David Elliott changes notification process to avoid another trains shutdown

Thousands of inconvenienced Sydneysiders are expected to be offered half-price peak-hour fares and free weekend travel on the city’s rail system.

Thousands of inconvenienced Sydneysiders are expected to be offered half-price peak-hour fares and free weekend travel on the city’s rail system as compensation after chaos ensued when the entire network was shut down on Monday.

Transport Minister David Elliott is expected to make the announcement on Thursday.

The news comes as Premier Dominic Perrottet said he has reviewed documentation and conducted interviews with senior officials involved in Sydney’s disastrous train shut down and ordered Transport Minister David Elliott to bolster train capacity urgently.

Mr Perrottet said he has made his disappointment clear to both Mr Elliott and Transport For NSW Secretary Rob Sharp but believed “both parties were acting in good faith”.

“I do believe reviewing all the information that both parties acted in good faith, but there was a breakdown in relation to communication,” he said.

“I made it very clear that the current situation is unacceptable and they need to sit down with the unions and improve capacity on the Rail network as soon as possible.”

Despite expressing anger towards his own team — Mr Perrottet placed the blame for the shutdown on the Rail Tram Bus Union (RTBU) for “reneging” on their deal with the government.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has ordered Transport Minister David Elliott to bolster train capacity urgently.

Mr Perrottet said after “reviewing all the documentation”, the shut down was the safest thing and would not have occurred “but for” the RTBU’s decision to not work according to Transport for NSW’s published timetable.

He said the return of a normal train timetable was a “priority” in the lead-up to public servants returning to offices in the CBD.

Meanwhile, major transport decisions will now need formal ministerial approval.

Mr Elliott and Mr Sharp were called into a meeting with Mr Perrottet and Department of Premier and Cabinet boss Michael Coutts-Trotter on Wednesday, where it was made clear that bureaucrats will need to seek written endorsement of any “significant developments” in Transport operations.

It came after the Premier said that he and Mr Elliott should have been told that the train network was set to be shut down.

Minister David Elliott said the communication between the department and his office was “not sufficiently precise” before Monday’s crippling trains shutdown. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

After the meeting with the Premier and senior bureaucrats, Mr Elliott said that his department “considered it had discharged (the) obligation” to keep him informed, but he disagreed.

“What is clear is that the communication between the department and my office was not sufficiently precise,” he said.

Legal advice prepared following the debacle found that Sydney Trains must inform Mr Elliott “any information relating to its activities that the Minister … may require”.

Sydney Trains is legally required to “keep the Minister informed of the general conduct of its activities and of any significant development in its activities”.

At around 11.30pm on Sunday, Mr Elliott was told that there would be widespread disruption on the rail network. However, the advice indicated that trains would still be running on Monday morning.

Secretary of Transport for NSW Rob Sharp.

At around 1.30am, his office was advised that there would be a total shutdown. This advice also went to the Premier’s office.

The shutdown was publicly announced just before 2am.

Despite Mr Elliott eventually being informed of the decision to cancel Sydney’s trains, government officials believe bureaucrats should have told the Minister of a possible shutdown before the call was made.

Any similar actions in future would require the Minister to sign off on the decision, in writing.

A spokesman for Mr Perrottet could not say whether Transport bureaucrats or the Minister will face any further consequences over the commuter chaos. Mr Perrottet said he was “disappointed” that he wasn’t told about the shutdown.

“I should have been advised, I’m Premier of the state, and I don’t get a call at whatever time in the morning to let me know that the train network’s going down.”

However, he said that even if he had been told, the outcome would be the same, blaming the Rail Tram and Bus Union for the cancellation.

However, Mr Perrottet also reprimanded his Minister who on Tuesday said he “may not have answered the phone” if his senior bureaucrat called at 12.30am.

“The Minister will reflect on that and realise that all Ministers are available 24/7, that’s my expectation as Premier” Mr Perrottet said.

TRANSPORT CHIEF’S JOB ON LINE AFTER TRAIN DEBACLE

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet says he “should have been told” that Greater Sydney’s rail network was being shut down but is still “seeking further detail” about whether senior Transport bureaucrats broke the law by failing to inform their Minister.

Mr Perrottet has stopped short of promising that someone will face consequences over the decision to cancel Sydney’s trains in the middle of the night with no warning, but has vowed to “take whatever action is required” to make sure a similar breakdown in communication “doesn’t happen again”.

The train dispute debacle infuriated Sydneysiders. Picture: Toby Zerna

While declaring Transport Minister David Elliott should have been told about the cancellation decision, the Premier also reprimanded his Minister for saying on Tuesday that he “may not have answered the phone” if his senior bureaucrat called at 12.30am.

Legal advice provided to the state government has put more pressure on Transport for NSW Secretary Rob Sharp, after it found that Sydney Trains was required to inform Transport Minister David Elliott of “any information relating to its activities that the Minister … may require”.

Mr Elliott’s lack of confidence in Mr Sharp is an open secret in the NSW government.

Sydney Trains is legally required to “keep the Minister informed of the general conduct of its activities and of any significant development in its activities”.

Mr Perrottet said he was “seeking further detail” about whether bureaucrats contravened that requirement.

“That needs to be interpreted and I’m seeking advice,” he said.

Mr Elliott was told after 11pm that there would be “major disruption” on the network on Monday but was not told about the shutdown.

Mr Perrottet said that Mr Elliott “should have been advised” of the decision.

However Mr Perrottet also reprimanded his Minister, after Mr Elliott told reporters on Tuesday that he “may not have answered the phone” if his senior bureaucrat called at 12.30am.

“The Minister will reflect on that and realise that all Ministers are available 24/7, that’s my expectation as Premier” Mr Perrottet said.

NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns and NSW Shadow Minister for Active Transport Jo Haylen speaking today Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

The Premier said he was told on Sunday night that, while the issue had not been resolved in the Fair Work Commission, trains would “likely” be operating at the weekend timetable or the “enhanced” timetable in place over the past few weeks.

He said he was “disappointed” that he wasn’t told about the shutdown.

“I should have been advised, I’m Premier of the state, and I don’t get a call at whatever time in the morning to let me know that the train network’s going down.”

Asked if anyone will face consequences for the chaotic decision, Mr Perrottet said: “If there are circumstances that meet that situation of course”.

However, Labor leader Chris Minns has again questioned the government’s role in Sydney’s train shutdown on Monday.

“We need to get to the bottom of what’s happened in Sydney’s transport system over the past three days,” he said.

“The minister responsible, or not responsible, David Elliott, at this point of time… has still not revealed what he knew and when he knew.

“He’s not up to the job and unfortunately it’s the people of this state who have to suffer as a result.”

Labor transport spokeswoman Jo Haylen said commuters had been “abandoned” by the government.

“Passengers are angry and they have every right to be so. They deserve a transport network that gets them to work on time,” she said.

“The Minister’s office knew about the shutdown on Sunday night at 10.43pm.”

Originally published as David Elliott changes notification process to avoid another trains shutdown