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3mo ago

NSW to Offer Two Free Train and Metro Days After Rail Pay Deal

The free travel days will recognise commuter patience after months of rail disruptions.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 07: Tangara type trains built in Australia run into Waverton Station on the Lower North Shore on December 07, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. Sydney train drivers are striking on Tuesday, joining bus drivers as part of ongoing industrial action of pay and safety concerns. (Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images)
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 08: Commuters board a train at Central Station on March 08, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. Sydney trains ground to a halt shortly before the afternoon peak due to an unspecified communications issue, according to media reports. Even after some service resumed, commuters were being advised to make other arrangements. (Photo by Roni Bintang/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Commuters can ride all Sydney Trains and Sydney Metro services free of charge on July 31 and August 1 with Opal readers turned off across the network.
  • NSW TrainLink customers will receive full refunds for tickets booked on the two fare-free days while bus, ferry, and light rail services remain ticketed.
  • The 48-hour initiative is expected to cost about $7 million and attract more than one million riders as compensation for earlier disruptions.
  • Rail, Tram and Bus Union members backed the enterprise agreement by 92 percent, securing a 12 percent pay rise over three years plus back pay to May 2024.
  • The new rail agreement, set to expire in 2028, will be lodged with the Fair Work Commission and includes measures to improve network reliability.