Just weeks ago, the morning commute of thousands of Sydneysiders was thrown into chaos when every train line in Metro Sydney was suddenly shut down with no warning, following the breakdown of negotiations between the NSW government and the rail union. A similar PT calamity was narrowly averted on the afternoon of Thursday, March 24, when strike action due to take place on March 25 was cancelled after the state government and rail bosses reached an agreement to introduce fare-free days for commuters in the coming months.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union had threatened industrial action unless government officials agreed to give Sydneysiders a few free rides as an apology for the shutdown of the network on February 24 – a demand that transport minister David Elliott finally agreed to late on the afternoon of March 24, just hours before the strike was due to take effect the following day.
A proposal for fare-free days as a sorry for February’s one-day shutdown was first proposed by the rail union earlier this month, as a tacit acknowledgment that it was the NSW government’s decision to close the network, and not the rail union’s. However, Elliott warned that the recent extreme weather conditions and staff shortages due to Covid could delay the fare-free day and potentially lead to further impacts on the network in the coming weeks.