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Sydney train shutdown as it happened: Services suspended across city as RTBU slams NSW government

Sarah McPhee and Josh Dye
Updated ,first published

Key Posts

Severe thunderstorm warning issued for western Sydney
Doubts remain about whether trains will run on Tuesday
What’s the latest with the train shutdown?
‘The unions were intent on causing chaos’: NSW Premier
Main roads ‘quite congested’ across Sydney
‘They’re hijacking the city’: NSW Transport Minister to rail union
Sydney T2 and T3 transit lanes open to all traffic: NSW Roads Minister
RTBU secretary claims government action a ‘dummy spit’
‘Industrial bastardry of the worst form’: NSW minister
‘Major disruptions’: All Sydney trains suspended today

Will trains run on Tuesday? It’s anyone’s guess

By

That's all for the blog today. We hope you've managed to navigate the shutdown this evening.

As yet, there's no news about tomorrow. If the stand-off continues it could be another day without trains. But don't discount the potential for a late-night compromise that gets the network up and running by the morning.

To close, here are a couple of things to read:

  • This opinion piece from state political editor Alex Smith about Premier Dominic Perrottet's almighty gamble
  • And this analysis from senior writer Deborah Snow about the public sector's growing push for wage rises.

For those still battling to make it home, good luck and take care.

Storms in Sydney add to sense of chaos

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The severe thunderstorms in Sydney tonight couldn't have come at a worse time, as thousands of people navigate their way home without the train network operating.

The storms passed through the city's west in the last hour, and at 6.50pm were hitting Hornsby and Glenorie in the north and north-west.

Heavy traffic on Parramatta Road near Auburn on Monday evening. Wolter Peeters

Damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding are likely to reach Terrey Hills by 7.05pm, and Brooklyn and Mona Vale by 7.20pm.

Earlier, there was minor flooding on the M4 motorway at Lapstone, as well as at Emu Plains and Penrith.

‘A whole new low’: Rail union criticises government as uncertainty continues

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It's been a day of finger-pointing and blame-shifting between the state government and the rail union.

Premier Dominic Perrottet and then Transport Minister David Elliott went on the attack this morning, comparing the union's behaviour to terrorists and claiming the disruption was due to a strike.

RTBU secretary Alex Claassens.Wolter Peeters

This afternoon the Rail, Tram and Bus Union released a statement urging the government to allow drivers to resume train services tomorrow, with union secretary Alex Claassens accusing the government of treating commuters with arrogance.

“The NSW government’s treatment of Sydney and NSW Trains workers and commuters has been appalling for a long time, but then bringing in expensive lawyers in a bid to silence workers and then shutting down the whole rail network and inconveniencing commuters was a whole new low," he said.

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Stories of frustration keep rolling in

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We've received more than 100 emails from readers today about the train shutdown. And the frustration is only getting worse as the disruption continues.

"My daughter started Uni today. What a great start to the next chapter of her life, following two years of COVID-interrupted schooling and HSC." – Anthony

"I left the office in the middle of the day to work from home as much as I could. A 60-minute trip has blown out to three hours so far and will knock on to the whole rest of the week even when service is restored." – Mitch

"I live in Kogarah and I work in North Sydney. With only one local bus from Kogarah to city every half an hour I experienced super frustration. Left home 8am and managed to arrive at work 4 hours later. Have no idea how I'm going to go home as I am finishing midnight and I am running low in my phone battery." – Pinelopi

"I had to take the day off and spent 3 hours on the road this morning just to send my two children to school." – Carol

Severe thunderstorm warning issued for western Sydney

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As if things couldn't get any worse for Sydney commuters... the Bureau of Meteorology has just issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the city's west.

View post on X

The warning says to expect large hailstones, damaging winds and heavy rainfall. The Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Nepean areas are expected to cop the worst, but the radar shows plenty of rain heading east towards the CBD.

The storms are predicted to hit Richmond, Windsor and Riverstone by 6.05pm.

It never rains, it pours.

Buses crowded as peak hour arrives

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Here are some photos from this afternoon's rush hour – or crush hour.

Commuters are crowding onto buses as they scramble to find alternative ways to get home during the evening peak.

Queues for buses at Central station as commuters try to get home. Edwina Pickles
A packed bus heads west away from the CBD.Edwina Pickles

Rydo, a taxi booking app, sent a text message to customers earlier this afternoon advertising its services and having a little dig at Uber's surge pricing.

"Today's strike was a surprise!" the text said. "Just letting you know Rydo has more drivers offering fixed fares."

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How weekend brinkmanship led to Sydney’s train shutdown

By Matt O'Sullivan and Tom Rabe

The timing was terrible. It was to be the day on which Australia fully reopened to the world, welcoming international visitors, and local businesses were desperate for Sydneysiders to return to work in CBD offices following a relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions.

Those hopes were dashed on Monday when Sydneysiders woke to learn that the state’s transport agency had decided hours earlier to shut down the city’s rail network due to fears that protected industrial action would compromise rail safety.

Many people were stranded by the shock shutdown. Wolter Peeters

The sudden shutdown was entirely unexpected, throwing the travel plans of tens of thousands of passengers into chaos across the city. Commuters were stranded at train stations, while motorways clogged as residents were forced to drive.

Less than 48 hours earlier, senior transport officials had reached an agreement for the rail union to drop its more disruptive actions – notably a ban on overtime work – during two weeks of protected industrial action due to start on Monday.

Read more here.

Doubts remain about whether trains will run on Tuesday

By Tom Rabe

A lawyer representing the rail union told the Fair Work Commission hearing on Monday afternoon that they could not understand the rationale behind the government’s decision to shut down the network.

“If it’s explained, if our understanding changes, we remain willing to negotiate. I’ve been asked about that very clearly for the record,” the lawyer representing the Rail, Tram and Bus Union said.

A sign at Strathfield station on Monday afternoon. Wolter Peeters

The transport agency contends it had significant safety concerns over the slated industrial action.

The matter was adjourned until Wednesday morning, casting doubt over what services would run on Tuesday.

What’s the latest with the train shutdown?

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It's after 4pm and still no word on when Sydney's trains will resume.

That's not good news for commuters anxiously wondering how they will get home tonight.

Trains parked at Auburn Stabling Yards.Wolter Peeters

The issue has been before the Fair Work Commission today, but we don't have news yet about the outcome.

So, how will you get home? Share your journey plans below and leave your details for a journalist to get in contact.

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Shutdown ‘designed to have commuters turn on workers’: AMWU

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The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union NSW & ACT says the suspension of the Sydney train network over planned protected industrial action from the Rail, Tram and Bus Union is “designed to have commuters turn on workers who are fighting for a fair deal”.

“This shutdown is just the latest obstacle to securing a fair enterprise agreement,” the AMWU said in a statement today.

“Union members would never put commuter safety at risk when taking industrial action. The only people impacted would be Sydney Trains management.

“Sydney Trains and Transport for NSW must stop the attacks on workers and return to the bargaining table.”

AMWU NSW & ACT state secretary Cory Wright said the shutdown indicated Sydney Trains had “never intended to negotiate with workers in good faith”.

“The government has shown it will disrupt the lives of NSW residents simply to try and damage the reputation of transport workers and their unions,” he said.

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