As restrictions ease and people gradually start returning to work over the coming weeks, there are concerns about how COVID-19 will be controlled on South Coast trains.

The trains in the morning and evening peaks are often standing room only.

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When asked what new safety measures Transport for NSW was looking to introduce on South Coast trains, a spokesman said they had no details to provide "at this stage".

Late last week Premier Gladys Berejiklian moved to discourage public transport use.

"We don't want any more people, at this stage, catching public transport in the peak," Ms Berejiklian said.

"Do not use public transport - if you're not already on the bus or the train in the morning, do not catch public transport in the peak.

"We know, overseas, public transport - unfortunately - was the main reason why the disease spread."

For workers commuting between the Illawarra and Sydney, avoiding public transport was not viable.

Anna Van Gelderen is a nurse who lives in Thirroul but works at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

She drives to Sutherland and catches the train, though on afternoon shifts she will drive straight to Sydney.

"I wouldn't drive every day - I can't afford to," Ms Van Gelderen said. "Public transport is the only option for a lot of people."

Over the last month, the trains between Wollongong and Sydney have been almost empty but Ms Van Gelderen said she was concerned about how COVID-19 would be handled as people return to catching trains.

"The problem is everyone's going to go back to work and the trains are going to be a lot fuller - it's going to be hard to keep that social distancing," she said.

"They want to run the trains at a 40 per cent capacity and usually they're running at 100 per cent or over. I just don't know how they're going to do that.

"Are they going to put crosses on every second seat? It's going to be very difficult. I don't know if they're going to be policing it and not letting people on if the train is too full."

Labor's Transport spokesman Chris Minns said being warned to avoid public transport didn't really work for Illawarra rail commuters.

We've got a real situation with people who live in the immediate regions north and south of Sydney who rely on public transport to get to work," Mr Minns said.

"There's only a few services from those major centres. As best as we know they're planning on using public transport to get to work."