On the Sydney transport network, a fare-free day for train and metro services will be observed on Monday, as announced by Premier Chris Minns. This initiative comes in the wake of significant disruptions caused by an incident at Strathfield that affected power supply across the network for over 24 hours. The complications arose when a train’s rooftop connector became entangled with overhead power lines near Homebush, resulting in 80% of the train services being delayed.
While train and metro rides will be free on Monday, other modes of transport, including buses, ferries, and light rail, will operate under normal fare conditions. Premier Minns expressed that offering a fare-free day was “the least we could do” for the inconvenienced commuters.
By Wednesday morning, train services returned to normalcy, but the situation was further complicated by rain that impacted their schedules. At one stage, Lewisham station in the Inner West lacked service due to flooding in its underground thoroughfare.
Additionally, Minns has announced plans for an independent review focusing on the overall transport system, looking into aspects like maintenance, timeliness of services, and communication with passengers, in an effort to enhance reliability and efficiency in Sydney’s public transport landscape.