Fun community events, police bands and BBQ’s at stations, school competitions, pop up outdoor movie theatres, special police operations/dog squads and a visit from Thomas the Tank Engine are just some of the diverse activities to take place during this year’s annual community awareness week - Rail Safety Week commencing from Monday.

It's a familiar battle - a multi-national company and a conservative government joining forces to attack rail workers and to undermine safety on public transport.

The futures of rail workers in the Hunter and across regional Australia are in limbo after Minister for Transport Darren Chester today refused to rule out privatising ARTC.

The refusal of ARTC to include basic work conditions in its proposed enterprise agreement with signallers and administrative staff in NSW has blown the whistle on the National Party’s plan to attack country rail workers, according to the Rail, Train and Bus Union (RTBU).

Sometimes it’s easy to take our freedoms for granted.  The plight of trade unionists in other countries reminds us of how lucky we are in Australia, it also reminds us of what’s at stake if we drop our guard allow the anti-union forces to have their way.

After a long period of vote counting, the dust has finally settled on one of the closest Federal elections in decades.

The announcement that Aurizon will cut a further 300 jobs – including 180 train crew - is a bitter pill for workers who have fought hard to keep the company profitable despite the multiple failings of senior executives.

The final confirmation of the break-up of Asciano and Pacific National shows that Federal Government is failing on important economic reforms, according to the Rail, Tram and Bus Union.

All of us deserve to have a clean and safe working environment – that’s why we need to ensure conditions inside Adelaide Station are not posing a danger to the health and wellbeing of rail workers.

The South Australian Government’s $50m expansion of the city tramline along North Terrace is another positive step towards Adelaide’s public transport future, according to the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU).