Sydney’s entire rail network descended into chaos on Tuesday when a train between Strathfield and Burwood stations became entangled in a live wire suspended above the tracks around 2.30pm, triggering a power outage.
Around 300 passengers were trapped onboard the train as the potentially deadly wire rested on the roof of a carriage for several hours, while commuters on three other trains on tracks nearby were also trapped.
A train was stopped near Homebush after becoming entangled in a live wire, triggering a power outage and trapping commuters inside.Credit: Anthony Segaert
Passengers could not be evacuated from the train until around 6pm, when workers were able to safely isolate the live wire, which Transport for NSW Coordinator-General Howard Collins said was a “life-threatening” situation.
“If you get very near or touch wires with that amount of voltage and amperage, it will kill you straight away,” Collins told reporters on yesterday afternoon.
Collins apologised for the issue, dismissing criticisms of the maintenance of the network’s live wires.
Transport Minister John Graham said the live wire entanglement was not a unique issue, but the location of the tangle, just near Strathfield station, is what caused the extent of the disruption.
“We have had these incidents before, as recently as last year, but it’s the location of this incident that’s really magnified its impact on the network,” he said.
Read the full article here
