Wellington commuters warned of more disruption as bargaining talks begin

Bargaining talks between train operator Transdev and the union representing rail workers in Wellington have not finished after a full day of negotiations.

Commuter chaos continued across the Wellington region today, with 26 trains cancelled and a further 27 replaced by buses since Midday.

Union members have been working to rule since Tuesday, meaning staff are taking all their breaks and refusing overtime or shift changes.

Both Transdev and the union were optimistic that a resolution to end the contract dispute could have been sorted today.

Another meeting is planned for Monday with the mediator.

Some people were stranded for hours after major disruptions on the train network on Wednesday night.

Metlink's Samantha Gain says passengers should keep a close eye on the Metlink website or app to stay informed of service disruptions.

Metlink, which runs the network, said it was encouraging both Transdev and the union to negotiate in good faith and resolve their differences as soon as possible.

More talks had been scheduled for Monday, with the mediator as a back-up in case a resolution had not been made.

The industrial dispute is between the train operator Transdev and the Rail and Maritime Transport Union.