Overview
If you want to catch a train in Sydney, the Opal card has been the main way to pay for your trip for a while now. But that's about to change. After rolling out card payments on light rail and ferries back in March, Transport for NSW has announced that contactless card payments — and devices that have the service enabled — will be available on all Sydney trains and Intercity services.
Yep, you can leave your Opal in your wallet/on your desk/down the side of the couch — with this new technology, you can just tap your card or phone (Visa, Mastercard and American Express are all accepted in credit or debit) right onto the regular Opal scanners. Doing this will charge you for an Adult Opal single trip ticket, and if you use the same card each time you travel, the daily, weekly and Sunday caps will automatically be applied to your fare.
But other discounts won't apply — like if you transfer between services, travel off-peak, usually qualify for the Weekly Travel Reward (where, after eight trips in a week, you get half-price fares) or have a concession. Plus, it might not be convenient if you transfer from the bus to the train, as the technology isn't available on buses yet. So if you travel on multiple forms of transport, catch the train to work every day or have a concession, you might be best to stick with your Opal for the time being.
Nonetheless, it's a welcome leap in technology — and one that was always going to happen at some point soon. Moving away from dedicated transport cards — or adding other payment options — will make things easier for tourists and travellers (and people who, god forbid, leave their Opal at home), who shouldn't have to buy a new piece of plastic just to catch a bus or train (or pay extra for a paper ticket if they don't) when they're visiting. However, if we're moving towards a contactless future, ensuring the new system remains accessible for anyone that doesn't have a smartphone, smartwatch or bank card remains a concern.
So what about the other cities? Melburnians can expect to scan on with a credit or debit card in trials due to start this year, focusing on Routes 11, 86 or 96, according to The Sunday Herald Sun. And in Brisbane, The Sunday Mail reports that a trial will commence either later in 2018 or sometime in early 2019, starting with the Airtrain.