Commuters have been asked to switch Opal e-readers on and off at train stations over the coming weeks, when staff are expected to leave ticket gates open as part of the escalating action industrial on the safety and payment of trains.
The potential loss to the state of ticket revenue, if travelers fail to turn on and off over the next three weeks, is estimated at up to $10 million.
Staff at the station who are members of the railway union have warned that they will leave the ticket offices open for three weeks from this Saturday. Opal gates are mainly located at major train stations in Sydney.
Train passengers have been urged to touch and alight at the station gates. Credit: Peter Rae
Two ministers who met union leaders on Thursday night agreed to provide them with a deed next week guaranteeing the government will make modifications to the state’s new intercity train fleet. The new trains have been at the center of the protracted dispute between the two sides.
The Tram and Bus Union has pledged to continue industrial action until it receives the deed that satisfies its members’ demands for safety modifications to guard compartments.
Unless a deal can be reached, commuters face major disruption on the T3 Bankstown, T8 Airport and South lines and the Southern Highlands lines next Wednesday, when another six-hour strike by workers is due .
Commuters face major disruptions to services on several rail lines next Wednesday. Credit: Janie Barrett
Station staff’s plan to leave ticket offices open from this Saturday until September 6 has seen Sydney Trains urge train passengers not to walk without touching and enter and exit Opal readers with their cards or mobile phones.
“Click and download ensures travelers pay the correct fare and can access Opal benefits, including daily and weekly travel limits,” said chief executive Matt Longland.