Sydney commuters urged to avoid public transport

Commuters across Sydney have been urged to work from home and avoid using public transport after severe weather battered rail, bridges and road, triggering extreme delays.

After a major flood emergency in NSW last week, Sydney has once again been issued a sever weather warning along with the Mid North Coast, Hunter, Illawarra, South Coast, and parts of the Tablelands and Northwest Slopes and Plains.

Sydney’s rail and road networks will see significant delays today after dangerous winds crashed into Sydney overnight – reaching up to 110 km/hour in some suburbs.

Transport for NSW is advising people to avoid the rail network due to flooding.

“Severe weather conditions are currently affecting the network with significant disruptions and larger than normal service gaps,” they wrote in a statement.

“Please avoid any non-essential travel, and if you have to travel please plan ahead and leave plenty of extra travel time.”

Meanwhile, crews from Transport NSW are busy clearing debris that has fallen onto rails and repair damage.

Trains will run at reduced schedules, different stopping patterns and some will drive at a reduced speed of 40km/hr altered frequency or with a different stopping patterns, according to Transport NSW’s latest update.

Replacement and supplement bus services are running in affected areas.

Thousands of NSW residents were forced from their homes after Tuesday’s downpour, with many spending the night with family and friends.

Evacuation orders were issued overnight for communities near Singleton in the Hunter region, including Glenridding, Dunolly and Combo. Others remain in place on the South Coast, including for Sussex Inlet and St Georges Basin.

In Sydney, the west and south-west regions are most affected, including Camden, the Hawkesbury, and suburbs along the Georges River.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is preparing to declare the NSW floods disaster a national emergency, a move which would trigger more Commonwealth resources including extra help from Defence for communities.

The declaration, which was established after the 2019 bushfires, gives the Prime Minister powers to draw on all Commonwealth resources and stockpiled assets to respond to the deadly floods.

A number of roads remain closed across Sydney. To check the full list of road closures, click here.

To check for the latest evacuation warnings and order from the NSW State Emergency Service, visit here.