From August 1, the vast majority of paper tickets will no longer be available for users of public transport in NSW. Instead, all commuters will be forced to use the Opal e-card system for most train, bus and ferry rides. This includes trips to the airport. Here is the full list of every ticket type that is being “retired” in favour of Opal cards.
“From Monday 1 August 2016, old paper tickets will no longer be sold or accepted on trains, buses, ferries and light rail within the Opal network,” Transport NSW explains on its website.
“To travel on public transport in Sydney and surrounding regions, you will need an Opal card or an Opal single trip ticket. Single trip tickets are only available in Adult and Child/Youth fares. To travel on a concession fare, you will need to have a Concession Opal card or a Gold Senior/Pensioner Opal card.”
Here’s the full list of tickets that are no longer sold:
| Ticket type | Paper tickets no longer sold | |
| MyTrain | Single: Adult, Concession and Child Return: Adult, Concession and Child |
|
| MyBus | Single: Adult, Concession and Child | |
| MyFerry | Single – Adult, Concession and Child Return – Adult, Concession and Child |
|
| Light Rail | Single – Adult, Concession and Child Return – Adult, Concession and Child |
|
| Family Fare Deal | Family | |
| Airport | Single: Adult, Concession and Child Return: Adult, Concession and Child Airport to Airport: Adult, Concession and Child Airport to/from Mascot: Adult, Concession and Child Airport to/from Green Square: Adult, Concession and Child Bulk corporates: Adult, Concession and Child |
Newcastle buses and ferries | 1 Hour: Adult, Concession and Child Stockton Ferry single ride |
| Newcastle buses and ferries | 1 Hour: Adult, Concession and Child Stockton Ferry single ride |
|
| MyMulti 2 and 3 | 90 day – International Student ticket |
|
This is the final nail in the coffin for NSW’s old paper ticketing system. Previously, Transport NSW culled a swathe of other paper tickets including the yearly and quarterly MyTrain tickets which provide upfront discounts of around 20 per cent. These latest changes mean Opal is now your only choice as a paying customer.
While weekly travellers have largely embraced Opal, the old method was still favoured by tech-shy pensioners and occasional commuters who rarely use public transport. The latter group will now need to buy an Opal single trip ticket — which are sold at a premium — or spend more than they need on an Opal card. Over-the-counter Opal top-ups start at $10 for adults and go up in $10 increments. This obviously isn’t ideal if you only require a single $11 fare, for instance.
The decision to scrap airport train tickets will also be problematic for some customers, particularly those who need to claim work expenses when travelling. We’re all for technological progress, but it’s fair to say that NSW’s payment system for public transport needs more options rather than less. Share your views in the comments.
Comments
7 responses to “Here Are All The Paper Tickets Transport NSW Is Scrapping Today”
“The decision to scrap airport train tickets will also be problematic for some customers, particularly those who need to claim work expenses when travelling.”
You can still buy single airport tickets, they’re just provided as a smartcard ticket rather than a paper ticket.
Now that there’s only Opal cards, how long do you reckon it’ll take before the government drops the 8-ride cap and $2.50 Sundays?
In my view it’s an absolute disaster for anyone who is not close to an Opal re-seller.
Say you have overseas travelers staying with you, but you are not near a shop. They can’t get Opal tickets until they get to a shop, but can’t get to the shop without having a ticket
Same goes for anyone who happens to lose their card while out and about. If you are a long way from home or the nearest shop, can’t get a ticket until I get to the shop, but can’t get the bus to the shop because I can’t buy a ticket.
You can buy the single trips at pretty much any train station (https://www.opal.com.au/en/get-an-opal-card/opal-single-tickets/). You don’t have to be near a reseller.
I’d kept some myBus tickets that were were useful for occasional non-Sydney visitors. I tried to use them up last week but the ticket readers didn’t work and the driver said I had to use Opal instead. A small windfall for the government.
I don’t suppose they considered the idea of letting visitors to Sydney use their own home cards like Melbourne’s Miky or SE Qld’s Go card?
When I travel by car interstate, my Qld motorway transponder works fine on all the toll booths in both Sydney and Melbourne.
(Yes, probably different technology, but you get the idea).
so the thing i praised Sydney for when i visited is being retired and you will be the same as Melbourne and their stupid cards that punish tourists?
Only through a machine, which was broken at our station this morning.
Why can’t the station staff sell tickets? Maybe at the ticket window?