Rail strikes to cost taxpayers $25m a week as southwest Metro delayed

Trains at Bondi Junction were stranded with no drivers on Friday evening. It comes ahead of the Minns government making all trains across Sydney free this weekend in the face of mass disruptions due to industrial action.

Hundreds of commuters have been forced to look for alternatives means of travel after trains at Bondi Junction were stranded with no drivers on Friday evening.

Announcers said they were unsure how long delays would be, calling for passengers to travel by bus to the city.

One announcement said: “Once again the trains on the platforms are not moving at this time, we’re just waiting on drivers.”

During the train delays about 6pm, an Uber from Bondi Junction to Central Station cost almost $48, and an Uber to Potts Point cost $26.

Free train travel this weekend

Trains across the Sydney network will be free of charge for all passengers this weekend, as the Minns government attempts to stop a weekend of commuter chaos caused by rolling industrial action from the train union.

This comes after The Daily Telegraph revealed the additional services would not be running to help fans get to multiple football finals being held across the city.

NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the government would make all train travel free this weekend to help people get to the football.

“We know that this weekend is going to be difficult for passengers as a result of industrial action,” she said.

“So we’re going to open the gates and deliver free travel for passengers this weekend so tens of thousand s of families across our city can get to the footy.

“We’re also making train travel free this weekend to give the works to convert the T3 line to Metro a chance to go ahead.”

This came after revelations construction of the southwest Metro is set to be delayed, costing taxpayers almost $3.6 million a day as the rail union holds the project to ransom.

The government will be unable to shut down the T3 line between Bankstown and Sydenham next Saturday for its conversion to Metro if an agreement with the Rail, Tram and Bus Union is not reached.

The Minns government estimates the cost of delaying the project will cost taxpayers more than $100 million per month.

This comes after The Daily Telegraph revealed the RTBU will also shut down any trains running along the T3 line from September 30 preventing people travelling from Cabramatta and Regents Park from catching the train.

Transport for NSW secretary Josh Murray said construction would not be able to begin on the south west Metro next weekend should an agreement not be reached.

“Conversion of the T3 is a multi stage process, it does involve shutting off multiple points on the T3 and we’re working on both the engineering requirements and the industrial requirements,” he said.

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen. Photo: Tom Parrish

We need the union’s assistance to make that happen – we are at this injunction and we will have to work through that point.”

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said after two days of intense negotiations with the RTBU, many of their requests could not be met. The union has asked for a qualified Sydney Trains driver to be present on every Metro train, despite the vehicles being driverless.

“I need those Sydney Trains drivers for the Sydney Trains network,” Ms Haylen said.

Those are the kinds of things I could not agree to.”

Ms Haylen also confirmed that no additional train services would be run this weekend to help fans reach multiple football finals across the city, after The Daily Telegraph revealed on Tuesday the union would not allow any timetable changes.

Yet the Minister was unable to tell commuters what additional arrangements would be put in place.

“What I would say to the union is don’t let your opposition to the Metro stand in the way of families being able to get to the footy finals,” she said.

“This weekend will be disruptive and difficult, that’s why we’re asking people to plan ahead.

“We will have additional buses in place but it will be difficult and we will be providing ongoing updates as we get closer to those big events.”

Disruption threat … the Bankstown to Sydenham line. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Simon Bullard

The union has refused to work to any timetable changes if an agreement is not reached. This means additional services that would have helped fans get to the SCG for the Swan’s AFL preliminary final on Friday night at the same time Cronulla plays North Queensland in the NRL semi-final next door will be cancelled.

Saturday crowds going to Allianz for the NRL and to Accor Stadium at Homebush for Australia’s rugby Test against New Zealand will also be affected.

The demand is part of a suite of requests made by the union including that trains continue to run on the T3 line from Sydenham to Bankstown, instead of being converted into a Metro. The RTBU has been a vocal opponent of the southwest Metro line, despite the overwhelming success of the new Sydney Metro.

The union is also requesting a 32 per cent pay rise over four years and a cut to the working week to 35 hours, without a reduction in pay.

This comes despite the industrial umpire in 2023 ruling that rail workers receive a 5.5 per cent pay rise over two years, as well as one off-payment of $4500.

The ruling ended a dispute between the rail union and the former Coalition government, which severely disrupted Sydney’s rail network in 2022.

As part of the action union members will not work on any changed timetable and will be banned from doing any work on the Bankstown line including clearing the signals.

Infrastructure workers will also refuse to perform work on the lines if the temperature is higher than 30 degrees and there will also be a ban on removing dead animals from the tracks and training new trainees for the rail operations centre.

Originally published as Rail strikes to cost taxpayers $25m a week as southwest Metro delayed