The government has maintained they were safe, but on Wednesday the Transport Minister David Elliot backed down and agreed to make modifications to put an end to the ongoing chaos caused to commuters. To improve your experience, Iraq archaeological find could be lost royal city, Trains will be extensively delayed on Thursday as industrial action continues despite the. As of Tuesday, industrial action has been in go slow mode with Sydney trains restricted to speeds of 60km/h. Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland told ABC Sydney Breakfast customers need to plan ahead. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Claassens said the union wants written confirmation of the funding for safety upgrades and another meeting will occur on Thursday once that is received to discuss ending the industrial action. 'Deadly' bow and arrow set for kids sparks child safety concerns. The standoff has cost the government tens of millions of dollars as the trains sit in storage on the states Central Coast. Analysis finds it's not caused by low serotonin, China loses two important river species to water traffic, pollution and over-fishing, Cancelled flights, delays reach record levels as airlines struggle to make comeback from COVID, the Transport Minister David Elliot backed down and agreed to make modifications, Tell us your location and find more local ABC News and information, NSW government backs down in bid to end rail chaos, pledging $264m to fix 'safe' trains, Healthcare workers threaten more industrial action after turning down 3pc pay rise offer, Camera trial reveals drivers failing to stop at regional NSW rail crossings with 'disturbing and alarming' regularity, Tennis's Big Four unite for Laver Cup in 'unique' moment, With 13,000 houses empty and hundreds sleeping rough, investment property owners asked to abandon holiday rentals, 'Meet the moment': Mayors request President Joe Biden's support amid 'unprecedented surge' of asylum seekers, Knife-wielding man tells US congressman 'you're done' before attempting to stab Republican politician, Bottle shop sales spike 300 per cent in Alice Springs as 15-year alcohol ban in remote NT communities expires, Splendour in the Grass artists and muddied festivalgoers react to cancellation. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/why-are-there-still-sydney-train-disruptions/101197122, Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article. Trains were severely overcrowded at Central Station on Friday morning.Credit:Janie Barrett. For emergency assistance in floods and storms, call the NSW SES on 132 500. A weekend frequency will operate on the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Newcastle lines. Delays of up to an hour saw stations packed with commuters caught in the middle of the dispute.

And according to the Daily Telegraph, RBTU secretary Alex Claassens said that industrial may action may continue beyond Friday. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that some of these safety concerns involve a blind spot that means drivers are unable to see whether a passenger has slipped between the train and the platform. This will see peak-hour train services reduced by 50 per cent. It followed industrial action earlier this week aftera breakdown in talks about the union's concerns about safety with a new fleet of inner-city trains. Our action is going to continue to escalate until somebody in government wakes up to fix this mess., Transport Minister David Elliott with Transport for NSW secretary Rob Sharp on Wednesday.Credit:Nick Moir. Tell Us About The Weirdest Call Youve Received To Win Tix To Blumhouses The Black Phone, We Ranked The Wildest Wine Throws In Reality TV History & Yes, Martha Made The List. About 20 people from Blockade Australia have been arrested since the start of a week of action on Monday. Sydney commuters in for delayed, crowded and cancelled trains. Mr Claassens was doubtful of resolving the long-running dispute in time to call off further industrial action planned for Friday. Your web browser is no longer supported. On Thursday - the second-last day of term - will also see thousands of teachers from the public and Catholic school sectors walk off the job demanding a pay rise. Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said commuters should plan their journeys and allow extra time due to delays, cancellations, and a significantly reduced rail timetable on Friday. Friday's disruption is due to protected industrial action by the Rail, Tram, and Bus Union which involves not operating services using Waratah, Millennium, or OSCAR train sets, Transport for NSW said. Elliott said he was very close to taking the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) to the Fair Work Commission, after speaking to Premier Dominic Perrottet who had come to the conclusion that we are going to need to have some sort of circuit breaker. Rallies will be held in 14 locations across NSW with the biggest one held in Sydney's CBD. Mr Claassens said they had been arguing to make the trains safer for six years. Transport for NSW is urging travellers to check transportnsw.info for the latest service impacts. Please try again later. Sydney Trains is blaming ongoing industrial action for the inconvenience, but the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) accused the operator of deliberately slowing down trains. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. A group of climate change activists who have protested in Sydney for the past two days are calling a temporary hiatus before action resumes on Thursday and Friday. Read our Privacy Policy.

Sydney and regional city commuters are again facing disruptions to train services, despite the NSW government agreeing to the rail union's major demands on Wednesday. The department aims to have trains running every 30 minutes on suburban city lines. Future king celebrates his ninth birthday, Mud and floodwaters defeat day one of Splendour In The Grass, Lifesaving new mission of the Wiggle who 'dropped dead'. QAnon's 'Q' returns after nearly two years of silence. While Elliott has implored the rail union to call off its industrial action after the government finally agreed to make modifications, RTBU state secretary Alex Claassens said the dispute would be heading towards a strike unless the government agrees to sign a deed guaranteeing modifications to the intercity fleet. The major disruptions to the rail network come a day after rail unions failed to reach an agreement with the government on its latest offer to modify the states multibillion-dollar intercity train fleet to address safety concerns. Sydney Trains Chief Executive, Matt Longland, said commuters should plan their journeys and allow extra time with delays, cancellations, and a significantly reduced timetable in operation today. "This could see Sydney Trains services reduced by as much as 70 per cent during peak periods and customers should expect disruption including delays, altered stopping patterns and cancellations," Transport for NSW said. If an agreement is not finalised today, drivers will refuse to drive foreign-made trains which is expected to result in the cancellation of up to half the timetabled services. Unfortunately, however, we've heard promises from the NSW Government before, so the union needs to see the complete package before any industrial action can be called off.". Drivers went ahead with planned action on Thursday, including a ban on travelling on trains while on duty. Anyone travelling to the Airport stations is urged to not travel by train and to allow extra time. Property News:Sunny playground where the growth is only just beginning - domain.com.au. However, Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) Secretary Alex Claassens said the industrial action is set to continue despite the government meeting the union's demand. "I'd like to thank our customers for their patience so far this week and assure them we are doing our best to limit disruptions and run services safely as we continue to work with the unions to reach an agreement," Mr Longland said. Sydney commuters caught out by industrial action and delays could extend into Friday. I will resign from cabinet resign as Transport Minister if I dont fulfil my end of the bargain, he told 2GB on Friday.

This is clearly the most politically motivated industrial action since the sacking of Gough Whitlam, Elliott said. The agency advised people against using trains to get to stations on the Airport Line because the limited number of services, together with the start of the school holidays, would make them much busier than usual. Transport for NSW has opened all transit lanes to all motorists to help with extra traffic on the roads. Trains were severely overcrowded at Central Station on Friday morning. Home Affairs confirms Scott Morrison pressured department to reveal boat interception on election day, Child stops breathing in taxi on way to hospital after mum told no ambulances available, 'He could not be moved to rise from the dining room table': Explosive hearing gives a glimpse into Trump's inaction on Jan 6, Perth schoolgirl who was part of teacher kill plot awaits her fate, Family of three children found dead after Port Hedland house fire tells of 'shattering loss', Foot mats mandatory for all travellers from Indonesia under new government powers, How does depression work? The escalating dispute between the union and government came as Transport Minister David Elliott vowed he would stand by his promise to resign from the portfolio if he was unable to resolve the impasse. Sign up with your Facebookor Linkedin account, Please select at least one of the following options to continue. For the latest traffic updates visit livetraffic.com or download the Live Traffic NSW App. The rail union wants the government to sign a deed that it will modify the new fleet before agreeing to settle their wider claims over pay and conditions. "We still don't have any signed documents that we can go out to our members with and have a conversation about reducing any sort of industrial action," RTBU Secretary Alex Claassens told the ABC. The union has long called for the new trains, which will travel from Sydney to Lithgow, Kiama, and the Central Coast, to be modified to allow guards to properly monitor platforms and check that gaps were clear. This represents about 70 per cent of the fleet used to provide more than 75 per cent of train services per day across Greater Sydney, the Illawarra, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Newcastle. The impact of limited train services coupled with the start of school holidays means the Sydney Airport stations and the roads will be busier than usual. "They have said verbally they are prepared to sort out our safety demands on the New Intercity Fleet," Claassens said. "The government expects the union to act in good faith. By signing up, you agree to Pedestrian Group's Terms of Service and consent to our Privacy Policy. Were working to restore it. Customers who choose to travel on Sydney Trains on Friday should be prepared for much slower journeys and altered timetables, he said. Transport for NSW has issued a statement warning commuters to expect long delays today, due to continuing industrial action. Transport for NSW said train services would be heavily reduced on Friday on the T1 North Shore & Western, T2 Inner West and Leppington, T3 Bankstown, T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra, the T8 Airport & South, and the T9 Northern lines. This has always been about safety for us.. Federal government ends access to free Rapid Antigen Tests for concession card holders in Macquarie, NSW government steps in, Brawl at Alex Hotel over cigarette flick to face, Aunty Carol Cooper shares the story of her life living in the Gully in Katoomba, Mt Wilson house listed on state heritage register, Park closed for accessible pathway construction, Terms and Conditions - Digital Subscription, Terms and Conditions - Newspaper Subscription. Tell Us How Youve Wildly Messed Up Your Laundry & We Might Sling Ya A New Washing Machine, WATCH: EP 6 Its The Final Countdown On Who Cares Wins. A weekend frequency will operate on the Blue Mountains and Central Coast & Newcastle lines, while buses will replace trains between Wollongong and Kiama, and Wollongong and Port Kembla, on the South Coast line. The rail union warned on Friday that its dispute with the government over the states new intercity train fleet could lead to a full strike. "We're sitting down with the unions to go through [it] line by line and hopefully put these disruptions to an end," Mr Longland said. "Am I happy about spending millions of dollars to modify what the safety regulator has said are perfectly good trains? That meant they needed to take taxis to move around the network, which Sydney Trains said took more time. Sign up here. The money will go towards moving control screens to increase the surveillance on the new fleet. We care about the protection of your data. In life threatening emergencies, call Triple Zero (000) immediately. Transport for NSW has confirmed services will be slashed by up to 70 per cent on Thursday with trains running on a reduced timetable. Sydney has experienced a week of strike actions with nurses and midwives also striking on Tuesdayn Tuesday. Elliott on Wednesday confirmed the government would modify the trains at a cost of $260 million in a major concession, but insisted that deal would be contained within the broader enterprise bargaining agreement.