Sydney train strike: commuters brace for delays on multiple rail lines

Train services will be heavily reduced or shut down across multiple Sydney and regional rail lines on Tuesday. Find out the lines to be affected.

Commuters are again facing major disruptions and traffic congestion across Sydney’s rail network as thousands of staff walk off the job for the fourth time this month.

Heavy commuter traffic plagued Sydney’s roads on Tuesday morning as union strike action saw train services slashed across multiple lines.

Lengthy lines of motorist traffic choked major roads across the city as several trains came to a halt and bus queues grew, leaving commuters with little choice but to drive.

Services that are most affected include those on the T1, T7 Olympic Park and T9 Northern lines between 10am and 4pm, which will run on a heavily reduced timetable. The Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Newcastle lines are also impacted.

Trains won’t run on the T5 Cumberland line between Richmond and Leppington line with commuters being advised to change at Granville to complete their journey.

Commuters were crowded in carriages at Wynyard Station. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NCA Newswire

Transport for NSW said disruptions would likely be felt for at least two hours before and two hours after the planned action.

Early on Tuesday morning, services were delayed for up to 30 minutes on the T1, T2 Inner West and Leppington, T3 Bankstown and T8 Airport and South lines due to staff’s refusal to operate trains they claim don’t meet minimum standards.

Platforms at Town Hall Station were empty on Tuesday morning.

Commuters fed up with disruption

Sydney couple Nikhil Nair and Katai Keoduangdy were hoping to attend Auburn’s Cherryblossom Festival, but last minute train cancellations on the T1 North Shore and Western line threw their plans into disarray.

“We thought we’d make it, but it’s a very hectic situation right now as all the trains have been cancelled,” Mr Nair said.

And, it wasn’t just today’s strike that caused the couple trouble. The weeks-long industrial action has impacted their mobility during the week.

“Because of the trains, I can’t get to my job on time and as a student I can’t even travel to do assignments,” he said.

Train Strike

“Back in my country (India), you don’t have this kind of situation. It’s very rare. Over here, since I arrived, it’s almost daily (and) it’s very inconvenient for passengers.”

Katai Keoduangdy has been forced to wake up much earlier just to make it to work on time.

“I live in Western Sydney and it is such a pain to come here every day knowing that the trains might be cancelled,” she said.

“I have to wake up very early just to avoid this happening or being late to work. It’s so frustrating.”

Another passenger venting his frustration was Finn Briggs, who was simply fed up with the consistent disruptions.

“I’m just worrying about needing to get to the station earlier. It’s just been painful.”

Heavy traffic was seen heading towards the Harbour Bridge as commuters made their way into the CBD during the train strikes. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NCA Newswire

Union ignores Minns’ calls to end industrial action

The ongoing train chaos comes as the rail union ignored calls from Labor Leader Chris Minns to end ongoing industrial action and cancel Tuesday’s disruptions.

Mr Minns on Monday called on the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) to stop its rolling industrial actions, declaring it would only cause further disruption without getting workers a better deal.

Commuters are being encouraged to take different routes to work today. Picture: Newswire.

“We don’t want this industrial action to go ahead,” Mr Minns said.

“Further industrial action will only see communities be the meat in the sandwich,” he said.

“The NSW Opposition’s view is that these strikes are not going to lead to an agreement and we need to make sure that the public isn’t disadvantaged and disruption on the public transport network doesn’t continue,” he said.

His comments came after the Coalition released an attack ad on social media highlighting the close ties between the Labor Party and the trade union movement.

NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns says train strikes need to stop. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Central Station during industrial action:

RTBU secretary Alex Claassens told The Daily Telegraph that Mr Minns was “entitled to his view” but said the industrial action would continue.

“He can come and have a conversation anytime he likes but, at the end of the day, our delegates and our members will decide about our industrial action and the need to have it or not,” Mr Claassens said.

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

Union members on the Northern Line and the Western Line will walk off the job on Tuesday as part of the RTBU’s ongoing dispute with the government over pay and conditions.

The strike comes after union members decided certain trains were not up to safety standards on Monday morning, leading to widespread cancellations.

Workplace Relations Minister Damien Tudehope, who has been negotiating with the RTBU, accused the union of putting themselves in charge of running the rail network.

“Effectively the unions are telling the people of NSW: ‘We decide what trains will run, when they will run and what inconvenience we will cause you,’” he said.

Further strike action is expected on Thursday.

Mr Claassens said the union was working with rail bosses to work trains at a reduced frequency.

However he acknowledged commuters were starting to get “angry and frustrated” at repeated delays.

Meanwhile, Mr Claassens has defended his position on NSW Labor’s powerful administrative committee, despite criticism that he has a conflict of interest in working for the union and the Labor Party.

Mr Claassens is one of a number of senior union bosses who sit on NSW Labor’s Administrative Committee.

“I’ll just resign from it if that’s what people want, but the only thing that will happen is that another union person will get the gig,” he said.

Mr Minns said union representatives have been on NSW Labor’s Administrative Committee for 130 years.

“It doesn’t mean that the … Labor Party has a veto over the activities of the union movement or vice versa,” he said.