Hundreds of passengers trapped on a Sydney train tangled in fallen high-voltage live wires have been freed from the “life-threatening” situation, which caused commuter chaos on Tuesday.

However, commuters have been warned to expect further delays across Australia’s busiest suburban rail network into Wednesday morning.

The train travelling in Sydney’s west was halted at 2.30pm when a live wire suspended above tracks near Strathfield station at Homebush hit a passing train, triggering a power outage.

NSW Transport Minister John Graham described the situation as dangerous, saying a 1500-volt power connector was sitting on top of the train carrying 300 passengers.

“This is a very serious incident, right in the heart of Sydney’s train network,” Graham told ABC News.

Graham said the train’s pantograph collided with overhead wires causing the damage, about 20 metres from Strathfield station.

Passengers were trapped in what Transport for NSW co-ordinator general Howard Collins told News Corp was a “life-threatening” situation.

“If you get very near or touch wires with that amount of voltage and amperage, it will kill you straight away,” he said.

One passenger told Channels Seven’s Sunrise: “People are suffocating here. We’re all asking, what’s going on? What’s going on, what’s going on?”

“I don’t I don’t have any option. I can’t get off, can’t do anything. Just stuck. There’s no aircon. There’s nothing.”

Aerial footage showed passengers being ushered off the train and walking along the tracks to safety.

The power outage halted three more trains, with workers arriving on site to evacuate the passengers.

Graham said works were continuing to move the affected trains and remove them from the network, which would allow trains to operate once the wires are repaired.

There will be major delays across the network, with authorities warning it could affect Wednesday’s morning commute.

“We are aware this will cause major problems and delays. We are advising in the morning to make sure you check the latest information,” Graham said.

“It’s possible there could be some knock-on effects.”

The station in Sydney’s west is a major interchange for multiple routes and the incident caused cascading delays elsewhere on the network.

Commuters have been advised to delay “non-essential travel or consider alternative transport arrangements”.

“This incident occurred between Homebush and Strathfield station. This is such a big part of the network. Those lines running close to each other, any disruption has a ripple affect,” Graham said.

“It has impacted every line on the Sydney metro apart of the T4 Line.”

The Metro, Light Rail and local buses are not affected.

Buses are running and an agreement has been struck with rideshare operator Uber to avoid surge charging.

“About a million people rely on public transport to move around the city. This is a big impact, the rail network is crucial. It’s greatly assisted by the bus and metro network. The fact they are running is making it easier tonight,” Graham said.

An update on services, including the effect on Wednesday’s morning peak hour, is due soon.

-with AAP