Next week is the first week of the (financial) year, and to celebrate, Transport for NSW is increasing your Opal fares (sorry). In light of the release of the NSW State Budget, the cost of using NSW’s public transport network will rise by an average of 3.6 per cent (in line with inflation) as of Monday, July 1, 2024. This comes after a rise only last October.
The only bright side: the weekly travel cap will remain unchanged. More on this in a sec.
How much are Opal fares rising by?*
- Train trip fares for adults will rise by up to 49c;
- Bus and light rail fares for adults will rise by up to 27c;
- Ferry fares for adults will rise by up to 43c;
- Train fares for children, youths and concession-card holders will rise by up to 24c
- Bus and light rail fares for concessions will rise by up to 14c;
- Ferry fares for concessions will rise by up to 22c.
*All of the above increases are dependent on distances and whether travel is peak or off-peak periods.
To put this in real-life context: the increase will see a one-way train journey from Penrith to the CBD at peak hour jump from $7.65 up to $8.03, and a trip from Chatswood to North Sydney from $4 to $4.20.
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So, those who live furthest from their destination will be most affected. While those who take short bus and light rail journeys (up to 3 kilometres) will continue to pay the same as they have in the first half of this year.
How much is the NSW weekly travel cap for public transport?
Due to cost-of-living pressures, the NSW government has kept the weekly cap on public transport fares at $50 for adults and $25 for children, youths and concession-card holders (as well as the $2.50 daily travel cap for seniors and pensioners). So if you travel on PT really regularly, you shouldn't really notice a change. Phew.
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What is the Friday public transport fare cap?
Discounted weekend fares for trips on Fridays will also stay put (TGIF ticket prices cap at $9.35 for adults and $4.65 for concession rates).
What do NSW commuters pay if you transfer from one transport mode to another?
If you switch transport modes within a 60-minute period (e.g. go from a bus trip to the train within an hour of tapping off), you’ll still get the $2 transfer discount.
How much does it cost to catch the train to Sydney Airport?
Catching the train to Sydney Airport has always been expensive (relative to train fares to elsewhere in Sydney and NSW), and it will only become more exy thanks to this increase. The access fee for Sydney’s Domestic and International Terminal train stations will rise by 66c for an adult and by 58c for kids and concessions. This means a one-way adult train fare to Sydney Airport during peak periods will rise to $21.54. Gulp.
Is it cheaper to tap an Opal card than a debit or credit card?
No, it costs the same price to tap your Opal card or your debit or credit card – that is unless you are eligible for a concession rate, which your debit or credit card can’t recognise. When you tap a debit or credit card to pay for public transport, you’ll get the same discounts (weekly caps, Friday caps and transfer discounts) that you get from tapping an adult Opal card.
Top tip: Just make sure to always tap the same card for the whole week, instead of switching between cards – otherwise Transport for NSW won’t be able to recognise how much you’ve travelled and can't apply those caps and discounts.
One benefit of tapping a debit or credit card instead of an Opal card is that you don’t have to have the minimum credit load value: $10 if you load via the app or $20 if you load at a retailer.
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