Commuters will enjoy free travel on Sydney trains until Friday as the government looks to settle a dispute with the union.

Passengers will still be asked to tap on and off, but will not be charged for taking the train between 12.01am on Monday and 11.59pm Friday.

The move comes in response to plans for further industrial action by the union including slashing services to 30 per cent of capacity.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union secretary Alex Claassens earlier told the government that offering free fares was one of the only ways to avoid the actions going ahead on Monday and Friday this week.

“People need to get to work, go to school and go about their normal day without being disrupted by union strike action,” NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said.

“Providing free travel for the week will ensure that industrial action does not occur.”

The two sides will undergo mediation sessions on Tuesday. Both say they are keen to arrive at a resolution about pay and safety concerns with a fleet of new inner-city trains.

“It’s fantastic that the NSW government has listened and provided commuters with a week of free travel,” Mr Claassens said.

“Now, we need to see that good faith continue into negotiations next week so we can hopefully reach a resolution to this ongoing dispute.”

-AAP