New Transport Minister David Elliott flags timetable change for Sydney trains

The number of trains running in Sydney are set to be cut by the new transport minister, as passenger numbers plunge amid the pandemic.

New Transport Minister David Elliott will push for a stripped-back January train timetable amid plummeting patronage and rising cases of Covid-19 among workers, declaring he’s “not going to run ghost trains” as Omicron hits the city’s transport ­system.

Mr Elliott will advise Premier Dominic Perrottet to adopt an enhanced weekend timetable during the week, with extra services during peak hours from January 10 to the end of the month.

He says running full weekday services isn’t in the best interests of taxpayers as booming numbers of new Covid cases have Sydneysiders working from home and avoiding public transport.

All these empty seats on so-called “ghost trains” are what Transport Minister David Elliott is trying to avoid. Picture: Monique Harmer

“I’m not going to run ghost trains,” Mr Elliott told The Daily Telegraph.

“I’m ruling it out because it’s not in the best interests of taxpayers or commuters.”

Mr Elliott said the move would also ensure there would be enough frontline staff and reserve workers to man trains from February 1, when school returns and hundreds of ­students flood back to the rail network.

New Transport Minister David Elliott. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

There are currently 60 rail workers confirmed as Covid-positive, with another 11 isolating, along with an increase in leave applications.

Mr Elliott confirmed that rapid antigen testing for ­transport workers is currently being provided at 13 sites across NSW, based on “business criticality”.

The rapid testing regime would be expanded when enough kits are secured, he added.

While patronage on the city’s rail network usually drops by 25 per cent in January, the Omicron outbreak has led the government to predict it will drop by another 7 per cent.

Mr Elliott confirmed key event planning for New Year’s Eve and Sydney’s Ashes Test was also continuing, amid government expectations that the numbers of punters boarding trains to get around the city will likely drop. However, the government is still planning on running bulked-up timetables for major events, with Mr Elliott confirming extra services were scheduled to run on the first and second days of the cricket Test at the SCG on January 5 and 6.

The proposed rail timetable will mirror that adopted between August and October during Sydney’s lockdown.

It means trains will run to their weekend timetable, with additional early morning and early afternoon services to cater for workers.

Current protocols like deep cleaning of trains and mandatory mask wearing will remain in place in January, while other modes of transport – including buses and light rail – will run on their regular timetables.