Rainfall delays South Coast trains

Heavy rains wreaked havoc on the South Coast rail line yesterday, with three separate incidents slowing trains to a crawl.Illawarra residents were left checking their calendars to make sure it was, in fact, the first day of summer as the region copped a drenching. Bellambi recorded 57.6mm in the 24 hours to 7.30 last night, while Albion Park received 40.6mm and Nowra 31.2mm.Trains were delayed by 30 minutes from 9.15am as RailCorp crews carried out emergency repairs on signal equipment between Coalcliff and Scarborough. A RailCorp spokeswoman confirmed the incident was weather-related and repairs were completed by 10am.Just hours later, safety monitors and land slip detectors were activated at Thirroul, forcing trains to slow down through the area between 1.20pm and 2.52pm.The spokeswoman said the safety monitors were a "warning measure" and there had not been a land slip.Around the same time, a train struck a large rock that had washed onto the tracks at Wombarra. Passengers were delayed by up to 30 minutes as RailCorp crews removed the rock and checked the track for damage.A Transport NSW spokeswoman said trains on the South Coast line were running to time by 3pm.By then, many of the region's creeks had sprung to life, prompting a warning by the SES to stay clear of fast-flowing water.At Albion Park the Illawarra Hwy was closed between Terry St and the Princes Hwy as creek water inundated the bitumen.A caller to the region's SES crews reported the creek at Chalmers St in Balgownie rose a metre in 40 minutes.SES deputy regional controller Ashley Sullivan said the service was receiving a steady flow of call-outs, mostly for leaking roofs and overflowing gutters.More high-stakes scenes followed on the region's roads, with several accidents occurring during morning showers.A 10-car collision on Springhill Rd at Coniston could have been a lot worse, but resulted in just three people receiving minor injuries.The Sydney Catchment Authority's weekly tally, to be released this afternoon, is expected to show a dramatic spike in dam levels resulting from the recent downpours.On Monday this included 62mm at Bellambi, 90mm at Foxground and 124mm at Brogers Creek, near Jamberoo Mountain.Further rain is forecast for the next six days.