Significant disruptions have occurred throughout Sydney’s rail system following the collapse of overhead wires onto a passenger train.

The incident took place around 5 PM when a South Coast Line service was en route between Redfern and Erskineville, located in the inner west of Sydney.

Transport officials have cut off power to the affected train and are currently working to evacuate the passengers safely.

According to Jas Tumber, the head of rail operations for Sydney Trains, the exact cause of the incident remains unclear.

“This situation has caused considerable disruption with extensive effects across the network,” Tumber stated. “We are actively investigating the cause and deploying response teams to assist with the train.”

As a result of the incident, power has been disabled on two of the six tracks operating between Central and Newtown, impacting train services.

Sydney Trains has announced that delays and service gaps will persist throughout the remainder of the day. The disruption has notably affected the T2, T3, T8, T1, North Shore, and Western Lines, in addition to T9 services.

Furthermore, intercity services departing from Sydney’s terminal have also been affected. “Due to the power outage, we are unable to run any intercity trains heading west or north,” Tumber explained.

He suggested that passengers use suburban trains to reach Blacktown or Parramatta instead. “Trains that usually travel from the west and north into the city will be redirected to turn around at Parramatta, Strathfield, or Hornsby,” he added.

Passengers are encouraged to factor in additional travel time and explore alternative transportation options during this disruption.