Sydney transport: Chaos at the NRL Grand Final as major delays hit train lines and urgent track works were carried out
Footy fans were left furious after railway maintenance delayed thousands of people heading to the NRL Grand Final.
Stunned passengers heading to Accor Stadium at around 5pm on Sunday were told to allow an extra 30 minutes to reach Olympic Park station due to ‘urgent track repairs’ at Flemington.
Due to the track works, trains that would normally run from Central to the nearest station to the stadium were instead running to Rhodes.
At 6.30pm, Transport NSW informed commuters that the additional journey time had shrunk to 15 minutes.
A weekend of sporting events impacted travelers across Sydney on Sunday, with more than 20 train lines affected by changes or delays.
Footy fans were left furious after ‘urgent’ maintenance on the railway delayed thousands of people heading to the NRL Grand Final. Pictured: People on their way to the rugby league season decider on Sunday afternoon
Three major events will take place over the holiday weekend, including the NRL and NRLW Grand Finals and the Koori Knockout at Tuggerah.
All of Harbor City’s numbered rail lines, T1-T9, will be affected by the grand final match, which kicks off in the afternoon of Sunday.
Express trains run regularly from Central Station in Surry Hills to Olympic Park, stopping at Redfern, Strathfield and then Olympic Park.
There are also regular trains to Lidcombe in the west of the city, where commuters can head to Platform Zero for a direct train to Olympic Park station.
After the match, trains will run to Central until late, with limited stopping services between Western Line stations to Olympic Park.
Pre-purchased tickets for the NRL and NRLW Grand Finals at Accor Stadium in the Olympic Park include travel on trains, buses and trams.
Fans will also attend the NSW Aboriginal Rugby League Koori Knockout at the Central Coast Regional Sporting and Recreation Complex.
Transport for NSW advised fans on Sunday that the nearest station to the complex was at Tuggerah on the Central Coast and Newcastle Lines.
While the Transport Heritage Expo will not attract the same crowds, it will also impact services with regularly running trains to Central.