Sydney Trains strike: Everything you need to know about the shutdown this weekend

A three-day shutdown on Sydney city’s train network is expected to cause ‘significant disruptions’ for hundreds of thousands of Aussies this weekend. 

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) has planned industrial action from Friday morning for Sydney, as well as inter-city services. 

Transport for NSW announced on Wednesday the RTBU had not lifted their industrial action and the railway network would shutdown from Friday through to Sunday. 

It came after the union initially said the strike would begin at 10pm on Thursday but later compromised to run normal services.

The update came as a relief for 40,000 Pearl Jam fans, many of whom will travel to Olympic Park on 86 additional services scheduled for Thursday night. 

Trains are expected to stop running on Friday morning as the union launches industrial action following a month-long stalemate with the NSW government. 

Complicating matters further, track work on the Metro line means services will only running between Tallawong and Chatswood on Saturday and Sunday. 

‘The union industrial action is still planned for Friday and Saturday and we know that’s going to have a massive impact on millions of people who rely on these train services,’ NSW Minister for Transport Jo Haylen told 2GB.

Why are Sydney trains striking?

The industrial action planned for the end of this week follows a month-long dispute between the union and the NSW government.  

The RTBU is demanding the Minns government give railway employees a 32 per cent pay rise over four years and a 24-hour train service on Thursday through to Sunday. 

The government has offered rail workers a wage increase of 9.5 per cent over three years, which was rejected by the union. 

Train services ran around the clock over the previous weekend to ward off stop-work bans. However, NSW Transport officials said continuing 24-hour services from Thursday through to Sunday was not sustainable.  

‘We saw last weekend the government [ran] 24-hour public transport in Sydney very successfully,’ union Branch Secretary Toby Warnes told ABC TV’s News Breakfast.

‘We see really no reason why it can’t do so this weekend. The announcement by the Transport Minister I think shocked us as much as it shocked everyone.’ 

NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen (pictured) said the industrial action would impact millions

Some Metro services will also be closed for maintenance over the weekend

Are there any trains running on the weekend?

The industrial action was initially scheduled to run across four days, from Thursday 10pm through to Sunday. 

Transport NSW announced on Wednesday it had agreed with the union to run services on Thursday – including the planned 86 additional services to Olympic Park for a Pearl Jam Concert. 

The vast majority of trains are expected to come to a halt on Friday morning and continue well into the weekend.

‘At this stage the RTBU has not agreed to lift their industrial action,’ a statement from Transport NSW said.

‘The notified bans in place by the union will bring the heavy rail network to a shutdown on Friday, Saturday, and through until Sunday morning this weekend.’

The disruptions are set to impact passengers travelling 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 inner west is also closed for maintenance on the weekend. 

Ms Haylen is hopeful the concession will give the union and the government more time to come to 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 being urged to find alternative transport where possible and allow for extra travel time (pictured, commuters at Sydney’s Town Hall station)

When will the strike end? 

Train services will start again from mid-morning on Sunday, however the shutdowns are expected to continue every week until a resolution is reached.  

‘Sydney Trains and NSW Trains remain committed to finding a resolution for our workforce this side of Christmas,’ NSW Transport said. 

After an agreement was not met between NSW Transport and the RTBU, Ms Haylen said the onus was on the union to drop its work bans. 

‘We want to keep our city moving. No one wants this. Passengers don’t want this. I don’t want this. The government doesn’t want this,’ she said. 

‘But the only way to keep trains running and to get people where they need to go is for the union to lift its industrial action.’

What alternative services are available to commuters?

The strike presents a tricky situation for the government as about 720,000 people use Sydney’s train network each day, according to government data. 

Commuters are being urged to find alternative transport where possible and allow for extra travel time.

Replacement busses and other services will be rolled out, including ferries and rideshare services, to curb the shutdown’s impact.

NSW Transport secretary Josh Murray explained the shutdown would cause an additional strain to replacement services.  

‘They will already be running on Thursday and Friday at their usual capacities, and so the amount of extra capability on the bus and ferry network will be tested,’ Mr Murray told the ABC. 

The strike is set to cause an influx of traffic congestion across Greater Sydney, as commuters opt to drive to their destinations or use a replacement bus services

How will the strike affect roads?

The action is set to cause an influx of traffic congestion across Greater Sydney, as commuters opt to drive to their destinations or use a replacement bus. 

The strike could also see an increased demand and greater availability of rideshare services, like Uber. 

However, rideshare services are more expensive than train services and an increase in demand could see a surge in prices.