Overview
- Crews discovered a counterweight failure that caused sagging overhead wiring near Chatswood on Monday night, triggering an immediate safety shutdown of city-bound T1 North Shore services between Gordon and Chatswood.
- Transport agencies replaced cancelled trains with limited buses and unscheduled shuttles, rerouted some Central Coast and Western services via Strathfield, and added extra Metro runs to ease passenger loads.
- Officials said primary repairs were completed and the overhead lines were re-energised on Tuesday, but trains and crews are being repositioned and commuters should expect residual delays into the afternoon peak.
- Commuters faced long queues and overcrowding on replacement buses and the Metro, prompting extra staff and bus marshals at key stations and advice to allow more travel time or use scheduled buses where possible.
- The fault is the second overhead-wiring incident in about 11 days and comes after a recent $2.1 billion network uplift, raising fresh questions about inspection and maintenance of counterweights and other wiring components.