The Sydney train network has been suspended today after the Transport for NSW said a breakdown in negotiations at the weekend made it “impossible” to run the network safely.
Customers have been urged to avoid travel or seek alternative options including buses and light rail.
Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink intercity services are not running today due to industrial action.
Please avoid travel wherever possible, use alternative modes of transport and allow extra travel time on other modes of transport. pic.twitter.com/jtlyN06SVs
— Trains Info (@TrainsInfo) February 20, 2022
The decision to cancel NSW and Sydney trains was made by the transport authority last night after talks regarding workers’ pay and conditions reached a stalemate at the weekend.
RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens made it clear on ABC News this morning that the workers were “not on strike” and called the move to lock workers out was a “dummy spit”. He said staff arrived to take part in low-level industrial action which would not have impacted commuters but were told by management that trains would not be running.
“The ball is in their court, our members are ready to go to work. As soon as the government decides they want to run trains, we can run them,” Claassens told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Good morning the #nswpol government has stopped the trains across Sydney today, not the workers. So as we listen to the news this morning the ‘industrial action’ is being taken by the #nswpol government, the employer.
— Emily Mayo (@iamemilymayo) February 20, 2022
Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland told 2GB radio it would be a very difficult day and obviously blamed the union.
Can confirm, I was stuck at a station outside of Sydney and the platform workers were very helpful and very vocal about this not being their fault .
Not even any replacement buses.
Thankfully my mate drove an hour to come pick me up for work ????
— Old Hulbert (@HulbertOld) February 20, 2022
NSW TrainLink intercity trains, including from Newcastle, the Blue Mountains and Kiama, were also impacted.
