Premier Nathan Rees said yesterday $2.4 million would be spent on new cleaning initiatives, including the recruitment of 32 "roving" cleaners to cover another 46 stations across the network.

It would boost the ranks of the existing 61 cleaners who remove about three tonnes of rubbish from trains a week.

As part of the blitz, 15 "hot spots" the most complained about CityRail stations would be targeted, Mr Rees said.

The list included mostly Sydney stations as well as Gosford and Newcastle, which would undergo an intensive clean-up including minor repairs.

The Opposition and the Rail, Tram and Bus Union labelled the announcement "pure spin".

Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said Mr Rees was "out of touch" as the 32 new cleaners would not replace about 600 station staff whose jobs would be cut.

Union organiser Phillip Kessey said most station staff also cleaned stations as well as dealing with customers and ticket queries, and it made more sense to keep them than hire more "roving" cleaners.

RailCorp has said the changes are aimed at better matching staff levels with passenger movements, and employees would be offered positions elsewhere.

It had said station staff would actually be boosted in the Hunter, but the union dismissed the suggestion as "creative accounting".