The days of remembering to top up your Opal card or carrying loose change are ending: from today, ferry and light rail users will be able to pay for fares using contactless payments. Here's what you need to know.

Earlier in the month, Sydney Trains workers announced they were going on a 24-hour strike following a breakdown in negotiations between the train union and rail management. This would have caused mass delays across the city's entire train and tram networks between January 29 and January 30.

For those who missed the memo, the planned strike was blocked by the Fair Work Commission last Thursday. So does this mean it's business as usual? Well, not necessarily.

Since Christmas Eve, Charlie’s* only had five days off of work.

For eight years, he’s been dedicated to his job. He loves his job. It’s challenging and mentally demanding but Charlie knows it inside out. Yet lately, excessive overtime and an increased workload has left him feeling dispirited and disillusioned.

Charlie is a Sydney Train Driver and he’s exhausted.

The Fair Work Commission has ordered NSW rail worker to cancel its strike this coming Monday due to endangerment to economy and safety. Here are the details.

Sydney Trains workers have announced they will be going on strike following a breakdown in negotiations between the train union and rail management. This means train services are about to experience major delays - including during the peak hour rush. Here's what you need to know.

The working year has not got off to a good start for Sydney trains and the New South Wales government. The rail network went into meltdown with chaos at many stations and trains delayed or cancelled. To add to this woe a 24-hour train driver strike (over pay increases) is planned for January 29, when most of the workforce will be back at work following the Australia Day holiday.

So what caused all of this? We will start with the immediate contributions but recognise that there is a longer story that starts from the inaction of past governments.

Sydney Trains are under siege. A new timetable coupled with understaffing issues has already resulted in a Nightmare Scenario where peak hour services are being cancelled and commuters left stranded. The drivers are overworked and exhausted and commuters are angry. With the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) announcing they will be taking industrial action from Friday, January 19, the problems are likely to get worse before they get any better.

Last week, Sydney's rail system went into complete meltdown and a lot of people were very unhappy about it. Things aren't about to get better.

The 2016 Australian Commuting Survey explores how we travel to and from work and the various ways it affects us. This infographic breaks down the chief findings - including our #1 pet peeve while driving and using public transport.

Fair warning: This hack is not for the faint of heart. But if you can't afford a train ticket (or are shockingly cheap with no self-respect, like me) this ticket inspector avoidance strategy could be worth pursuing.

There's nothing worse than being squished against the doughy flesh of a fellow train traveler who is clearly too large for their seat. We're not here to judge. Maybe they have emotional issues. Maybe it's their glands.

But that doesn't mean you should be made to suffer alongside them for the duration of your train journey. Evil Week is here to help.

Uber? Cabs? Train? Pickups aren't always an option, either. So to streamline your next trip, we've researched the cheapest ways to get from the runway to the CBD at each Australian state capital airport. Here's what you need to know.

Commutes are frustrating because they make us feel like we don't have any control. You're either trapped on a bus or train, or trapped in a car crawling along the motorway. But if you focus on what you can control, your time heading to and from work can become the best, most enriching parts of your day.

Wanderu, one of the easiest ways to book affordable ground travel in the US, recently expanded their coverage to Europe. Now you can travel through almost all of Europe for a lot less.

Travelling by train is one of the simplest ways to get around, and it can also be the most photogenic. These 12 routes from around the world are so visually striking you'll be glued to your railroad car's window for the entire trip.

Android: If you use public transit to get to work, Google will sometimes let you know if your train is delayed. However, it might not tell you until you get to the station. This Tasker action can help by letting you make on-demand requests to find out.

Well, we knew it was coming. From today, the free weekend travel bonus for weekly commuters has been quietly scrapped in NSW. Instead, you will now need to pay half-price after completing eight trips. In addition, single trip tickets have also been increased. Transport NSW is calling the fare hike "fairer" -- but depending on where you live, you could be worse off by hundreds of dollars a year.

Have you ever tapped off your Opal card and had a sneaking feeling that the fare was too high? If you regularly travel in Sydney's CBD, your suspicions could be well-founded. An investigation by Opal calculator app developer Kenneth Tsang has unearthed a so-called "CBD Increment" surcharge which sees commuters slugged up to 82 cents more for every journey. Tch.

The NSW government has accepted the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART)'s proposal to kill off free trips on Opal. From June 1, you'll no longer receive free trips on public transport after completing eight journeys in one week. Instead, a 50% discount will be offered for each additional trip. Boo-urns.