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Sydney news: Train commuters to face delays on Western, North Shore, Olympic Park, Northern and Cumberland lines

Industrial actions will again cripple Sydney's train network. (Supplied: Transport for NSW)

Here's what you need to know this morning.

Major train disruptions today

Sydney's train commuters will face major disruption across the rail network today after the main rail union vowed to push ahead with strike action as part of its long-running dispute with the state government.

Rail workers will officially strike between 10am and 4pm — but Sydney Trains said commuters should expect disruption either side of that.

It will impact the Western, North Shore, Olympic Park, Northern and Cumberland lines.

Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said there will be reduced services, long journey times and changes to stopping patterns.

"For that period from 8am until 6pm, what customers will see is on average a frequency of trains around every 30 minutes so obviously trains will take a lot longer to get to their destination and customers will be waiting for longer and we're expecting it to be quite crowded," he said. 

Mr Longland said the disruptions could be compounded by separate industrial action on other lines with workers potentially refusing to operate trains that union say do not meet minimum maintenance standards.

That took as many as 37 trains out of service yesterday. 

Fence collapse an 'unforeseeable event'

The state's safety regulator has ruled a fence that collapsed at Leichhardt Oval, in Sydney's inner west, during a schoolboy rugby match was an "unforeseeable event".

Dozens of spectators fell more than a metre to the ground when the fence railing gave way during a match between Saint Ignatius' College Riverview and St Joseph's College earlier this month.

No one was seriously injured.

Leichhardt Oval is among several facilities which missed out on funding after the state government scrapped plans to invest $250 million to upgrade suburban sports grounds.

That decision angered the Australian Rugby League Commission, which threatened to move the NRL Grand Final to Brisbane.

Inner West Council, which manages Leichhardt Oval, said the fence collapse was proof that $300 million in funding to upgrade Penrith Stadium should be "redistributed fairly" to suburban grounds, including Leichhardt Oval.

Experts from SafeWork NSW have inspected the fence railing at Leichhardt Oval and have ruled that the collapse was an "unforeseeable event".

The site has now been made safe for future spectator events. 

Police hunt wanted man

Police are searching for Mahmoud Mariam. (Supplied: NSW Police)

Police have made a public appeal to help track down an alleged underworld figure wanted on warrants for drug and weapons offences.

Organised Crime Squad detectives are searching for Mahmoud Mariam, 38, who is based in Sydney's south-west.

Mr Mariam previously served jail time for manslaughter.

NSW Police say Mr Mariam "is wanted by virtue of two outstanding warrants for drug and weapons offences".

He is described as being of Middle Eastern appearance, 175cm to 180cm tall, of solid build, with black hair a beard and a moustache.

Anyone who may know of Mr Mariam's whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

Geoff Lee to retire from politics

Parramatta MP Geoff Lee will retire from politics at the end of this term. (ABC Broken Hill: Bill Ormonde)

NSW Corrections Minister Geoff Lee is the second cabinet minister in as many weeks to announce he will leave politics and won't contest the next state election in March.

The Parramatta MP will leave the parliament after 12 years in the job.

He said it has been an honour and privilege to serve the people in his Western Sydney electorate, but he must now put his family first.

Premier Dominic Perrottet has thanked him for what he has described as Geoff Lee's "outstanding contribution".

Mr Lee's departure comes after Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello announced last week that he would not stand again in his seat of Ryde next year.

Tyrrell's foster parents face fraud charges

William Tyrrell's foster parents cannot be legally identified. (ABC News)

The foster parents of missing child William Tyrrell have been charged with fraud offences relating to an auction for a Sydney home in 2020.

The man, 55, and woman, 56, who can't be identified, were charged on Friday.

The charges have no connection to the disappearance of William, three, who was last seen on the NSW north coast in 2014.

Police said in a statement the couple were charged with attempting to gain a financial advantage by deception following an investigation by Strike Force Rosann detectives.

"It will be alleged in court the pair organised a third party to falsely bid for a property at an auction in December 2020," police said.

They will appear at Hornsby Local Court on October 20.

Singer dies at Southern Highlands home

NSW resident and singer Margaret Urlich has died at the age of 57.

After moving to Sydney from New Zealand in the mid-1980s, she forged a successful solo career and won an ARIA Award for her debut album, "Safety in Numbers".

She became well-known across Australia for providing backing vocals in the 1990 song "The Horses" with Daryl Braithwaite.

Urlich died at her home in the Southern Highlands after being diagnosed with cancer two years ago.

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