light Rail and local buses are not impacted. Metro Station platforms such as Gadigal, across the road from Town Hall train station saw massive queues, as thousands sought alternative travel. Buses are running and an agreement has been reached with rideshare operator Uber to avoid surge charging during the incident. 'About a million people rely on public transport to move around the city. This is a big impact, the rail network is crucial. It's greatly assisted by the bus and metro network. The fact they are running is making it easier tonight,' Mr Graham said. An update on services is expected to be provided in the coming hours, including how it will impact Wednesday's morning peak hour.
The Guardian
20-05-2025
- The Guardian
High-voltage wire collapses on Sydney train leaving 300 trapped and causing major delays across network
Sydney's train network has been thrown into chaos after high-voltage wire collapsed on the top of a train, trapping 300 passengers and causing disruption to lines going in and out of central Sydney. Howard Collins, the coordinator general for Transport for NSW, told reporters on Tuesday afternoon response teams were working to ensure the correct isolations were put in place to remove the 300 passengers on that train and the trains around it which were caught when the power was switched off. 'The most important thing here is safety, making sure we do that under safe conditions and there's no risk of the power being switched on by accident or other means,' Collins said. 'So once we've done that, our own response team, plus also the assistance of police and other emergency services, will safely evacuate those people off the train and to the nearest station.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Transport engineers needed to make sure the correct isolations were in place, and earthing bonds were put on before passengers could be let off the train. 'It's life threatening if you get very near or touch wires with that amount of voltage and ambient – it will kill you straight away,' Collins said. There were significant delays expected for the T1 (North Shore and Western line), T2 (Leppington and Inner West line), T3 (Liverpool and Inner West line), T8 (Airport and South Line) as well as lines to Newcastle via Strathfield as a result of theissue. The T4 line was not affected. Collins said the issue should be fixed on Tuesday night, but advised commuters to check the news in the morning. Transport for NSW advised people to plan for extra travel time or consider using Metro services between Epping, Chatswood and Central, or alternative bus routes. Collins said the alternatives were very limited, so people should avoid using the rail network where possible, but lines cannot be resumed until the wire on top of the train had been made safe. Collins said Uber had put in a price surging cap to prevent massive price hikes for the ride-share service. It was too early to say what brought the cable down, Collins said, but the overhead wire was 'maintained to a very strict standard'. 'But like anything mechanical, there may be a reason why this has occurred,' he said. 'It is very unusual but does happen on overhead wire lines around every state and around the globe.'
