BREAKING: Shire Commuter Accidentally Experiences Peak Rail Luxury — Entire Row to Self as City Quietly Shuts Down For the Holidays.

Finn Seabrook | Local Correspondent | Sutherland Shire Gazette

22 December 2025

SUTHERLAND SHIRE - A local commuter has reported an unprecedented travel experience this morning after boarding a peak-hour train to the CBD and discovering an entire row of seats available — all to themselves.

Witnesses confirm the carriage contained just two passengers: the commuter, and one other individual displaying the unmistakable signs of airport intent — backpack clipped tight, headphones on, eyes fixed forward — who exited silently at Wolli Creek without conversation or eye contact.

“It was unsettling at first,” the commuter told the Gazette. “I kept waiting for someone to get on and ask if the seat was taken. No one did. I had legroom. I put my bag on the seat next to me. I crossed my legs. I briefly forgot what year it was.”

Experts say the phenomenon marks the unofficial start of the End-of-Year Transport Mirage — the brief window in December when offices have quietly shut down, calendars are performative at best, and the remaining workforce travels like ghosts through infrastructure designed for chaos.

“There’s a tipping point,” said one transport analyst. “Once half the city has mentally clocked off, the rest experience moments of false hope.”

The commuter reportedly enjoyed uninterrupted silence, no loud phone calls, no passive-aggressive coughing, and not a single overheard conversation about KPIs or Pilates. “It felt wrong,” they admitted. “Like I was getting away with something.”

By Central, the illusion remained intact. No crowd surge. No sudden compression of bodies. Just peace, movement, and the low hum of a city already thinking about lunch.

NSW Transport declined to comment, but insiders confirm the experience will not last. “By January,” one source warned, “the trains will be full again. And someone will be eating tuna.”

For now, the Shire commuter remains shaken — but grateful.

“It was the calm before Christmas,” they said. “And I’ll never forget it.”