Roads have reopened and trains are back on track but the power outage that caused Sydney traffic to come to a standstill is still causing huge delays for motorists.
Power was restored to the 60,000 homes and businesses in Sydney's inner and southwestern suburbs at 5.30pm (AEST) on Thursday after a fault was detected on the local electricity network an hour earlier.
The Transport Management Centre said the M5 East had opened in both directions after being closed earlier in the afternoon because of the widespread power failure. All diversions were lifted but traffic remains very heavy so motorists are advised to expect significant delays and allow additional travel time, the centre said in a statement.
Trains are again running between Sydenham and Bankstown after a halt during peak hour due to the partial closure of the Bankstown Line.
In a statement, Ausgrid apologised to residents, businesses, motorists and commuters affected by the interruption to the power supply.
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It said that power was cut while an Ausgrid technician was conducting work at the Canterbury Subtransmission Substation on Thursday afternoon.
Ausgrid said its chief operating officer has requested a full investigation to be carried out immediately to determine the cause of the interruption and include any connection to the work that was being undertaken by the Ausgrid technician.
