NSW transport made plans for two-week rail shutdown as early as last week, documents show

A risk assessment tabled in the Fair Work Commission casts doubt on when transport minister David Elliott first knew of a shutdown

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The New South Wales government had made plans for a two-week shutdown of the state's train system as early as last week, casting doubt on the timeline provided by the transport minister, David Elliott, about when he first knew about Monday's network closure.

Documents obtained through the Fair Work Commission reveal senior officials within the state's transport department believed as early as Thursday last week that the state's rail system would need to be shuttered for a fortnight if industrial action proposed by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union went ahead.