Sydney public transport delays: Commuters warned to stay home, avoid travel as ‘bomb cyclone’ worsens

Amy Lee
The Nightly
Millions of Australians have been told to stay home and avoid public transport as the ‘bomb cyclone’ rapidly intensified on Wednesday morning.
Millions of Australians have been told to stay home and avoid public transport as the ‘bomb cyclone’ rapidly intensified on Wednesday morning. Credit: AAP

Millions of Australians have been told to stay home and avoid public transport as the destructive low-pressure system dubbed the “bomb cyclone” rapidly intensified on Wednesday morning.

In a fresh update, Sydney Trains strongly advised that “train passengers should avoid non-essential travel across the rail network,” with service alerts issued on eight of the nine major train lines.

“Due to fallen trees, trains on some routes have been cancelled,” the statement read.

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“Motorists across Eastern NSW are being urged to prepare for delays and disruptions, as extreme weather is set to lash the region today and into the coming days.

“Transport for NSW is warning that damaging to locally destructive winds, heavy rainfall, and hazardous surf conditions will impact key coastal areas from the Mid North Coast down to the South Coast, including the Hunter, Central Coast, Sydney, and Illawarra.

“If you must travel, please allow plenty of extra travel to get to your destination. Be prepared for disruptions, including possible road closures and public transport delays.”

Those travelling interstate and overseas should also brace for major disruptions.

According to Flight Radar, 87 flights have been cancelled on Wednesday morning after winds hit 72km/h at Sydney Airport.

It comes after Air Services Australia announced a single runway operation at Sydney Airport on Tuesday afternoon, with reduced operations expected to continue into Wednesday.

“This adheres to our International Civil Aviation Organisation safety regulations for runway usage amid inclement weather,” a spokesman said.

“Safety is Airservices’ number one remit – this decision is purely weather- and safety-related to safeguard the travelling public.

“Delays are expected. We will continue to work closely with industry to minimise impacts for the travelling public.

“Decisions regarding flight cancellations are a matter for individual airlines.”

The destructive weather system will likely spark another day of commuter chaos, with warnings from the SES on Tuesday evening indicating that the situation will worsen over the next 24 hours.

Authorities are advising travellers to stay alert, with further delays and cancellations expected throughout the day.

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