Commuters were forced to take buses to Chatswood from North Sydney Station / Pic: Dave Swift Source: The Daily Telegraph
WHAT started as an urgent wiring issue on the North Shore line ended up crippling Sydney's public transport system yesterday morning.
upThousands of commuters across the city waited for hours in queues for buses and taxis to get them into the CBD, with police called to control crowds which spilled into the streets.
RailCorp director of operations Tony Eid said the chaos was sparked by a train that had become tangled in the overhead power lines between Waverton and North Sydney.
"The 4.30am train was heading north and the driver noticed that he'd lost power," Mr Eid said. "When he got out and inspected the train he found it was tangled in the overhead wires. As you can imagine that's a full-on problem."
RailCorp turned off power in the entire area in response to the incident, disrupting the travel plans of about 50,000 people who work between Central and Chatswood.
Rail commuters right to be alarmed
Initially affecting trains headed out of the city - with commuters forced on to buses between North Sydney to Chatswood - the disruption soon spread to the rest of the network and clogged the city's roads.
Services into the city were delayed by up to an hour and all trains were hit with delays of up to 30 minutes.
Were you caught in the chaos? Tell us below
Commuter Shane Bazzi said his train was stopped for 15 minutes on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
"People were frustrated and anxious," he said.
Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian, said she was one of those caught up in the chaos. "I completely understand the frustration of commuters this morning," she said.
Mr Eid said he understood the frustration of commuters but praised the efforts of staff in trying to get the city moving.
"I can only apologise and say we did everything we could," he said.
Commuters were forced to take buses to Chatswood from North Sydney Station / Pic: Dave Swift Source: The Daily Telegraph
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