75% of Sydney’s peak-hour train services will likely be axed this week, as NSW rail workers launch industrial action.
As of today, rail workers in NSW have launched a four-day industrial action in response to perpetual safety threats, including the operation of foreign-made trains that the union declares unsafe.
The Sydney Morning Herald states that one of the safety concerns surrounding these trains involves a “blind spot,” meaning that train operators can’t see whether a passenger has slipped between the platform and train.
Commuters across Sydney and Regional NSW have been told to brace themselves for major train service cancellations and delays, amid this week-long action.
So, if your morning commute to work felt a little slower than usual today, you’re not imagining things. Trains have been restricted to running at 60km/h for the entirety of Tuesday. This “go slow” enactment is expected to reduce peak-hour services by 50 per cent.
According to Transport for NSW, an estimated 75 per cent of train services will require cancellation this Thursday and Friday, and a limited number of buses will be made available to replace those routes.
They’ve also stated that they’ll do their best to limit the impact on commuters as much as they possibly can, especially considering that school holidays for the entire state are right around the corner.
“The protected industrial action is expected to cause delays and the increasing cancellation of services across the week, with Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink working to assess the full impacts and provide alternative travel arrangements for customers where possible,” reads a statement from them.
Just when we thought things were getting back on track, the “year of the strike” continues!
