Users of the NSW regional rail services are being urged to consider alternate means of transport tomorrow (Tuesday 28 September) morning as discissions between the CEOs of the state's train lines and the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) grind to a snail's pace.

Transport workers across NSW will be taking industrial action on Tuesday between 9am and 1pm to protest several issues, including pay and safety conditions, which officials say will cause heavy disruptions to the state's rail network.

Rail services affected tomorrow include the Blue Mountains Line, Bathurst Services, Central Coast and Newcastle Line, South Coast Line, Southern Highland Line and Hunter Line, as well as the Dubbo XPT.

This is the second protest organised by the RTBU in the past week, with a similar protest being held over the weekend on Saturday 25 September.

The RTBU have said the government is not being entirely truthful about their willingness to come to the bargaining table.

According to NSW Trains Chief Executive Dale Merric, as a result of tomorrow's protest, all TrainLink regional services will be cancelled.

He said regional TrainLink coaches will run as normal, but it will be difficult to accommodate everyone, especially with COVIDSafe restricted capacity still in effect.

Mr Merrick said while industrial action was planned between 9am and 1pm, the government anticipated train cancellations would start during the morning peak and last well into the evening commute.

“We have run our services throughout the pandemic to ensure essential workers, like nurses and police officers, can get to work and it is disappointing the union feels it is appropriate to stop work and impact customers who have been keeping our state safe,” Mr Merrick said.

Despite the government's accusations, and rumours that management would lock workers out of their worksites, a spokesperson from the RTBU has said they will be doing their part to ensure essential workers can still travel on NSW rail lines tomorrow.

RTBU Secretary Alex Claassens said the NSW Branch wrote to the CEOs of Sydney Trains and NSW Trains asking that workers be allowed onsite during tomorrow’s work stoppage, so they can get trains back into operation as quickly as possible.

“Rail workers deliberately planned our action tomorrow to ensure the impact on essential workers would be kept to a minimum. I’m grateful that management have seen sense and will not be making it harder for rail workers to get people moving again tomorrow,” Mr Claasens said.

"We don’t want to have to take action at all, but we’ve been left with no choice.

“The public were told today by NSW Trains and Sydney Trains that they are trying to bargain with their employees in good faith. The reality could not be further from the truth.

“The CEOs and senior management at NSW Trains and Sydney Trains have refused to meet with members to negotiate," he said.

"No one at any level of either organisation has met with the combined workforce to discuss a new enterprise agreement, despite repeated invitations.

“Transport Minister Andrew Constance has also refused to come to the table. Rail workers would love to meet with any of them," Mr Claasens said.

“Our industrial action has been a last resort, but it has prompted NSW Trains, Sydney Trains and the Transport Minister to make public promises to bargain in good faith. We look forward to them accepting our next invitation to meet.”