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Train travellers on four busy Sydney rail lines are being warned to make alternate travel plans ahead of a second six-hour strike by rail workers on Wednesday.
On August 17, a heavily reduced service will run on the T2 Inner West and Leppington, T3 Bankstown, T8 Airport and South, and the Southern Highlands lines.
Commuters can expect major disruptions on these lines during and in the hours on either side of the strike action, which was planned to impact just two southwest Sydney train lines between 10am and 4pm.
Buses will replace trains on the T3 Bankstown line between Lidcombe and Bankstown and the T7 Olympic Park line between Lidcombe and Olympic Park.
There will be no train services operating on the T5 Cumberland line between Richmond and Leppington. Commuters can change at Granville to complete their journey.
There is no change to services on the T1 North Shore and Western, T4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra, and the T9 Northern lines.
“We will be doing our best to maintain frequent services across the lines impacted by union action for commuters who really need to use the rail network, but we are asking commuters to avoid non-essential travel and consider other options,” Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said.
Transport for NSW is advising travellers to leave extra time for their journey and to seriously consider alternate means of travel, including the city’s bus network.
NSW TrainLink chief executive Dale Merrick said commuters travelling as far a field as Canberra, Melbourne and Griffith will be impacted.
Buses will be replacing trains on the Southern Highlands lines.
Selected cancellations will occur on the Central Coast and Newcastle and Blue Mountains services during peak periods.
On Monday, train crews stopped operating trains which they say do not meet the “minimum standards” of the maintenance centre.
This means not all trains will be operational, thought it is unclear how many trains have already been sidelined.
Already the rail union has commenced a range of strike actions designed to disrupt the major city’s transport network since the strike began on August 7.
Until September 6, Opal gates will remain open at some Sydney train stations and transport officers are banned from issuing fines and cautions.
However, travellers have been advised by Transport for NSW to keep tapping on, as police officers are still able to issue fines.
As of last week, trains are no longer being cleaned with vacuum cleaners or scrubbing machines.
On August 23, train services on the T1 Blue Mountains line and Newcastle line will be shutdown from 10am-4pm.
On August 25, inner city services including Central, St James, Town Hall, Wynyard, Circular Quay, Redfern and Museum stations will be shutdown from 10am-4pm.
The final action comes on August 31, when rail workers will refuse to operate foreign made trains, which make up 70 per cent of the city’s fleet.
This is a pointed stab at the state government linked to an ongoing dispute between the Rail, Trade and Bus Union (RTBU), which claims a new Korean-made intercity fleet does not meet strict safety guidelines.
The month-long strike comes after more than a year of failed negotiations between the rail union and the NSW Government over the creation of a new enterprise agreement.
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