In an Australian-first innovation, customers catching a train on the Opal network can now choose to tap on and off with their credit or debit card, in a new way to pay for their fare.
Following a successful trial on light rail and ferries, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance announced that from today contactless transport payments will be available to customers across the entire Sydney Trains network and on any NSW Train Link Opal service.
“Integrating contactless transport payments into the Opal ticketing system is about choice and convenience, giving customers another option for accessing public transport and the ability to pay as you go without ever having to wait in a queue at the station,” Mr Constance said.
Fares purchased with credit cards will be the same cost as the standard Opal distance-based fare, which is a win for regular commuters, especially those who have simply forgotten their Opal card but want to get straight on a train.
“Contactless payments will also make purchasing higher one-off fares a thing of the past for occasional train customers and visitors to NSW,” Mr Constance said.
Mobile wallets on smartphones, tablets and wearable devices linked to an American Express, Mastercard or Visa card, can also be used to tap on at train station Opal readers.
Mr Constance reaffrimed the introduction of contactless payments is not in any way about replacing the Opal card, which remains the foundation of digital payments.
“Opal is not going anywhere and is still the most affordable way to pay for your fares, this is the NSW Government providing greater flexibility and convenience.”
Opal, which is used to complete almost 14 million trips a week, will continue to be the product that provides frequent users the most savings, as well as serving students, concession holders and senior Opal Gold card holders.
Contactless customers will also be entitled to daily, weekly and Sunday travel caps but the weekly travel discount, concessions and the transfer discount will still only be available through Opal.
The contactless transport payment trial will continue to run through 2018 with the expansion to the bus network earmarked for mid-2019. Transport for NSW is also working with EFTPOS to consider how they can be included in the trial.
For more information about the contactless transport payments visit transportnsw.info