Over 1,000 items left on trains

The dedicated Sydney Trains Lost Property team have picked up prosthetic limbs, war medals, musical instruments, opal cards, wallets, jewellery, bank cards, bikes, bags, hats, clothing, tents, skis, surfboards, wheelchairs, postcards, letters from the 1960s and much more, even a set of leather-bound books from the 1930s with an inscription to ‘John’.
“However, we’re still looking for John,” Sydney Trains’ Stefania Kubowicz said.
“It’s one of those mysteries that we’re yet to solve.”
However, the team is very proud of the fact that 70 per cent of the 800-1200 items left behind every week, are all returned or picked up within 28 days.
“Some of the time people tell us when their train leaves that they’ve just lost an item and we call ahead to notify staff a train coming with an item on board,” Stefania said.
“We hold the item for collection or put it on a return service straight away to get the lost item back to the owner as soon as possible.
“Recently Sydney Trains Chief Executive Matt Longland left his phone on a train but was reunited with it half an hour later at the next stop.”
After the 28-day holding period, unclaimed Lost Property items are sold through online auctions.
Revenue raised at these auctions is invested in making public transport improvements.
“We try extremely hard to reunite our customers with their personal property, but sometimes this doesn’t happen,” Stefania said.
If you’ve lost an item, call 9379 3341, email transportnsw.info or visit the Lost Property Office at Shop 9, Eddy Ave, Central Station.