A three-day closure of the city of Sydney’s train network is expected to cause “significant disruption” to hundreds of thousands of Aussies this weekend.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) has planned strike action for Sydney, as well as inter-city services, from Friday morning.
Transport for NSW announced on Wednesday that the RTBU had not lifted their industrial action and that the rail network would be closed from Friday to Sunday.
It came after the union initially said the strike would start at 10pm on Thursday, but later compromised to allow normal services to operate.
The update came as a relief to 40,000 Pearl Jam fans, many of whom will travel to the Olympic Park on 86 additional services on Thursday evening.
Trains are expected to stop running on Friday morning as the union launches industrial action following a month-long standoff with the NSW government.
Complicating matters further, track works on the Metro line mean services only run between Tallawong and Chatswood on Saturdays and Sundays.
“The industrial action is still planned for Friday and Saturday and we know this will have a huge impact on millions of people who rely on these train services,” NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen told 2GB.
A three-day closure of Sydney’s train network is expected to cause ‘significant disruption’ to millions of Aussies this weekend (pictured, commuters at Martin Place)
Why are Sydney hit trains?
The industrial action, scheduled for the end of this week, follows a months-long dispute between the union and the NSW government.
The RTBU is demanding that the Minns government give railway workers a 32 percent pay increase over four years and a 24-hour train service from Thursday to Sunday.
The government has offered railway workers a 9.5 percent pay rise over three years, which was rejected by the union.
Last weekend, train services ran 24 hours a day to avoid stop-work bans. However, NSW Transport officials said continuing 24-hour services from Thursday to Sunday was not sustainable.
‘We saw the government last weekend [ran] 24-hour public transport in Sydney very successful,” union secretary Toby Warnes told ABC TV’s News Breakfast.
‘We really see no reason why this can’t be done this weekend. I think the announcement from the Minister of Transport shocked us as much as anyone else.”
NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen (pictured) said the industrial action would impact millions
Some metro services are also closed this weekend for maintenance
Do trains run on weekends?
The industrial action would initially last four days, from 10 p.m. Thursday to Sunday.
Transport NSW announced on Wednesday it had agreed with the union to run services on Thursday, including the planned 86 extra services to Olympic Park for a Pearl Jam concert.
The expectation is that the vast majority of trains will come to a standstill on Friday morning and continue running well into the weekend.
“At this stage the RTBU has not agreed to lift their industrial action,” said a statement from Transport NSW.
‘The bans notified by the union will see the heavy rail network closed on Friday, Saturday and until Sunday morning this weekend.’
The disruptions will affect passengers traveling to and from Newcastle, the Central Coast, the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands and the Illawarra.
The Sydney Metro from Chatswood in the north to Sydenham in the west is also closed for maintenance over the weekend.
Ms Haylen is hopeful the concession will give the union and government more time to reach an agreement before the weekend.
“It gives us another day to continue our negotiations and hopefully get people where they need to go,” the minister said.
Commuters are urged to find alternative transport where possible and allow for additional travel time (pictured, commuters at Sydney’s Town Hall station)
When will the strike end?
Train services will restart from mid-morning on Sunday, but closures are expected to continue each week until a solution is reached.
“Sydney Trains and NSW Trains remain committed to finding a solution for our staff this side of Christmas,” NSW Transport said.
After failure to reach an agreement between NSW Transport and the RTBU, Ms Haylen said it was up to the union to lift its work bans.
‘We want to keep our city moving. Nobody wants this. Passengers don’t want this. I don’t want this. The government does not want this,” she said.
“But the only way to keep the trains running and get people where they need to go is if the union lifts its industrial action.”
What alternative services are available to commuters?
The strike creates a difficult situation for the government According to government data, 720,000 people use Sydney’s train network every day.
Commuters are urged to find alternative transport where possible and to take extra travel time into account.
Replacement buses and other services will be rolled out, including ferries and rideshare services, to limit the impact of the closure.
NSW Transport Secretary Josh Murray explained the closure would put additional pressure on replacement services.
“They will already be running at their usual capacity on Thursday and Friday, and so the amount of additional capacity on the bus and ferry network will be tested,” Mr Murray told the ABC.
The strike will cause an influx of traffic congestion across Greater Sydney as commuters choose to drive to their destinations or use a replacement bus service.
What consequences will the strike have for the roads?
The move is expected to cause an influx of traffic congestion in Greater Sydney as commuters choose to drive to their destinations or use a replacement bus.
The strike could also lead to increased demand and availability of rideshare services, such as Uber.
However, rideshare services are more expensive than train services and an increase in demand could lead to an increase in prices.