Brisbane commuters have endured a day of widespread rail chaos, as an industrial dispute shut down key train lines just days before a massive month-long network closure.
Hundreds of Rail, Tram and Bus Union members walked off the job on Wednesday after wage negotiations with the Queensland government broke down, triggering major disruptions across the Ipswich/Rosewood and Cleveland lines.
Queensland Rail later confirmed the action had prohibited 180 passenger services from running, with about 20,000 passengers impacted.
The operator said there were no trains running between Darra and Rosewood, and between Central and Cleveland, with rail replacement buses deployed across both corridors.
Travellers were urged to allow extra time and consider alternative options, with services expected to reach capacity.
The disruption comes at a particularly difficult time for commuters already grappling with soaring fuel prices and increased reliance on public transport.
Speaking on Today, Queensland Rail chief executive Kat Stapleton “profusely apologised” to travellers and urged unions to abandon industrial action while negotiations continued.
“Unfortunately, there are another over 30 protected industrial action notices that we’ve received,” Ms Stapleton said.
“We will not be able to handle all of them unless the unions stop protected industrial actions and come back to the table.”
She said Queensland Rail had done its “very best” to minimise disruptions.
Ms Stapleton said the government prohibited passenger trains from running if staff refused to perform full duties.
“Under our bargaining framework, if people are not prepared to do their full job, we will not pay them.”
The dispute centres on enterprise bargaining negotiations covering about 5600 rail workers that have been ongoing since January.
Queensland Rail said unions had made more than 500 claims, including additional leave entitlements, a shorter work week, and higher superannuation contributions.
Ms Stapleton said many of the claims “far exceeded community norms”.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) insists the action was intended to target coal and freight operations rather than passenger services and has accused the government of escalating the situation.
RTBU state secretary Peter Allen said the last thing the union wanted was for Queensland commuters to be “caught in the crossfire” or a bargaining dispute.
“That’s why they are taking limited industrial action that would have no effect on passengers and would be limited to coal and mineral trains,” Mr Allen said.
“Unfortunately, the Queensland government has responded with a heavy-handed and disproportionate action, looking to turn a minor ban on mineral trains into a full-time stoppage. Any impact on passengers is purely self-inflicted and entirely the choice of the Queensland government.”
The union said train controllers had turned up to run commuter trains but Queensland Rail management shut down the boards that control train line services.
They also claimed members had been “locked out” after refusing partial duties.
Of the 180 train services impacted, Queensland Rail said 23 were coal trains, while the union argued the remaining 157 passenger services would have otherwise run.
Queensland Rail said the extent of disruptions could change at short notice and encouraged passengers to monitor updates and make alternative arrangements where possible.
Services are expected to return on Thursday, with the RTBU confirming industrial action will not continue into a second day.
Wednesday’s stoppage is only the beginning of travel headaches, with a major 23-day rail shutdown starting on Friday and running until April 26.
The planned closures will affect the Sunshine Coast, Caboolture, Redcliffe, Doomben, Shorncliffe, Airport, Gold Coast, and Beenleigh corridors, as authorities carry out a co-ordinated blitz of upgrades and maintenance.
Rail replacement buses will service affected stations during the works, with some journeys expected to take significantly longer.
Transport and Main Roads said bundling the works into one extended closure was to reduce long-term disruption and align with school holidays when fewer people travel.
Queensland Rail said more than 30 industrial actions remain underway and could continue to impact services during the holiday period, when the network will already face the month-long maintenance shutdown.
The network has also recorded a 14 per cent spike in passenger travel in the past week, likely linked to rising fuel prices.
