Snap strike throws state's transport network into chaos
The state’s train network has been thrown into chaos after the rail union called an unplanned strike close to midnight, resulting in dozens of services being cancelled.
Intercity services have been cancelled and the suburban network has been impacted after the Rail, Tram and Bus Union called a snap strike amid growing tensions between workers and the state government over the safety of a new set of trains.
Transport minister Andrew Constance shows off the new Intercity train fleet earlier this year.Credit:Nick Moir
Transport Minister Andrew Constance’s office was informed shortly after midnight that intercity train workers from across the state would stop work for 24 hours for urgent safety briefings.
However, the strike was called off just after 4am after the government agreed to delay the testing of its new intercity fleet, that the RTBU secretary Alex Claassens has described as dangerous.
Morning peak services across Sydney will be impacted, however; it is expected to reset and be back to normal by the evening.
The union and government have been at loggerheads for more than a year over the fleet and its potential impact on rail jobs. The trains are technically able to operate with a single driver and no guard.
Mr Claassens said the strike was a last resort, but he believed commuters would be put at risk.
“I’ve been a train driver for most of my life and tonight the RTBU has decided it’s the last straw,” he said.
“This train cannot be safely tested on our network and NSW Trains employees will not put their safety and the safety of the community as risk.”
A Transport for NSW spokesman apologised to customers affected by the action, and said no alternative arrangements could be made given the agency received no forewarning.
The union and government will meet to discuss the future of the new trains on Monday.
The $2.4 billion trains have been the subject of an ongoing war between the government and the RTBU, with the modern fleet originally designed to operate without a train guard.
While the government has since conceded to allow a driver and a guard on each train, the union has no guarantees its members will staff the fleet.
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Tom Rabe is Transport Reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald.