Sydney Travel Warning: Ferry Industrial Action, NRL Finals & Road Closures To Cause Weekend Delays

Sydney commuters are being warned to leave themselves plenty of wriggle room  with travel over the coming days, with ongoing industrial action on the ferry network, rail and Metro trackwork, major road closures and several enormous events all landing across one very busy weekend.

Transport for NSW is urging passengers and motorists to check their journeys before leaving home, particularly around Moore Park, Bondi, the CBD, Sydney Harbour and North Sydney.

NRL finals to pack out Moore Park

Allianz Stadium will host two elimination finals, with the Rabbitohs facing the Knights on Friday night before the Sharks take on the Cowboys on Saturday.

With tens of thousands of fans expected in Moore Park, traffic will be heavier than usual and parking — never exactly abundant around the stadium precinct at the best of times — will be particularly difficult to find.

Match tickets include travel on all modes of public transport, with fans only needing to show their ticket to transport staff when boarding.

More than 40,000 people heading to Bondi

Bondi Beach will also be heaving on Sunday, with more than 40,000 people expected at Festival of the Winds between 11am and 4pm.

Extra trains will run between Central and Bondi Junction, alongside additional shuttle buses connecting the junction with the beach.

Roads around Bondi Junction Interchange will close from 10am until 4pm, while beach car parks including Park Drive South and Queen Elizabeth Drive will be shut from 5am until 6pm.

Some buses will use different stops or skip stops while closures are in place. Special event clearways will also operate along sections of Campbell Parade, Hall Street and Bondi Road.

In other words, driving to Bondi on Sunday is unlikely to be the breezy little coastal outing you may have pictured.

Why Sydney ferry workers are taking industrial action

Protected industrial action is continuing across Sydney Ferries, with passengers warned that services may be cancelled, delayed or changed at short notice until early October. Transport for NSW said most services are still expected to operate, but travellers should allow extra time and consider trains, buses or light rail where possible.

Transdev Sydney Ferries has also advised that F3 Parramatta River services won’t operate on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September.

The action includes bans on overtime and particular work arrangements. Maritime Union of Australia members have also banned the selling, collecting or validating of fares, although Opal readers remain switched on and passengers are still required to tap on and off.

The dispute centres on negotiations for a new enterprise agreement. The MUA is seeking a five per cent wage increase, followed by guaranteed annual increases intended to stop workers’ wages falling behind inflation and Sydney’s rising cost of living.

MUA Deputy Branch Secretary Paul Garrett said in a press release last week that ferry workers had “continued to work long and demanding hours to keep the public moving” and were now seeking “a fair wage increase to catch up with the spiralling cost of living in this city”.

“Sydney Ferries workers will not sign off on an agreement that whittles away their purchasing power year after year while the cost of living keeps going up,” Garrett said.

The union said workers regretted the inconvenience to commuters, but accused private operator Transdev of failing to put forward a serious wage offer. Transport for NSW said it was working with Transdev to minimise disruption.

Metro and harbour crossings also affected

Metro services will not run between Tallawong and Sydenham on Sunday. Passengers travelling between Chatswood, the city and Sydenham should use regular trains.

Only one southbound lane will be available on the Sydney Harbour Bridge at various times on Friday and Sunday, while the Harbour Tunnel will close southbound from 10.30pm Friday until 6am Saturday.

The Miller Street southbound on-ramp in North Sydney will also remain closed from 8pm Friday until 6pm Sunday, with motorists diverted via Falcon Street.

Transport for NSW are encouraging Sydneysidrs to use the TfNSW Trip Planner or Live Traffic NSW to help plan any travel over the weekend.