What you need to know about the Sydney train shutdown

The Sydney rail shutdown could be the most extensive stoppage the network has seen in years, with millions of passengers facing disruption should it go ahead on Friday.

But how will commuters be affected? And how did we get here in the first place?

Here’s everything you need to know.

When will the trains stop running?

If the shutdown goes ahead, train services will stop from about 4.15am on Friday until 6am on Sunday.

Services were originally meant to stop from 10pm on Thursday, but the Rail, Tram, and Bus Union (RTBU) has agreed to run services as scheduled on Thursday after a meeting with Sydney Trains took place at 5.30pm on Tuesday.

Which lines will be impacted?

Every suburban train line will be brought to a halt, from the T1 North Shore and Western line to the T9 Northern line.

Ongoing protected industrial action will also affect intercity train services, with service reductions and cancellations happening from Tuesday. It will impact passengers travelling to and from Newcastle, the Central Coast, the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands, and the Illawarra. Blue Mountains train services will be replaced by buses for three hours on Wednesday between the morning and evening peak periods.

Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said intercity train delays could be unpredictable depending on how industrial action is interpreted and carried out by individual staff members.

Will there be other transport options?

Transport for NSW is preparing emergency buses for commuters. However, numbers will be limited, and it is not entirely clear yet what these services will look like.

There will be more frequent light rail services between 7am and 7pm on Saturday.

Uber and Didi have also confirmed they will limit surge pricing during the industrial action.

Passengers travelling to Olympic Park for the Pearl Jam concert on Thursday night will be serviced by 86 special event trains. The government said a major event bus plan is under development, to be confirmed ahead of the Pearl Jam concert on Saturday.

Demand for the rest of Sydney’s public transport networks – including buses, ferries, and light rail services – is expected to surge, and the government has urged commuters to make alternative travel arrangements and plan their journeys ahead of time.

Information is available through warning signs across the train network, transport apps and information pages.

Will the metro still run?

Yes and no. Metro services between Chatswood and Sydenham will not run from 2am on Saturday until 2am on Monday as part of scheduled maintenance. Services will only run between Tallawong and Chatswood during that period.

The metro will not be affected on Thursday and Friday. It will run every four minutes on Friday until 8pm, where it will shift to services every eight minutes until scheduled maintenance commences.

Why is there industrial action?

The RTBU and five other unions have been negotiating with the government for the past six months over pay and work conditions. The unions have rejected Labor’s offer of an 11 per cent pay rise over three years which includes superannuation and have demanded 32 per cent over four years, and for 24-hour train services to be run.

Sydney Trains representatives and the RTBU failed to end the deadlock following Tuesday night’s meeting, with the rail shutdown shaping up to be the latest escalation in a series of disputes between the parties.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen revealed that more than 50 bargaining meetings have taken place so far, including 28 meetings with more than 90 union delegates. The government met union leadership on Wednesday afternoon to continue negotiations but there was no resolution. Talks are due to resume on Thursday.

Haylen has the option of taking the union to the Fair Work Commission as was done under the previous government but says she would prefer to negotiate an end to the standoff. The commission has the power to rule the strike action unlawful.

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