Commuter chaos strands Matildas fans ahead of World Cup opener

Fans have been left fuming after Sydney’s public transport network fell apart in the lead up to the Matildas World Cup opener.

Commuters are fuming after huge crowds left Sydney trains in a spin ahead of the Matildas’ tournament opener against Ireland.

Around 75,000 fans are expected to pack out Stadium Australia for the historic fixture, which follows an upset victory for the Silver Ferns in their tournament opener against dark horse contenders Norway.

Stream Over 50 Sports Live & On-Demand with Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

Fans were packed into Sydney’s Central Station, which operates an express service out towards Homebush on the specialised T7 Olympic Park line, with services operating every 20 minutes.

One disgruntled fan called it a “disgrace”.

The fan, who asked not to be named owing to the nature of his employment, said authorities had “years to prepare”.

“Transport (to the game) is a complete disgrace,” he said.

Chaos at the station. Image: Daanyal Saeed.

“It’s taken me nearly two hours to get from the inner city to the stadium.

“Trains from Central running every 20 minutes – Sydney Trains are clearly not prepared for this major global event, they’ve had years to prepare.

“Trains every 20 minutes? In London, the Tube leaves every two minutes from Tottenham Stadium.”

Another commuter, despite the crowds, was relatively satisfied with the services provided.

“I went to Harry Styles in March (which itself was held at the same time in the same precinct as a Backstreet Boys concert), same stadium, same deal with direct trains from Central to Olympic Park,” she said.

Commuters are reporting significant delays at Central Station as fans try to get to Olympic Park for the Matildas’ tournament opener against Ireland. #WWC2023#FIFAWWCpic.twitter.com/N0oWHDbmeG

— Daany Saeed (@daanysaeed) July 20, 2023

“I was worried when I rocked up and there was a bank of people waiting on the concourse, but it turns out it was very organised and safe.

“They were holding people on the concourse, letting them go onto the platform five minutes before a train arrived, and filled the platform, and then held the line again.

“Rinse and repeat – very safe.

“I got the vibe it was very co-ordinated.”

A spokesman for Transport NSW said that despite the crowds, train services were working as expected, with no unexpected delays.

“It is a busy major event, but everything is running on track and running to schedule,” the spokesman said.

“People do need to be patient and plan around (the anticipated crowds).”

The spokesman said that Transport NSW had planned additional services in anticipation of the game, and that they were all running to schedule.