Afternoon travel peak looms as Sydney train chaos continues

Sydney commuters have reportedly had another spanner thrown in the works for this afternoon’s peak hour.

There are fears the worst of Sydney’s train chaos could be yet to come after reports revealed no Sydney services would be running on Monday afternoon, with no resolution between the NSW government and train workers in sight.

A breakdown in negotiations between the NSW government and the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) over the weekend has resulted in all train services on Sydney Train lines and intercity RailLink line being cancelled.

Now, reports from the ABC claim there will be zero services running for the evening’s peak hour rush.

The NSW government and the RTBU exchanged public blows this morning, with each shifting the blame for the cancelled trains.

Transport for NSW have said the decision is the result of industrial action from the union, but the RTBU say the planned industrial action wouldn’t impact commuters and the trains have been cancelled by the government as part of a “dummy spit”.

The NSW government and the union were arguing their cases before the Fair Work Commission throughout Monday.

Channel 7 reporter Amelia Brace reported the Fair Work Commission hearing has adjourned until 11am Wednesday, with services on Tuesday to be cancelled as well.

I’m hearing train services will be cancelled again tomorrow. https://t.co/E58itYxB4X

— Amelia Brace (@AmeliaBrace) February 21, 2022

Commuters are seen outside of Central Station. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Flavio Brancaleone

View of the entrance to Town Hall Station in the QVB. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gaye Gerard

Meanwhile, hundreds of commuters have been left stranded at train stations across Sydney following the snap 2am decision from Transport for NSW to cancel all rail services.

No replacement buses were organised, with commuters being told this morning to find their own alternative transport arrangements.

NSW Labor’s Shadow Minister for Transport, Jo Haylen, has urged the government and union to at the very least negotiate the running of trains for the afternoon peak.

“Here’s an idea. Instead of hurling insults at rail workers, how about the Minister sits down with the union and negotiates now so we can get the afternoon peak service rolling?” she wrote on Twitter.

“After all, rail workers turned up at 2:00am today ready and willing to work. Let’s let them!”

This is not a strike. Transport workers stand ready to get the trains running now. They were ready at 2:00am today. They said so this morning!

— Jo Haylen MP (@johaylen) February 21, 2022

News.com.au contacted Transport for NSW for clarification on whether train replacement bus services would be available this afternoon but have not yet received a response.

Transport for NSW said it was made apparent late last night that the Sydney train services would not be able to operate safely today.

“It was clear at midnight following a weekend of intensive negotiations between Transport for NSW, NSW TrainLink and the RTBU, that Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink would not be able to safely operate train services,” Transport for NSW said in a statement this morning.

“This was a difficult decision to make but we cannot and will not compromise on safety.

“We apologise to customers for what is clearly an unacceptable course of action.”

It wasn’t just train users that were impacted by this morning’s decision, with the move causing chaos on Sydney’s roads.

Traffic was backed up for more than 22km on the M2 motorway this morning, with many commuters who would usually catch public transport forced to drive or use a ride share service to reach their destination.

There was also gridlock on Victoria Road, the M5 and Hume Highway.

There are concerns delays could spark up again this afternoon if train services don’t resume or alternative public transport services aren’t provided.

Hundreds of Sydney residents pack the motorway amid a train chaos. Picture: Nine Network

‘Won’t be conceding’: Gov hints at long standoff

Hopes that the situation could be resolved quickly today with negotiations have been somewhat dashed by Transport Minister David Elliott.

Mr Elliott hinted that the NSW government won’t be going down without a fight when it fronts the Fair Work Commission with the RTBU today.

He told 2GB that the rail union had “hijacked the city” and didn’t show up to negotiations on Sunday night, resulting in the train network being shut down.

“I’m so furious at their spin and their lies. I think we’re going to have a large standoff right now because they can’t use the city’s transport system for some sort of terrorist like activity,” he said.

Mr Elliott said the government “won’t be conceding a single thing while they behave like spoilt children”.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has also lashed out at the situation, branding it a “co-ordinated attack” by the Labor Party and RTBU.

Minister for Transport David Elliott has accused the union of hijacking the city over enterprise negotiations. Picture: John Grainger

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet addresses the media at Sydney's International Airport. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

“This is no accident. This is a concerted campaign by the unions and the Labor Party to cause mass disruption across our city. They are not even hiding it,” Mr Perrottet told reporters.

“Today is the first day we have international arrivals coming in, a day where mums and dads are trying to get their kids to school, a day when many university students are going back to class for the first time and many people as a result of our announcement last week returning to work.

“The unions were intent on causing chaos.”

Mr Perrottet confirmed that the decision to cancel the trains had been made by Transport for NSW, but claimed they were “left with no alternative in terms of safety”.

He said he was incredibly disappointed with what has occurred this morning, saying the union’s wrong interpretation of the decision made by the Industrial Relations Commission is to blame for the action taken by Sydney Trains.

“This is a concerted, predetermined campaign by the union movement,” he said.

“You cannot treat the people of our great state in this way and it is very, very clear that this is the Labor Party in bed with the union movement to cause mass disruption.”

Two words that caused train chaos

RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens made it clear on Monday morning that the cancelled trains was not the result of a worker strike, instead branding it a “dummy spit” from the NSW government.

Speaking at a press conference at Central Station, Mr Claassens said when staff turned up for work this morning they were told by management that the trains had been cancelled.

The union has been in negotiations with the NSW government over its enterprise agreement, with Mr Claassens revealing the two words that saw talks unravel.

Confused commuters at Wolli Creek after all trains were cancelled this morning. Picture: 7News

“There was still a lot of confusion around an item called ‘altered working’. So two little words, which mean a lot for railway people and for obviously lawyers – they can’t get their head around it – and obviously for the managers of this railway unfortunately,” he said.

“Which is really disappointing because we all understand what altered working is. That is the working that is provided to people when they start their shift, working that has been given to them days in advance so they know what they are doing during the course of their shift.”

Mr Claassens said railway workers rarely do the same job two days in a row and therefore need to be given that instruction every day.

In a statement sent out late last night, RTBU said workers would push ahead with planned industrial action today, despite the government’s “shocking attempt to silence workers by blocking their legal industrial action”.

Starting 12.01am on Monday and running for two weeks, workers will take part in a ban on “altered working”, meaning that they perform the shifts they are set without any changes.

Mr Claassens said the planned industrial action would only impact transport management and commuters wouldn’t notice the changes, adding if commuters were impacted then it would be the result of the NSW government “trying to make a point”.

Originally published as Afternoon travel peak looms as Sydney train chaos continues