Police have condemned the actions of 50 climate protesters involved in stopping a fully-laden coal train at Sandgate on Sunday morning.
The train, heading to the Port of Newcastle, came to a sudden stop just before the Hunter River crossing just after 10am.
About 15 protesters associated with the Rising Tide climate group entered the rail corridor and used ladders to scramble on top of one of the wagons.
They then unfurled a banner which read: "Survival Guide for Humanity": No new coal.
Another larger group quickly surrounded the train and began chanting "Coal, don't dig it. Leave it in the ground, it's time to get with it" while those on board began shovelling coal from the wagon.
Police including members of the Public Order and Riot Squad, Police Rescue, Mounted Police and Marine Command units arrived at the scene soon after.
The action shutdown the coal line to Kooragang Island for at least three hours.
Forty seven people were issued with court attendance notices for offences including obstructing a railway (locomotive), assist in obstructing a rail locomotive, aggravated enter inclosed lands and interfere with business, and enter inclosed lands.
Three people were arrested and charged, including two for alleged malicious damage and one for allegedly assaulting a security guard.
"While we support everyone's right to free speech, we certainly don't tolerate any violence or the conduct of any unlawful activity," Newcastle City Police District Commander Superintendent Kylie Endemi said on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday's action coincided with Rising Tide's Climate Conference, at Williamtown.
The protesters included 22-year-old Jasmine Stuart who described Australia's economic dependence on coal as "insane".
"I studied renewable energy engineering so that I could be part of the solution, but that is not enough when politicians continue allowing new fossil fuel projects to proceed," she said.
"Rallies and campaigning within the system are clearly not working, so people like me who are terrified for our future are left with no option but civil disobedience. As the head of the UN said, "the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels".
Another protester, Zack Schofield, said: "The Albanese government is allowing massive new fossil fuel projects to proceed, driving climate disasters and devastation for everyday people. What will Chris Minns' new NSW government do? This is an emergency, but we're yet to see the ALP take decisive action.
"NSW is facing the largest coal expansion since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015. The Hunter Valley Operations expansion alone would produce more than a third of NSW's domestic emissions for the next 25 years.
Rising Tide's climate conference, which was attended by 300 participants from across Australia, included speakers from the Climate Council of Australia, First Nations leaders, academics and environmental movement leaders.
