Sydney train strikes continue amid union negotiations

Sydney commuters are facing more and more disrupted rail services as a result of an industrial dispute over new trains

Sydney train strikes continue amid union negotiations

Sydney commuters are experiencing another day of disrupted train services with more industrial action being taken by the rail union on Thursday.

Planned action went ahead after a last-minute bid to stop it by the state government failed.

We’ve taken a look at how we got here and where to next.

So, what’s happening?

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) is targeting Redfern and the City Circle line with industrial action on Thursday. It includes major stations like Central, Town Hall and Wynyard.4

Officially running from 10am to 4pm the action will see services reduced to a weekend schedule, which is likely to affect the broader network throughout the day.

This action is the second this week, part of a long-running dispute dating back two years which has seen a series of industrial actions take place, beginning in September of 2021.

Why are rail workers still striking?

Long-running standoff between the RTBU and the government is about a new Korean-built fleet of intercity trains – not yet in service – that the union says is unsafe and needs to be modified.

Trains were designed to be operated by drivers who can monitor the platform with CCTV – a feature the union claims is a risk because drivers would not be able to see if someone had fallen between the train and the platform.

In June, the government announced it was willing to modify the trains to accommodate the union’s wishes, but demanded a new enterprise agreement with rail workers be agreed to at the same time.

The union has said the decisions should be staged.