Sydney train shutdown as it happened: Limited services run as NSW government withdraws Fair Work case against rail union

“When accompanied by the fact that the Minister has taken responsibility, and stepped up to the plate, we look forward to working with him to try to address those industrial issues.”

Earlier today, Mr Elliott said representatives from the rail union that he met with on Tuesday “were very honest, open and frank in addressing the issues that we needed to address”.

“They included ... the ongoing issues from the union regarding the new Intercity fleet, wages ... [and] safety concerns, and I have committed to a meeting with them again on Thursday,” Mr Elliott said.

Mr Claassens said the union will continue to push for a resolution to its concerns around safety and hygiene for staff.

He also said “the question remains” around why train services were suspended by Sydney Trains executives in the early hours of Monday morning.

“We spent all day in the commission yesterday and our team, three times, asked the other side to produce the documentation, particularly the risk assessment that stated that, if the unit had gone ahead with this ... protected action, which we agreed to on Saturday night, it would have created an unsafe situation,” Mr Claassens said.

“They were asked three times to produce it, they never did produce it once.”

Mr Elliott said on Tuesday that he has asked Sydney Trains executives who made the decision to suspend trains for the justification behind it.

“We pay these people to do their job and I accept the fact that at 12.43am it was their judgment call, as executives of the organisation, that they needed to use their discretion and close the system.

“Did I like it? Absolutely not. Am I still asking for information and details to justify the decision? Absolutely.”

However, Mr Elliott said he was “comfortable that there was enough risk to safety and welfare of commuters to justify the decision”.

Mr Claassens said the union is continuing its protected industrial action.

“And trains have run all day, quite successfully with no safety issues,” he said.

“We pay these people to do their job and I accept the fact that at 12.43am it was their judgment call, as executives of the organisation, that they needed to use their discretion and close the system.

“Did I like it? Absolutely not. Am I still asking for information and details to justify the decision? Absolutely.”

Mr Elliott said that on Sunday night, there was the possibility of industrial action, “as there has been for the last two weeks”.

“Categorically, we knew that there was a potential for an industrial dispute, but we found out that the decision by Transport for NSW that the service ... would not operate, when everybody else did at 4 o’clock in the morning when the Premier and I checked our messages.”

Mr Elliott stressed he goes to bed between 10pm and 11pm. “At 12.43am on a Monday morning I’m in bed.”

He said as the result of a risk assessment by Sydney Trains, which he has asked to see, operators had advised that “they believed that the welfare and safety” of the community “was in danger”.

“I am comfortable that there was enough risk to safety and welfare of commuters to justify the decision,” Mr Elliott said.

Yesterday afternoon, Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said the decision was based on the operational assessment.

“That ultimately rests with me. I made the decision and I stand by the decision,” Mr Longland said.

From 5am this morning, trains have been running at a minimum 30-minute frequency on all Sydney lines, except the T5 Cumberland line. There are also 150 rail replacement bus services in operation.

NSW Transport Minister David Elliott said he had been advised that 25 per cent of services were operating today, but he was hopeful that the frequency would increase in coming days.

That’s where we will leave things for now, but if there are further developments, we will bring you those updates.