Digital radio system outage halts Sydney trains

A failure of the digital train radio system (DTRS) stopped trains from operating in the Sydney metropolitan area, as well as reportedly on intercity lines, for several hours on Wednesday.

Transport for NSW said the DTRS outage started at 2.45pm; trains started running again "to a reduced frequency and changed timetable" just after 6pm.

“This is the digital radio system that connects the train crew with the signaller and our rail operations centre,” a spokesperson said in a statement to iTnews.

“As a result for safety reasons we have had to halt trains at platforms until we can reboot the system.

“Engineers are on site and looking at the system fault and determining if we implement a backup system located at Homebush.”

Sydney Trains had earlier said that trains were “currently not moving” due to the problem.

Commuters reported trains parked at stations for extended periods and of seeking alternative transport options as the afternoon peak approaches.

Transport for NSW said that it had been able to get passengers safely disembarked from trains across the network.

Several social media posts pointed to a recent upgrade of the DTRS as a potentially contributing factor, but this could not be verified.