Sydney train strike: Commuters hit with travel chaos due to industrial action

Commuters will be hit with delays for the second time this month as four major train lines are hit with strikes and continued industrial action.

Commuters are bracing for public transport chaos for the second time this month, as rail workers go on strike for six hours between 10am and 4pm.

Services across the T2 Inner West and Leppington, T3 Bankstown, T8 Airport and South, and the Southern Highlands lines will be running on a severely reduced timetable, with some services completely cancelled.

There will also be no trains running between Richmond and Leppington on the T5 Cumberland line, while buses will replace trains on the T3 Bankstown line between Lidcombe and Bankstown, and between Lidcombe and Olympic Park on the T7 Olympic Park line.

Commuter chaos at Bondi Junction train station during the strikes on August 10. Picture: Richard Dobson

The industrial action was initiated by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) over safety concerns of a new, Korean-made inner-city fleet. NSW rail union secretary Alex Claassens also called for a deed from the state government which would confirm the changes.

The string of strikes follows more than a year of failed negotiations between the RTBU and the NSW Government for the new enterprise agreement.

As it stands, industrial action is also planned for Tuesday, August 23, Thursday, August 25 and Wednesday, August 31, in which roughly 70 per cent of Sydney’s train network will be impacted.

“It’s incredibly disappointing that we’re taking protected industrial action yet again because we have a NSW Government more interested in fighting among themselves and playing politics than in delivering the safe railway we all deserve,” Mr Claassens said.

“Commuters would be disturbed to know that the NSW Government’s upkeep of our current train fleet is so poor that trains do often get put into service without meeting those standards”

“Workers won’t be bullied into allowing unsafe trains to run on our railways, nor will we be bullied into submission by a government more focused on ideological games than in delivery the public transport system we all deserve.”

As of 6am on Saturday, RTBU station staff have opened the gates across Sydney’s train network, meaning travellers would not have to tap on and off to access the services. However, Transport NSW have advised commuters to continue using the Opal readers, or risk being hit with a fine.

RTBU NSW secretary Alex Claassens blamed the safety standards of the train fleet for the latest round of industrial action. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short.

Transport NSW have advised commuters to “plan ahead and consider using alternative transport” if they’re travelling during the affected times.

“Please check travel alerts for the latest information and plan your trip to check for alternative transport options.”

Speaking to 2GB’s Ben Fordham, Employee Relations Minister Damien Tudehope lashed the RTBU for the disruptions.

Mr Tudehope said those involved in the strike were “more interested in striking and inconveniencing people,” labelling their actions as “union thuggery”.

“The level of frustration I have in playing these games – which is straight out of a 1960s or 70s manual for union thuggery – is perplexing,” he said on Wednesday morning.

“Every time we seek to solve one problem they raise another issue and say this justifies continuing strike action.

“If you ask me what this strike is about today – I just don’t know.”

Originally published as Sydney train strike: Commuters hit with travel chaos due to industrial action