South Coast rail commuters had to squeeze into smaller-than-normal trains in the morning peak on Thursday.
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Before trains left Wollongong station, people were already forced to sit on the stairs or stand in the vestibule.
By the time peak hour trains reached Thirroul, commuters were standing in the aisles on both levels of each carriage – which is the government’s official measure for severe overcrowding.
Compounding the issue was Transport for NSW’s decision to run four-carriage trains rather than the usual eight.
Due to planned industrial action – including a rail workers’ ban on overtime – the South Coast line is running to a weekend timetable on Thursday.
This means the usual nine morning peak services were cut to just three.
Many commuters were more concerned with the journey home, where just four South Coast trains will be available in the peak period.
With evening peak trains already crowded on the South Coast line, many commuters were expecting it to be even worse on Thursday evening.