CLIMATE activists have forced more than 100 passenger trains to be cancelled in less than a week due to illegal protests in the rail corridor.
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has slammed the "ongoing, illegal and dangerous protest activity" as placing lives at risk and disrupting services.
The ARTC has written to Blockade Australia management, the climate organisation behind the sustained action, formally requesting the protests to stop.
"Despite the concerns for safety raised by ARTC publicly, the illegal activities of protestors since Tuesday in the rail corridor has been increasingly dangerous," a spokesperson said.
"Whilst recognising people's right to protest; protesters trespassing in a live rail corridor can be fatal and puts themselves, our rail workers, the travelling public and train drivers at risk of serious harm."
The ARTC spokesperson said mitigation measures had been put in place during nighttime hours over the weekend to reduce risk.
"Unfortunately, this has meant extensive delays to all rail services, including passenger services that many of the travelling public rely on whilst these illegal activities continue," the spokesperson said.
"Delays in movement of services, whilst protestors are removed from the rail corridor by emergency services, have been in the vicinity of an hour to several hours."
The spokesperson said there had been "extensive cancellations" of rail services since Tuesday, June 25, including 111 pre-cancelled passenger trains.
Trains were again delayed on Monday, July 1.
Limited buses were replacing trains between Newcastle Interchange and Maitland, Scone and Dungog due to a police operation.
Commuters were urged to allow plenty of extra travel time.
NSW TrainLink North confirmed trains were running again between Newcastle Interchange and Telarah by about 7.30am but buses were still replacing trains between Maitland, Scone, Dungog and Newcastle.
Check transport apps, information screens at stations and listen to announcements.
Blockade Australia claimed on Monday a 17-year-old girl from Queensland had suspended herself 40 metres over a rail bridge at Singleton.
Police were called at about 7am and it's understood she was removed and arrested sometime after 10am.
She was taken to Singleton Police Station and charged with entering inclosed non-agricultural lands - serious safety risk; cause obstruction to railway locomotive or rolling stock; enter inclosed land without lawful excuse; cause or attempt to cause train or tram in motion to be stopped; and interfering with equipment without permission.
She was refused bail to face a children's court on Tuesday, July 2.
More than a dozen people have been arrested in connection with the Hunter protest activity in the past week.
Separately, urgent signal repairs at Kotara this morning meant Central Coast and Sydney trains from Newcastle were also delayed and commuters should allow extra time.
