Trains cancelled, roads flooded: What Sydney’s wild weather means for your Vivid travel plans
Train cancellations, flood-affected roads and landslides have thrown Friday’s Vivid Sydney travel into disarray. Here’s what you need to know before heading into the city.
NSW
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Trains have been cancelled across the network due to flooding, landslides and wild weather – just days after the system was crippled by a powerline failure.
As of midday Friday, nine rail lines were affected — including key suburban and intercity routes — casting serious doubts over how smoothly crowds will be able to reach the CBD for the opening night of Vivid Sydney 2025.
Buses have replaced trains on major lines, including:
T8 Airport & South Line between Revesby and Turella
Central Coast & Newcastle Line between Newcastle and Morriset
Hunter Line, which is entirely suspended between Maitland, Dungog and Scone due to flooding at Sandgate
Southern Highlands Line, where flooding near Mittagong has shut services between Picton and Moss Vale
Additional delays and service gaps are being reported on the T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra, T2 Leppington, T3 Liverpool and Inner West lines.
While a failed freight train on the Blue Mountains line has been cleared, flow-on delays are still expected. Trains on the South Coast line are also running slowly due to heavy rainfall at Helensburgh.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR VIVID SYDNEY VISITORS
Transport for NSW Coordinator-General Howard Collins said anyone planning to travel into the city tonight should allow for “plenty of extra travel time” and check apps before leaving home.
“The city is no place for cars during Vivid Sydney with road closures and parking restrictions in place each night around the Harbour and Vivid precincts,” Mr Collins said.
Despite the chaos, Collins said there was no current advice suggesting Vivid Sydney events would be cancelled — but he urged locals to consider delaying their visit if they can.
“This is the first night. Think about coming another time — Vivid runs for three weeks,” he said. “We are running buses, light rail and some rail services, but services late into the evening may be disrupted because of ongoing weather issues.”
‘DON’T TRAVEL UNLESS YOU HAVE TO’
Sydney Trains Chief Executive Matt Longland said flooding and landslides on the Central Coast and Hunter lines were still being assessed by engineers, with some damage likely to persist into the weekend.
“The connection to Newcastle and the Central Coast will continue to be affected throughout the remainder of today,” he said.
“Passengers should expect interrupted journeys, especially north of Morisset, where limited bus replacements are running.”
Longland also confirmed engineers are inspecting submerged tracks and damaged signal equipment around Bardwell Park and Bexley North, with hopes the T8 line will reopen later today. In the meantime, shuttle trains are running from Turella to the city to maintain access to Sydney Airport.
Roads are also dangerous, with closures reported across the Mid North Coast, Hunter and Western Sydney. Sackville Ferry is closed and other road ferries could shut with little notice.
“If you don’t need to travel this afternoon, please minimise those journeys,” Collins said. “Situations are changing quickly.”
TRAVEL ADVICE: WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
Check your transport app (e.g. TripView or transportnsw.info) before leaving
Allow extra time — delays and service gaps are ongoing
Avoid driving into the city for Vivid — road closures are in place
Consider visiting on another night — especially if travelling from affected regions
Be patient with staff — emergency crews are working hard across rail and road networks
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