A scathing report into Sydney Trains has put a "disturbing" spotlight on the "absence of effective communications" and "information voids" on the network, but one transport expert says this was not always the case.

In May, a 1,500-volt overhead cable fell onto a rail carriage near Homebush in Sydney's west, disarming the rest of the network in a ripple effect that lasted two days.

The Independent Rail Review released its final report on Tuesday and found that messaging to the public, those on board, the government and the media was not given the "priority it deserves".

"The disturbing shortcoming in the incident response, and evident to the whole city, was poor communication," the report said.

One passenger told the review that after being told of a "short delay due to a technical issu

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