Rail workers concerned NSW Govt isn’t planning ahead for NYE travel

Media release, 30 December 2024: Rail workers say they are deeply concerned that the NSW Government is failing to put basic measures in place to ensure the smooth running of trains on New Years Eve.

In a letter sent to the Chief Executive of Sydney Trains over the weekend, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union said it was seeking urgent clarification on why Sydney Trains doesn’t appear to be taking the basic steps required to ensure train services will be able to run to schedule on and around the 31 December. 

The union had a brief meeting with Sydney Trains on Monday, however after hearing the union’s concerns, it has been radio silence from Sydney Trains and the government.

RTBU NSW Secretary, Toby Warnes, said rail workers recently committed to halting industrial action that the government had flagged as being detrimental to New Years Eve celebrations, despite the unions insistence they would not. However, even with those flagged actions dropped, rail workers remain concerned that Sydney Trains’ lack of planning could mean commuters will be subjected to unnecessary delays and cancellations.

 “We’re very concerned that Sydney Trains doesn’t appear to be putting the basic measures in place to ensure commuters can get around the city safely and efficiently on New Years Eve and the days following,” Mr Warnes said.

“Despite the Government spending last fortnight catastrophising minor industrial action, it seems the most genuine risk to New Years Eve services is their own disinterest in delivering public transport.

“This is one of the most important nights of the year for our state. Rail workers, as they always do, have done everything possible to ensure the night can run smoothly, but at the end of the day it’s up to Sydney Trains management to do the appropriate scheduling and make sure everything is in place to make New Years Eve transport a success. It would be an absolute disgrace if the NSW Government failed to prepare properly for it.

“The now limited number of protected industrial actions we have underway, that include things such as wearing union shirts and placing stickers on Sydney Trains assets, if planned for properly should not impact services. Ensuring the smooth running of services on such a big night does however require some basic mitigation, foresight and planning on the part of management – planning which doesn’t appear to be underway yet.

In the letter to the Chief Executive, RTBU Secretary Toby Warnes said the union team would make themselves available at any time in the lead up to New Years Eve to help in any way they can to ensure the smooth running of trains.

“New Years Eve is Sydney’s night of nights. Rail workers want the evening to run smoothly, but we don’t run the network. We need management and the government to make sure they’re doing the basics to make sure everyone can get around the city and enjoy the fireworks and parties,” Mr Warnes said.

“Whether it’s deliberate or not, it does seem that the basic mitigation measures and forward planning have been overlooked, removed, or in some cases, never considered at all.

“We’ve seen the NSW Government attempt to blame industrial action for every little mishap on the network in the past. It was only last week the Government attempted to blame 400 cancelled services owing to trackwork on union industrial action. They can’t do that this time – if the trains don’t work, it will very clearly be the fault of the NSW Government which seems to have lost interest in running public transport.”

In the letter to Sydney Trains, the RTBU also again invited management to come back to the bargaining table in an effort to resolve the ongoing rail dispute. The last bargaining meeting took place on 3 December 2024 and the union has had little contact with the government since.