Sydney train chaos: Services resume on T4 Eastern Suburbs, Illawarra, south coast lines

Rail workers have successfully negotiated to run a very limited service through Sydney’s east amid industrial action. Here’s when the commute home will return to normal.

Train services on the stricken south coast and Eastern suburbs line should be returning to normal at 5:30pm on Wednesday, amid warnings that strike action by the union could continue into next month.

Matthew Longland, the chief executive of Sydney Trains, said a hourly service with limited stops had been able to run throughout the day on the T4 line, but full services were unlikely to return until 5.30pm tonight.

It comes as Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) secretary Alex Claassens said action could continue into next month, with more targeted strikes to hit rail lines on August 17, 23 and 25.

In a fiery press conference, Mr Claassens urged Premier Dominic Perrottet to become involved in negotiations, saying it was up to him to resolve the dispute which has resulted in year-long industrial action.

“We’ve drawn a line in the sand … If this doesn’t bring them out of their corner, I don’t know what will. But if this doesn’t do it for them, we’ll do another month,” he said.

Commuters pile onto a train at Bondi Junction train station on Wednesday afternoon. Train drivers went on strike between 10am and 4pm causing a disruption to the regular time tables. Picture: Richard Dobson

At Bondi Junction, information boards at 4pm showed that there is a one hour wait for the next train. Picture: Richard Dobson

“There is one person that can now fix this, and that’s the Premier of New South Wales, and he needs to step up.”

The strike actions hitting rail lines this month after the latest culmination in a wretched pay dispute between the government and the union, while the union also refuses to operate the $2.8b New Intercity Fleet, which remains in storage, until safety alterations it says are required are made.

Sydney Trains CEO Matthew Longland.

Commuters at Bondi Junction were given this warning this morning. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NCA Newswire

Mr Longland pushed back on the union’s assertions that the NSW Government was responsible for the shutdown of the T4 line, which began at 10am Wednesday.

“The reason we haven’t been able to run a (regular) timetable on the T4 line is because of industrial action. It’s not because of anything Sydney Trains or the NSW Government is doing to stop services from running,” he said.

He warned parents should consider picking their children up from school today amid anticipated disruption on the line.

South west trains are set to be impacted by another strike next Wednesday, with Mr Longland hoping crunch negotiations will avoid more action.

“We are hopeful we can avoid that action, and again we are calling on the RTBU to come back to the table and avoid this unnecessary impact to customers,” he said.

All services along the Sydney train line were completely suspended from 10am until 4pm in what is described by Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) NSW Secretary, Alex Claassens as “an exaggerated reaction to today’s industrial action and an outrageous attack on commuters.”

“The NSW Government and transport management are claiming services aren’t running because of industrial action, but that is complete rubbish,” Mr Claassens said.

Commuters at Bondi Junction Train Station in Sydney this morning as Rail Strikes continue. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NCA Newswire

“The industrial action being taken by rail workers today in response to the NSW Government’s refusal to provide safe trains has been carefully designed to ensure commuter services can still run and impacts only around 10 per cent of all available train crew. The NSW Government is choosing not to run the services today.”

NSW high school students will face stressful delays before they sit one of the biggest tests of their lives, with strike action set to cripple train services running all the way from Bondi Junction to Wollongong.

.@T4SydneyTrains Just want to let you know what a disaster Sydney Trains have caused my family. Had to drive to uni only to find all car parks full had to park on street in 1hr parking zone. Have uni until 7 pm! I can’t afford to pay the fine!

— Penny (@pennyfortheguy) August 10, 2022

Train services have been completely suspended for six hours along the T4 Eastern Suburbs, Illawarra and south coast lines, as hundreds of students are set to sit trial HSC exams.

The strike continues a month of rolling actions planned by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU), with the Department of Education confirming students had been warned about industrial unrest on public transport ahead of their exams.

Packed trains on display during the morning commute. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Transport NSW said plans to run a “very limited rail service” during the six-hour strike were canned due to the union being “unable to provide guarantees about staffing and operational arrangements”.

But the RTBU hit back at the accusations, with NSW secretary Alex Claassens saying the strike action didn’t prevent Transport NSW from drafting in trains and staff from other non-impacted areas in Sydney.

“We deliberately designed these actions so they could run trains,” Mr Claassens said.

“If that limited service is not available to them, that’s on them and not on us.”

Students are set to sit trial HSC exams on Wednesday with tests for biology, engineering studies and extension English to be held throughout the day.

Morning commuters as industrial action once again affects the trains leaving many passengers standing on the platform unable to fit on the train forced to wait for a later train. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

In extreme cases involving severe transport or traffic disruptions impacting a large number of students, exam staff are able to delay the start of exams for a short time.

“Students are reminded by schools to make sure they plan their journey in advance and consider alternative arrangements if there’s predicted delays to public transport to ensure they arrive before their exam begins,” a NSW Department of Education spokeswoman said.

The RTBU and senior government ministers are set to meet later this week in a bid to stave off further action scheduled by the union this month, following a year blighted by industrial unrest over pay and working conditions.

The union was set to meet with Premier Dominic Perrottet and Transport Minister David Elliott on Tuesday, but the meetings were called off after Mr Elliott became sick.