Trains resume Bomaderry to Kiama, as hundreds of workers continue vital repairs to South Coast rail network

In an epic operation spanning over 90 continuous hours of work and hundreds of people, Sydney Trains have inspected and repaired over 200kms of extensively weather damaged track and infrastructure along the South Coast Line to bring services back online as quickly and safely as possible in extreme conditions.
This is on top of the work across the rest of the network from Newcastle to Lithgow, to Waterfall and Macarthur that also required inspection and involved the repair of numerous damage sites since the weekend.
On Tuesday, trains resumed between Kiama and the city in both directions however they will run to a reduced weekend timetable whilst repairs continue on a significant slip site at Bald Hill.   Buses continue to be stationed at Wollongong and Waterfall to supplement trains.
Passenger services will resume between Bomaderry and Kiama on Saturday. While Saturday and Sunday will see buses replace trains between Wollongong and Waterfall as repair and resilience-building work continues.
Extensive work is being carried out between Thirroul and Waterfall and south of Gerrigong where significant stretches of track were completely washed away by moving water rushing through the area.
Severe storms battered the South Coast last weekend, causing significant damage to railway tracks, electrical infrastructure, signals and landslips.
Sydney Trains’ Chief Executive Matt Longland said the safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority and we are working as quickly as possible to re-open the railway line.
“We’re restoring the South Coast Line as quickly and safely as possible, and we’d like to thank passengers and freight operators for their patience and understanding during this period,” Mr Longland said. 
“Whilst a lot of the sites across the network have been fully recovered some will require more extensive repairs to further ensure the ongoing safety and reliability of the assets, particularly around Bald Hill and south of Berry on the South Coast.” 
Currently, Sydney Trains has 250 workers on the ground and who worked through extreme conditions around the clock to bring services back online in record time.
These teams are carrying out significant repair work including stabilising multiple land slips, testing and repairing numerous signal assets, clearing debris, and restoring track arrangements. 
“Our teams are working tirelessly in testing conditions to ensure services can return to normal,” Mr Longland said.
“Customers may see some changes to services for short periods over the coming months as we work though those sites.
“Passengers are urged to plan ahead, expect delays and listen to stations and service announcements.”
Passengers travelling on the South Coast Line should allow for extra travel time, check indicator boards, listen to station announcements, and plan their trip ahead of time by visiting transportnsw.info.