SOUTH Coast rail passengers are urged to postpone non-essential travel, as lengthy delays, service cancellations and large service gaps are expected again on the network today (Thursday 16 January).

The disruptions are a result of more than 350 industrial action bans by the Combined Rail Unions (CRU). The action follows failed negotiations with the NSW government over a pay dispute, at the Fair Work Commission. The Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) is demanding a 32 per cent pay increase over four years on behalf of rail workers.

Train services will be particularly impacted on the T1 North Shore and Western, T2 Leppington & Inner West, T3 Liverpool & Inner West, T8 Airport and South, Blue Mountains, South Coast and the Central Coast and Newcastle lines.

A spokesperson for Sydney Trains said the outstanding safety critical work at Bondi that caused the almost complete breakdown of the T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line yesterday has now been completed.

There are 64 buses operating in various locations around the network to supplement train services.

Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink have apologised to those who were caught up in the significant disruption yesterday. 

Across the day only 4.7 per cent of services ran on time or within 5 minutes of their timetabled time – 95 per cent of services were either delayed or cancelled. There were 1,913 services cancelled and 1,035 services delayed by the end of the day. 

More than 260 services, or more than 80 per cent of services, were cancelled in the afternoon peak.

The spokesperson said without critical safety work being completed, the disruptions will worsen. The network also suffered some storm issues overnight which have all been rectified.

Sydney Trains have urged passengers to delay non-essential travel, use alternative forms of public transport, and plan ahead by checking the latest updates on transportnsw.info 

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