NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is urging commuters to check train timetables ahead of disruptions on Thursday and to avoid travelling during peak hour.
Members of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union are working out whether the latest offer proposed by Sydney Trains management is good enough to cancel a 24-hour strike on Monday over pay and conditions.
But the offer has come too late to stave off major disruptions on Thursday, when the first round of industrial action - an indefinite ban on overtime - is planned to start.
"We are asking people to just look up the timetables to make sure they're not effected or perhaps catch a different service," Ms Berejiklian told ABC radio on Wednesday.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance says trains will operate on a Saturday timetable, cutting services across the state on Thursday and Australia Day on Friday.
"Tomorrow is going to be disruptive," he told 2GB Radio on Wednesday.
Thursday's service will be cut from the 2900 that run during weekdays to 1600.
Union members are considering the government's latest offer and will decide by midday Wednesday if Monday's planned industrial action, which would send the state's rail network into chaos, will go ahead.
"We sent a text message to our members last night so we can gauge a quick understanding of what they think ... The cut off is at midday to receive members' feedback. Basically it's up to members. We put it out there to see what they think," a rail union spokeswoman told AAP on Wednesday.
The union was pushing for a six per cent pay rise and improved conditions, with members now considering a 2.75 per cent increase as part of a package including free bus travel for all rail workers and a one-off $1000 payment to each employee.
RTBU NSW secretary Alex Claassens said progress had been made after marathon 10-hour negotiations on Monday which spilled into Tuesday.
But he stopped short of saying the deal was a good one.
Sydney Trains boss Howard Collins is confident of the new offer put forward.
"I think we've got a really good deal for the next three years. This allows us, I think, to focus back on to the delivery of the excellent customer service we used to see," he said.
Share
