NSW trains to operate at reduced levels after Fair Work hearing

Trains across Sydney will operate at up to 60 per cent of full capacity for the rest of the week after the government lost a bid to stop further industrial action.

Commuters across NSW will face widespread disruption with “significantly” reduced train services after the government lost an interim bid to stop more industrial action.

Passengers have been warned late concessions by the union — combined with flooding and landslips on train lines — meant there would still be significant disruptions.

Transport NSW Chief Operations Officer Howard Collins said despite the union agreeing to operate additional trains, challenges around rostering and timetabling meant commuters should avoid “non-essential travel”.

“Services tomorrow will operate to a reduced timetable, with a reduction of trains during peak hours and altered running patterns across the day,” Mr Collins said.

“Localised flooding and multiple landslips are impacting train services, including a major landslip along the main western rail line across the Blue Mountains that will take weeks to repair.”

RTBU NSW secretary Alex Claassens. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

Wrongdoers will also get away without any penalties with the union ordering its transit officers to not hand out any fines in a hit to government coffers.

The Rail Tram and Bus Union fronted the Fair Work Commission on the government’s call but the industrial umpire has allowed planned action to go ahead in an interim ruling before a final decision is deliberated on Thursday.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet. Picture: NCA Newswire/ Gaye Gerard

“Localised flooding and multiple landslips are impacting train services, including a major landslip along the main western rail line across the Blue Mountains that will take weeks to repair.

Transport authorities will work into the night to bring onboard 50 more services to plug the gap.

Earlier, RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens welcomed the interim ruling as a win for unions.

The union said it chose to run services at 60 per cent of the capacity instead of 30 per cent in an effort to reduce any inconvenience to the public during the current flood crisis.

“It’s great that the Fair Work Commission has sided with the union and agreed that our planned actions should continue but the reality is we had already moved to ensure additional services would be available this week to assist during the current weather conditions,” Mr Claassens said.

“One of the protected industrial actions that will continue between Wednesday and Friday is ban on transit officers issuing fines to people. With everything facing the people of NSW at the moment, rail workers have decided to put a stop to the NSW Government taking money from people in the form of fines on public transport.”

But the government claimed it was their decision to take the union to the Fair Work Commision that prompted a relaxation of the planned action with Premier Dominic Perrottet calling the interim decision “a good start”.

Every day this disruption continues more and more people get hurt, but we will keep putting the working families of NSW first and keep fighting to bring the strikes to an end,” he said.

Roads Minister Natalie Ward said the outcome was a “step forward” but it was “disappointing” that the industrial action would continue.

“It’s pleasing we have that additional capacity coming tomorrow … nonetheless it is disrupting still that we don’t have that full capacity,” she said.