New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has called for an independent review as hundreds of thousands of Sydney commuters face a second evening of severe disruptions. A high-voltage wire collapsed onto a train at Strathfield on Tuesday afternoon, triggering a network-wide power outage that crippled all but one heavy rail line.
Disruptions continued on Wednesday, with trains yet to return to timetable frequencies. Commuters were warned of 20-30 minute gaps between services during the evening peak. Minns urged workers to leave early or work from home if possible, and cautioned that data provided to apps like TripView was unreliable.
Transport officials hope the network will return to timetabled operations by Thursday. The government has announced a fare-free day on Monday to compensate commuters who faced chaotic platforms, long bus queues, and Uber surge pricing. Extensive repairs on overhead wiring at Homebush were completed on Wednesday morning, but residual delays are expected.
Transport Minister John Graham thanked commuters for their patience, adding that their patience was wearing thin. Minns said the government was on a very short leash and that punctuality was not there. He is considering bringing in an expert from the airline sector for a short, sharp review of maintenance, punctuality, and communication.
The wiring involved in the incident was checked during routine maintenance on 9 April, indicating a major problem occurred since. Transport for NSW apologised for the disruption and said teams worked overnight in tough rainy conditions to remove the defective train and repair overhead wiring.
