As you might’ve noticed, a shit tonne of people are gearing up for Taylor Swift‘s highly anticipated Eras Tour, which is expected to begin on Friday, February 16 in Melbourne. However, Swifties are now being warned that a strike could halt their journeys.
Friday is set to be absolute chaos in Melbourne as Swift kicks off her long-awaited Eras Tour. But fans looking towards public transport in Victoria could see a spanner in the works due to industrial action on the V/Line.
Per the Herald Sun, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RBTU) have said that staff — including conductors, train controllers, station staff, customer service staff and authorised officers — on the line will stop work from 3am to 7am on Friday, which is night one of Swift’s Eras Tour.
Although employees will halt working in the early hours of the morning, RBTU’s branch secretary Vik Sharma warned there will be “knock-off effects right throughout the day”.
“While the work stoppage is scheduled for 3am to 7am, there will be knock-on effects to services right throughout the day,” Sharma said.
“People from regional areas attending the Taylor Swift concert on Friday night who were planning to travel by V/Line are therefore encouraged to consider alternative travel arrangements if they can.”
Sharma added that the Union was taking industrial action to bring attention to the workers’ needs, such as a “fair and reasonable Enterprise Agreement that reflects the rising cost of living and addresses key workplace issues such as job security.”
“This dispute is becoming increasingly disruptive for regional communities. The Allan Labor government is responsible for these disruptions. It needs to take responsibility, respect regional workers, and get this matter resolved,” he said.
V/Line’s chief executive Matt Carrick told Herald Sun says the line will be working towards its usual schedule with additional services ahead of Swift’s concert in the arvo.
“I want to assure passengers heading to the Taylor Swift concert that V/Line services are expected to return to normal by Friday afternoon,” he said.
“We will have extra services and additional capacity on some lines before and after the concert, and passengers are advised to plan their journeys through the V/Line website.
“We expect services and stations to be busy so passengers are encouraged to allow extra travel time and thank them in advance for their understanding.”
Which lines will be affected by the strike?
According to the Public Transport Victoria site, the affected lines will include Geelong and Warrnambool lines, Wyndham Vale Station, Tarneit Station, Ballarat, Ararat and Maryborough lines, Bendigo and Echuca lines, Swan Hill line, Seymour and Shepparton lines, Albury line, Traralgon line and Bairnsdale line.
Employees will also walk off the job on Monday, February 19 and Friday, February 23.
The news comes days after the Victorian Government extended Melbourne’s free tram zone for the Eras Tour.
