‘Pressed against the doors’: Commuters’ afternoon of train chaos
Transport authorities are hopeful train timetables will return to normal on Thursday morning following another gruelling day on the rail network for commuters, many of whom won’t see any benefit from a fare-free day being offered to make up for the chaos.
Transport authorities are hopeful train timetables will return to normal on Thursday morning following another gruelling day on the rail network for commuters, many of whom won’t see any benefit from a fare-free day being offered to make up for the chaos.
Commuters faced a second day of rolling rail delays on Wednesday after a 1500-volt overhead powerline collapsed on top of a train near Homebush on Tuesday afternoon, causing a power outage that brought the network to a standstill across all lines but one.
Despite power being restored by Wednesday morning, commuters still faced constant service delays, jam-packed stations and hours-long commutes, with some travellers reporting journeys of up to four hours – all in the pouring rain.
Premier Chris Minns was quick to apologise, saying he knew commuters’ patience with repeated outages on the rail network had “worn thin”.
“We know that we have to turn it around and we’re on a very short leash from the commuters of NSW,” he said.
To assuage angry Sydneysiders, many of whom had lost wages and spent a fortune on Ubers due to the disruptions, the Premier offered a fare-free day on Monday for Metro and train passengers, as well as a fresh review into Sydney’s rail network.
The Minns government last held a review into Sydney Trains two years ago, assessing its entire operation, including its maintenance backlog, reliability and ability to respond quickly to emergencies.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal the review cost taxpayers nearly $700,000 and, despite the final report being delivered in December 2023, many of its recommendations are yet to be implemented.
Additionally, many train passengers travelling into the city next week won’t receive any financial benefit from Monday’s fare-free day due to weekly public transport travel costs capping out at $50.
A commuter travelling from Penrith or Leppington station to Central would pay $16.06 a day in fares, or $64.24 for a four days of commuting. With the $50 weekly Opal cap, their fifth day is already free.
“Frankly, it’s the least we can do,” the Premier said of the fare-free day, admitting “it’s not going to be convenient for everyone”.
Opposition transport spokeswoman Natalie Ward accused the state government of offering fare-free “trinket days” instead of “getting on with the job of making the trains run on time”.
“It’s a drop in the ocean if you’re a casual worker who can’t get to work and can’t earn a dollar,” she said.
Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said investigators suspected the high-voltage wire was brought down due to an overhead wiring fault.
He said the wire had last been inspected on April 9 by maintenance crews who “did not identify any faults”.
Newcastle resident Mark Robinson, 23, spent several hours on Wednesday trying to get home from Sydney Airport.
“Everyone was bunched in like bloody sausages,” he said.
Follow the chaos as it unfolded below.
Originally published as ‘Pressed against the doors’: Commuters’ afternoon of train chaos
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