Sydney trains are at it again, and by at it again, we mean they have completely stopped their service, just in time for rush hour on a Wednesday. This is particularly cruel because nobody wants to be marooned outside a train station on a Wednesday afternoon – although if we look at it with a li'l sprinkle of positivity, at least it’s not Friday. That would be worse (probably).
Either way, it sucks.
What we know so far is that some trains are up and running again, but the entire train network was just at a standstill due to a "communication issue" with the radio system used by signallers and radio crew to stay in contact with train crew. This was a safety issue, and as such, they had no choice but to reboot the system to try and restore it. Turns out that the classic turn it on, turn it off again trick seems to extend to major transport systems as well as our parent’s computers! Who would’ve thought?
In a press conference, Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said that there will be significant delays for commuters in Sydney throughout the afternoon peak hour, and that this “extremely rare” issue will be fully investigated. Sydney Trains has also said that nobody got trapped on any trains during the system failure, which is another silver lining.
Right now, scenes from across the city are showing desperate hordes of commuters taking to the streets to try and hail down overcrowded buses, and Uber prices are surging rapidly. Authorities have advised that we all find "alternative transport" home today, and have reiterated that train services will not be affected tomorrow.
If you can avoid leaving wherever you are right now, we reckon that might be your best opp. Otherwise, good luck and godspeed, Sydney.
We will endure.