Sydney's enjoyed the latest update to its transport network – the divine Sydney Metro fast-rail service. It's fast, it's punctual, it's clean, the stations are beautiful – it says what it does on the packet. is it time for an upgrade to our public transport ticketing system, too? It’s been a long-time coming since the NSW government announced two years ago they were planning to overhaul the Opal system but it looks like the wheels are finally in motion and the train looks like it'll be leaving the station soon(ish).
Can we get a hoo-ray?! 'Opal Next Gen' is the name of the new-look Sydney transit project, in which $568 million will go towards shifting ticketing into the digital era. This means that instead of tapping your bank card (which doesn't let you access benefits such as concession fares) or your weathered physical Opal card, you'll be able to tap a digital Opal using your smartphone.
As mentioned, the new digital system is touted to come with benefits, apart from convenience. Concession card holders will be able to access concession rates, you'll be able to access discounts when travelling on certain days of the week or when travel caps are reached (which can't happen currently if you pay across multiple bank cards), you’ll be able to plan trips, and use your sporting or gig tickets to unlock free public transport.
Not only will this overhaul bring in much needed new digital functionality for passengers, but stations, buses, light rail and ferries will all be upgraded with 25,000 new electronic readers. This will involve substantial back-end upgrades, so it's a fairly mammoth undertaking.
It might not speed up the trains when you’re waiting at Olympic Park after a Coldplay concert, but it’s something.
To give you a sense of timeline, the longtime-coming Opal Next Gen project is currently going to tender, with a number of companies in contention for grabbing this major bid, and the current Opal contract runs until September 2026.
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