‘Let the trains run’: rail workers urge government to allow trains to run on Illawarra line

Media release, 10 August 2022: Rail workers are urging the NSW Government to allow trains to run on the Illawarra line, following a decision by Transport management to halt the majority of services on the line for much of Wednesday.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) NSW Secretary, Alex Claassens, said the decision by the NSW Government to almost completely cut services along the line is an exaggerated reaction to today’s industrial action and an outrageous attack on commuters.

“The NSW Government and Transport management are claiming services aren’t running because of industrial action, but that is complete rubbish,” Mr Claassens said.

“The industrial action being taken by rail workers today in response to the NSW Government’s refusal to provide safe trains has been carefully designed to ensure commuter services can still run and impacts only around 10 per cent of all available train crew. The NSW Government is choosing not to run the services today.

“The NSW Government needs to quickly fix the mess it has created. The government can get trains on the tracks quickly and they should be doing everything they can to make that happen. In fact, we met with management last week to discuss what needed to happen to ensure services could run.

“This is fast turning into a repeat of the February when the NSW Government shut down the rail line and tried to blamed rail workers.

“Workers won’t be bullied into allowing unsafe trains to run on our railways, nor will we be bullied into submission by a government more focused on ideological games than in delivery the public transport system we all deserve.”