Sydney commuter chaos after 122 call in sick on Monday

Frustrated Sydney commuters suffered significant delays on their way home from work as a critical staff shortage and wet weather caused 28 services to be cancelled.

Passengers had already withstood delays and overcrowded services this morning after mass cancellations on the T1 North Shore, T2 Inner West & Leppington, T3 Bankstown, T5 Cumberland and T8 Airport & South Lines.

The chaos continued into the afternoon, with lines on packed platforms standing six people deep unable to board trains when they arrived as it was already overcrowded.

Twenty-eight services were cancelled after 112 Sydney Trains’ employees called in sick, causing some passengers to wait up to an hour to move along.

“This is unacceptable. It happens all the time,” one frustrated commuter told 9NEWS.

“We’ve just had our train cancelled that was meant to arrive just now, and have to wait 25 minutes for another one just to go two stations,” said another.

The worst affected line was T8 Airport and South line.

NSW Labor seized on the frustrations by announcing it would offer refunds to commuters who are delayed for more than half an hour if elected in March.

“Full fare refunds for Sydney commuters for avoidable delays,” Opposition Leader Luke Foley said.

“Our train system has lurched from crisis to crisis and we now have the worst delays in a decade.”

Refunds would not be offered for bad weather or unforeseeable circumstances like fatalities.

The government has refused to refund passengers on days where there are serious delays.