Lights out, trains stalled, traffic in chaos in northern Melbourne power outage

FIRST ON 3AW BREAKFAST

Power has been restored to about 5000 properties hit by a power outage in Melbourne’s north this morning.

Lights were out, boom gates became stuck and traffic was thrown into chaos when the blackout hit the Coburg and Preston areas about 7am.

Energy company Jemena rectified the issue shortly before 9am.

The cause of the outage is not yet clear.

IMPACTS

• 5000 properties without power
• 14 sets of traffic lights were out in the area, including busy Bell St and Plenty Rd
• Metro Trains reported delays of about 20 minutes on the Mernda line
• Drivers told Ross and John at least three sets of boom gates were stuck down

“It’s a bit of a nightmare,” caller Janine said.