Union, government point fingers as Sydney’s rail mayhem continues

Sydney Trains has blamed today’s weekend timetable and delays on the rail union, but the organisation claims their industrial action hasn’t caused any of the issues for the network— and that they’ll mobilise again tomorrow.

Further industrial action is expected to plague the train network tomorrow as the Rail, Tram and Bus Union avoids blame for limited services, saying the government is “deliberately” running trains at a reduced capacity.

Commuters were met with chaos on Thursday with services slashed and passengers being told to avoid travel.
But RBTU NSW secertary Alex Claassens said the disarray on the rail network wasn’t the union’s fault.

“We’ve got industrial action in place that should not be delaying the fleets. Yet, the government has deliberately made it difficult by running the weekend timetable when they don’t need to,” the union’s NSW Secretary Alex Claassens told 2GB.

“We’re going to sit down with negotiation team all day today.”

It comes after Sydney Trains Chief Executive Matt Longland said earlier this morning that because of the union’s industrial action, trains would be operating at “reduced frequency” similar to a “weekend style” timetable, seeing passengers wait up to 15 minutes for trains.

Packed platforms and delayed services will abound on Thursday as rail industrial action continues. Picture: John Grainger

“Industrial action is continuing on the rail network today. It’s likely to be more crowded,” he told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.

“The timetable will be almost equivalent to a weekend style timetable, so the impacts will be felt in the peak periods.”

Due to the planned action, trains are not running on the T5 Cumberland line and will instead be serviced via the T1 line.

There are shuttle services between Lidcombe and Bankstown and reduced services on the T8.
Frustrated commuters took to social media as they attempted to travel on the network this morning, comparing crowded carriages to “concert moshpits”online.

Another commuter took to Twitter to describe their “jam packed” journey on the train on Thursday morning where “people (were) sticking to each other...half of them not wearing masks”.

Another user tweeted about an unmasked passenger “coughing up a lung” in a “crowded train”.

RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens has take aim at the NSW Government for the lack of trains on Thursday. Picture: Nikki Short

Drivers also faced a tough commute in Sydney’s west, with the Hume Hwy closed in both directions at Horseley Dr due to fallen power lines.
Heavy traffic was banked back for kilometres citybound throughout peak hour, with motorists in Warwick Farm and Lansvale urged to use Governor Macquarie Dr instead.

It comes as rail travellers were warned to brace for “horrible” train delays on Thursday and Friday, with the union to press ahead with industrial action despite the government caving to demands to make multimillion alterations to a brand new train fleet.

Commuters have been told to avoid travel today. Picture: David Swift

Normal services are expected to be cut to just 30 per cent.

NSW Transport Minister David Elliott announced on Wednesday the government had offered $264m to the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) to make changes to the New Intercity Fleet, in a bid to quell commuter chaos in coming days.

The foreign-built NIF has been at the centre of tense negotiations between the government and the union, with the union refusing to operate them over safety concerns.

Negotiations stalling led to industrial action on Tuesday, when a go-slow by train drivers led to cancellations and delays.

Trains at Town Hall on Wednesday morning. Picture: John Grainger

RTBU NSW secretary Alex Claassens said the union wanted to go “line by line” through the government’s offer.

Earlier on Wednesday, there were hopes that the $2.88b New Intercity Fleet could be out of storage and on railway tracks by August after the government tabled the peace offering in a bid to avoid industrial action set to cripple the city’s trains in the coming week.

“The ball is in (the union’s) court … there is no need for industrial action,” Mr Elliott announced on Wednesday.

“The government is making a once and for all offer in relation to industrial action. The government will be providing $264m to make modifications to the NIF to ensure the NIF is on track as soon as humanly possible.”

He said trials of the train could be under way within two months if the union accepted the offer.

trains at Town Hall on Wednesday morning. Picture: John Grainger

“My expectation from the union of course is they commence to wind back their industrial action … the NSW government expects the union to terminate industrial action straight away in the best interest of the community.”It’s a major backflip from the NSW Government after Treasurer Matt Kean and industrial relations Minister Damien Tudehope slammed the union’s demands to alter the fleet, which the government had estimated would cost $1 billion.

“Vandalism is bad enough on public transport without the unions taking a sledgehammer to a nearly $3 billion train fleet,” the Treasurer said last month.

“This demand to butcher a new modern fleet is beyond ridiculous. The union demand that we rip out the latest technology is unreasonable.

“The unions need to allow passengers to use this modern, advanced and safe fleet, not tear them apart for their industrial warfare.”

The union claims cameras on the new fleet, which are currently sitting in storage at a cost of up to $30m a month, are lower quality and are obstructed by opening doors.

The union has also said the new trains also don’t allow for guards to stick their head out to visually check the train is safe to depart.

Originally published as Union, government point fingers as Sydney’s rail mayhem continues