Industry sources say since the dispute began in early March over 30 trains have been cancelled due to industrial action taken by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, representing around 100,000 tonnes of undelivered grain.

It is estimated the cost of the undelivered grain sits at around $10 million, primarily due to port demurrage costs.

As part of the action there has been a three-day stoppage in driving and other go-slow protests, including drivers not working over eight hours in a single shift.

Estimates are that as few as 60 per cent of grain trains are being unloaded without delay.

Officials from the RTBU confirmed there would be further action from Sunday next week.

All three of the major bulk handlers in Victoria, GrainCorp, Emerald Grain and AWB GrainFlow have been impacted by the action and have been trying to find alternative means of getting grain to port, including additional trucks.

President of the Victorian Farmers Federation David Jochinke said the grains industry needed a swift resolution to the dispute.

He said PN customers needed to be delivered the service they had paid for.

“If exporters and bulk handlers have spent the money on a service it needs to be provided in a timely manner,” he said. “Anything that delays the movement of grain, agriculture ultimately bears the cost.”

The dispute centres on wages and conditions for train drivers.

Marc Marotta, state secretary of the locomotive division of the RTBU, said PN had come to the table with an unacceptable offer in the latest round of enterprise bargaining agreement talks.

He said train drivers had a number of concerns, including a PN push to reduce average wages by $19,000 per annum, reduce minimum guaranteed hours and remove penalty loadings.