Sydney to Wollongong four hour train ride amid major disruptions on Saturday

As major train disruptions plagued the entire network on Saturday, I was one of the many unlucky stranded passengers trying to get home.

Having arrived from the Gold Coast just after 6pm, I had no idea about the mammoth challenge that lay ahead of me.

Making my way home from Sydney was undoubtedly harder than flying in from another state.

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The agonising four-hour journey from the domestic airport to North Wollongong station had me jumping on three different trains, as stops were changed last minute and trains cancelled left and right.

The rail chaos which was supposedly caused by "urgent overhead wiring repairs" brought together the Illawarra-bound travellers as they decided it was better to stick together in a mission that seemed impossible.

Anthony, who was visiting his cousin Sula from Canada, said it had taken them four hours to reach Sydney for a day spent doing "touristy things" and were repeating the struggle as they made their way back to Wollongong.

Things started to go downhill as we got off at Sutherland after much confusion about whether the train to Wollongong was to be boarded from Hurstville or Sutherland.

The screen which had previously showed a Kiama service in 40 minutes got cancelled with no information about any possibility of another train in the future.

The panicking passengers scurried to find out more about the distressing situation from station staff, who at first couldn't be found but emerged later from within their office.

Their answers to "what the hell is happening?"- type questions did little to calm people down as they said they knew just as little as the passengers.

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While some passengers requested a train replacement bus, some had to walk away from the chaotic scene to consider their next option.

Many Illawarra travellers resorted to calling their family and friends to pick them up, some considered taking a taxi home.

It was after a few minutes that a staff member clad in neon orange came bearing good news - there was a train coming soon.

The people rejoiced as they saw the all-stations to Kiama train approaching and heaved a sigh of relief as they jumped aboard.

If I was on the train at 10pm on any other day, I would have been scared out of my mind, but with the scores of people in the same boat (or train) as me, I felt comforted.

Passengers started getting off as the Wollongong stops arrived but not without smiling and waving goodbye to their newfound friends, almost like an acknowledgement of the night of horrors coming to an end.

I finally made it home after four hours with my housemate at the station to pick me up. I'd never been happier to see her.

According to NSW TrainlInk South, the situation has now been "rectified" with a "normal timetable running".

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