BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

Hunter commuters travelling within Newcastle or Sydney will have to think of another way to get to work, school and everywhere else, with rail workers steaming ahead with a 24 hour strike later this month.

Members of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union will walk off the job for 24 hours on Monday, January 29th over a pay dispute, bringing trains across the state to a halt.

They’re hoping to secure a 6% pay increase from the state government.

The Union had originally planned to stop working overtime hours on January 25th, however decided that wouldn’t send a strong enough message.

Meetings are planned for the next 48 hours, where union and government officials will try to find a solution to the stalemate.

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance has called on the rail union to cancel the strike, saying it will force the cancellation of all rail services and leave commuters stranded.