Sydney Trains: Why are they always late?

Sydney's Public Transportation Crisis: Delays and Disruptions Plague Commuters Sydney, Australia – Commuters in Sydney are facing ongoing delays and disruptions to their daily commutes due to persistent lateness in suburban train services. A recent video by PEDESTRIAN.TV highlights the issue, revealing that Sydney trains have failed to meet their target of 92% of peak hour services arriving within five minutes of the scheduled time since early 2024. The video attributes the problem to a confluence of factors. These include a significant backlog of necessary maintenance work, substantial cost overruns associated with crucial infrastructure upgrades, delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, industrial action, and the expansion of project scopes beyond initial plans. The situation has left many commuters frustrated and inconvenienced. John Graham, the New South Wales Minister for Transport, commented on the situation to The Sydney Morning Herald, stating, “It takes time to bring the maintenance levels back up, and we are a third of the way there. We are working overtime to end the ongoing rail dispute, so the entire focus of Sydney Trains can be on its customers, service reliability and increased maintenance,” he said. While upgrades are underway to modernize the system, the delays continue to impact commuters' lives. The video concludes by advising commuters to build buffer time into their commutes to account for potential delays. The ongoing challenges highlight the need for efficient and reliable public transport systems.