Commuters are being told to prepare for disruptions ahead of their journey home on Tuesday as planned industrial action continues to wreak havoc across the Sydney rail network.

As part of a long-running dispute with the state government, rail workers will walk off the job from 10am until 4pm, resulting in expected delays or cancellations of multiple services.

Sydney Trains has urged customers to plan ahead for their trip home, asking commuters to consider buses instead.

The strike has already seen cancellations on the Western, North Shore, Olympic Park, Northern and Cumberland lines on Tuesday.

The industrial action is set to continue on Thursday with a major reduction to peak-hour services and amended timetable for all suburban lines.

Speaking on 2GB radio on Tuesday morning, NSW Industrial Relations Minister Damien Tudehope said the union’s demands went “beyond the pale”.

“You’ve got no idea, the level of frustration I have about this whole thing. I just don’t know where this goes from here,” he said.

As conversations between the rail union and the government continue to fail, Tudehope said he was now looking to find a “plan B”.

“Every time we make a concession there is something new which arises,” he said.

“Let’s get a sort of independent arbiter to sort of work between us, but it’s got to be conditional upon a suspension or pausing of industrial activity.”

Sydney Trains has urged all customers to avoid non-essential travel this week as the network struggles amid the strike action.

“Unfortunately, commuters will experience longer journey times, less frequent services, changes to stopping patterns, delays and cancellations over the coming week due to this industrial action,” a statement from Sydney Trains said.

“If you must travel on the rail network, please plan ahead and consider using alternative transport if you need to travel during the affected times.”

The industrial action is an attempt from the Rail, Tram and Bus Union NSW Branch to force the government to budge on new intercity trains and pay.

Last week, several government ministers presented an unsigned deed to union leaders guaranteeing the government will modify the state’s multibillion-dollar train fleet, on the condition that a new pay deal is completed at the same time.

The deed – if signed – will ensure the government will spend more than $260 million to modify guard compartments on the intercity trains, which have been mothballed at a maintenance facility on the Central Coast for months.

The rail union claims that the trains will pose safety risks unless changes are made to surveillance cameras and doors.

The union has repeatedly rejected the deed being made contingent on the completion of a new enterprise agreement, leaving the two sides at a stalemate.

The government is offering rail workers pay rises of 3 per cent in year one and 3.5 per cent in year two, which is in line with its wage policy for public sector workers.

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