‘Unpredictable': Move that will anger commuters
On Wednesday, Sydney Trains employees will attend an Electrical Trades Union (ETU) rally in the Sydney CBD and march to NSW parliament over stalled pay deals.
Starting on Wednesday and as part of a two-week industrial action launched by the RBTU, trains will run 23km/h below the speed limit in 80km/h or above zones.
RBTU NSW branch secretary Toby Warnes told the ABC said there 'will be delays, so people may experience some inconvenience across the whole network'.
'I would recommend people think about how they're going to travel for the two weeks from Wednesday … as I can't categorically say what the disruption may or may not be,' he said.
While there may be some delays, no changes have been made to the train timetable.
A Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink spokesman urged commuters to allow extra travel time on Wednesday.
'While we expect minimal disruption, the consequences of industrial action can be unpredictable, as are the operational needs of the network,' the statement read.
'Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink will work to minimise impacts for passengers at all times and alert the public should delays build.
'Passengers should plan ahead, check the latest updates before making their journey and allow extra travel time.
'Where possible, NSW TrainLink-booked passengers will be contacted via SMS to provide an update if there are changed travel arrangements. '
A separate action will be taken by the ETU, with members taking part in rolling one-hour stoppages between 8am and 4pm on Wednesday.
ETU secretary Allen Hicks said the strikes should not directly impact commuters but were instead aimed to signal to the NSW government of the 'frustration' held by workers who want to negotiate a better pay deal.
'It has been almost 70 days since the NSW government sat down and negotiated with workers,' Mr Hicks said.
'The disrespect with which the government is treating its essential rail workers is appalling.'
Mr Hicks added the industrial action was 'not just about pay'.
'There are also important safety protections and risk assessment procedures that the government is trying to strip away from a new agreement,' he said.
'Workers need to be able to speak up when they know something is unsafe on the network, but the government wants to take that right away, putting workers and commuters at risk.
'Without the pressure of industrial action, the NSW government and Sydney Trains have shown they won't sit down and meaningfully bargain with us.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Yahoo
Free trains boost for Aus city
Trains and metro services will be fee-free into the early hours of Saturday in Sydney, after months of disruption and industrial action. Originally planned for Thursday and Friday, the period has been extended with Opal gates at train and metro stations now remaining open or turned off from 12.01am Thursday 31 July until 6am on Saturday 2 August. The fare-free travel period is an acknowledgment of the disruption that occurred before the Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink Enterprise Agreement was agreed with the rail workforce earlier this month. Transport Minister John Graham said the announcement came as an admission the disruptions were unacceptable but also an invitation 'to support those businesses who had some lean days'. The fare free period is predicted to amount to at least $6.4m in lost revenue for Transport NSW, with 2.2 million people forecast to make use of the free window. Minister for Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison added the fare-free days included regional routes to locations like Melbourne and Brisbane. 'We encourage our regional passengers to use the rail network over these two days to explore regional NSW. 'You will need to book in advance, but this is a fantastic opportunity to get out and explore this state and beyond.' Not everyone is pleased with the move however, regular commuter Joe Carrozzo said it comes 'too little too late'. '(The disruptions) earlier this year really messed me around so much, Sydney trains are slow and smelly at the best of times but paying what we do and receiving that kind of treatment just isn't on. 'The fare-free period is a nice gesture but as commuters what we want isn't gestures, it's better transport.' The free travel will not extend to buses, ferries or light rail which will charge fares as normal however Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolaou said it was a good opportunity to support business around train stations affected by the disruptions. 'Fare-free travel on Thursday and Friday is a terrific initiative that sends a strong signal of confidence in Sydney and Parramatta's CBDs. It's not just a win for commuters — it's a much-needed boost for food, hospitality and retail businesses that have faced enormous pressure over recent months.' 'Encouraging people to return to the office and explore the city at no cost helps revitalise our commercial centres and reconnects workers with the vibrant, dynamic experiences our CBDs are known for.' 'This thoughtful initiative is expected to benefit more than a million passengers, but its impact will ripple far beyond the trains and buses — it will support jobs, stimulate spending, and re-energise the heart of our economy.'
Wall Street Journal
04-06-2025
- Wall Street Journal
Inside the $135 Million Mission to Get Your Flight to Leave on Time
Your trip may be booked, but there are hundreds of people and processes that help you travel to where you need to go. WSJ's Booked goes behind-the-scenes with the experts to peel back the curtain on the travel industry.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Fare-free train travel after days of commuter chaos
Australia's busiest rail network will open its gates for fare-free travel to make up for commuter headaches when an overhead wire failure caused days-long delays. On Monday, travel will be free on all Sydney trains, Airport Link, and Metro services on the Opal network. Opal gates and readers will be turned off and passengers will not need to tap on and off. The free travel will not extend to buses, ferries and light rail, regional train services or coach ticketing, which will charge fares as normal. The NSW government announced the changes on Saturday to placate frustrated commuters after a "nowhere-near-good-enough" power outage caused carnage to the network on Tuesday. A live wire suspended above train tracks near Strathfield station at Homebush hit a passing train, triggering a power outage and creating chaos for hundreds of thousands of travellers. Commuters queued at stations across Sydney on Wednesday morning, waiting for a trickle of replacement buses, themselves hampered by increased traffic clogging the city's roads. Repairs to the overhead wiring were completed on Wednesday, but Premier Chris Minns acknowledged the reliability of Sydney Trains had "not been up to the mark". Transport Minister John Graham said more than a million people would benefit from the free travel but he didn't expect it would make up for last week's inconvenience. "We acknowledge that it strained the patience of an entire city," he said in a statement on Saturday. "We want them to know the NSW government also expects better of the system, and we are working to improve reliability and maintenance." A "short and sharp" independent review is also set to assess maintenance, punctuality and customer communications across the network.
