Newcastle bus services to stop from 6pm Friday after driver stabbed in Charlestown

newy.com.au – Newcastle bus services will stop operating from 6pm on Friday 27 February 2026 after a bus driver was stabbed while working in Charlestown, with the Rail, Tram and Bus Union ordering members to cease unsafe work.

The union said services across the region would remain halted until “safety plans” were in place, warning the decision would disrupt commuters but was necessary after what it described as escalating violence against drivers.

In a media release, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) said a Health and Safety Representative issued a cease unsafe work direction at about 4pm on Friday, triggering an immediate stoppage that would affect all services “until further notice”.

The RTBU said the stabbing was the latest in “a string of violent assaults” against drivers in the region, saying staff had been “spat on” and assaulted in previous incidents.

RTBU NSW Tram and Bus Division President Peter Grech said the attack was “a brutal and horrifying attack on a worker who was simply doing their job”.

“Our drivers are being spat on, assaulted and now stabbed. Enough is enough,” Grech said.

Grech said the union met with bus operator Keolis on Friday to demand immediate safety measures but claimed the company “refused to guarantee our members’ safety”.

“We met with the company today demanding immediate safety measures. They refused to guarantee our members’ safety. If they can’t guarantee safety, buses cannot run,” he said.

Grech said the union did not take the decision lightly. “We know this will disrupt people’s lives, but safety comes first. No one should get on a bus wondering if they’ll make it home safely,” he said, adding: “This is not a one-off. This is a pattern, and until Keolis commits to addressing the pattern, services will not resume.”

The RTBU said buses already operating would continue to complete their runs, but no new services would begin after 6pm.