Industrial action planned by the Electrical Trades Union could once again disrupt train operations across Sydney this week.
It’s been reported that the action will stop any members from doing certain maintenance on the rail network, which has already been hampered by the floods.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) said it would stand in solidarity with the ETU and that its members would also refuse to work.
The news comes after peak hour chaos was sparked on Monday afternoon when thousands of Sydneysiders were met with major train delays after the Northwest metro stopped moving.
The network was affected by a communication failure that was reported at 4.28pm. Emergency replacement buses were provided after a systems reset did not resolve the issue. The lines were back in operation at 6pm.
Sydney Metro said it deeply apologised to customers affected by the disruption. “The delays were not acceptable and a full investigation into the causes of the incident will be undertaken with service operator Metro Trains Sydney,” it said in a statement.
Cancellations and delays are also still occurring because of last week’s storm damage, with Transport for NSW assuring commuters that crews are working “around the clock” to assess issues and carry out repairs.
It told commuters to expect delays and potential cancellations of train and bus services to continue, as clean-up and repairs ramp up across the transport network.
Its website said the unprecedented rainfall and severe weather over the past two weeks had resulted in disruptions to rail, road and public transport throughout the state, and that where possible, non-essential travel should be delayed or reconsidered.
It’s feared that continued industrial action would result in safety issues on the rail network and cause portions of the network unable to be operated.
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