It always seems like life is going swimmingly until you run into a kerfuffle with public transport, but Sydney commuters can breathe a sigh of relief following news that train travel will be free across the city this weekend.
The NSW government made the call to slash metro and train fares starting from 11pm on Friday to soften the blow of a monster weekend for the transport network, as legions of football fans will flood the city for NRL, AFL and rugby finals matches.
The government’s decision was also informed by impending strike action led by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, which was planning a walk-off to coincide with the busy commuting weekend in dispute over the upcoming conversion of the T3 Bankstown train line.
The union retracted its strike plans just hours after the government announced free train fares for the weekend.
“If you’re offering free fares over the weekend then we’re happy to run the trains as normal”, Unions NSW assistant secretary Thomas Costa told ABC Radio.
“That’s always the offer we put to the government”.
While the free fares will go some way in compensating for the unnecessary number of coffees I buy, travellers are still being warned to expect delays (a canon event), as more than 100,000 people are due to attend sporting events over the next three days.
Allianz Stadium is hosting the NRL semi-final between the Sharks and the Cowboys on Friday, the same day as the AFL preliminary final between the Swans and Port Adelaide at the SCG.
Then, even more fans will head to Sydney Olympic Park for the rugby match between the All Blacks and the Wallabies on Saturday.
Transport for NSW secretary Josh Murray advised travellers to keep a close eye on their transport apps, and said that commutes won’t be smooth sailing regardless of the stalled strike action.
Preempting the disruption of those events and the since-scrapped strike, NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen wrote on X on Thursday:
“We know rail travel could be a challenge as a result of industrial action. So this weekend, we’re making all rail travel free.”
Transport for NSW said train passengers will not be required to tap on until 1am on Monday, September 23.
My heart goes out to my fellow bus and ferry girlies, since the free fares only apply to the rail network. As a side-note, the metro undeniably trumps them all.
While it has since been stalled, the strike action centres around the T3 Bankstown line, which the government plans to shut down for one year while it is converted into a metro line.
Among other concerns, the union does not want drivers’ work varied during the year-long shutdown, and wants to address safety concerns given that the metro will be a partly driverless service. Those negotiations have been in the works since June.
It’s welcome news for a commuter like me, who can now pretend he’s in a music video with his headphones in and stare longingly out the train window, completely free of charge.
Image source: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
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