The NSW Government has announced the next step in delivering world class ‘tap and go’ electronic ticketing will arrive next year, with the majority of old-style paper tickets to be phased out on January 1, 2016.

 

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said: “Given the enormous success of Opal, it’s time to stop running two ticketing systems.

 

“Opal is one of the great improvements to our public transport network, and it’s the right time we take the next logical step to one convenient system,” Mr Constance said.

 

Since the rollout of Opal began in December 2012 there have been:

 

• 3.3 million Opal cards issued
• 350 million journeys taken on all modes
• 86 million free trips earned

 

From January 1, 57 paper ticket products will no longer be sold. Customers should start preparing now to upgrade to Opal, so getting around is simpler and cheaper.

 

The next stage of Opal means customers will only be able to purchase adult and concession single or return tickets for trains, ferries, light rail plus singles for buses.

 

Many of the paper tickets that will be phased out have seen large decreases in sales:

 

Ticket type	Monthly sales (May 2014)	Monthly sales (May 2015)	Percentage decline over 12 months
Pensioner Excursion Ticket	3,281,974	1,803,540	-45%
MyBus TravelTen (Adult & Concession)	349,292	83,120	-76%
MyMulti Weekly	108,835	11,633	-89%
MyFerry TravelTen (Adult & Concession)	16,336	916	-94%
Light Rail Weekly	3,010	829	-72%

 

“Many customers have moved onto Opal for convenience and cheaper fares.

 

“Sales of the once popular MyBus Travel Ten have fallen by more than 75 per cent over the last 12 months as people have switched to Opal.”

 

Some paper tickets like the Off Peak Return Tram Link sell only four tickets a week, or the Light Rail Day Pass which sells on average 11 tickets a day.

 

Customers now have five months to prepare themselves for this transition and sign up to Opal.

 

The phase out of the Pensioner Excursion Ticket will be a major change for a lot of our pensioners and seniors, but Mr Constance said an intensive campaign will be rolled out to inform the changes.

 

“We’ve had 370,000 pensioners and seniors sign up, and there’s another 5 months for others to get on board with Gold Opal,” Mr Constance said.

 

“It’s the same cheap fares – and you only ever need to buy one permanent ticket and you’re always ready for travel.

 

“There is a lot on offer with Opal and I urge people to not leave their change over to the last minute, but to get in early so they can quickly access the benefits.”

Customers can order their Opal card 24 hours a day from opal.com.au or by calling 13 67 25 (13 OPAL) and get the card mailed to their home. Adults or children and youth can also use one of the 2,000 Opal retailers and get a card straight away.

Gold Senior/Pensioner Opal card

• The Gold Senior/Pensioner Opal card is available for NSW Seniors, Pensioner Concession card

holders and NSW War Widow/ers.

• Opal is a reusable smartcard, similar in size to a credit card. Customers only need to get their

• Majority of paper tickets will no longer be sold after 1 January 2016. This means that

customers who normally travel using a Pensioner Excursion Ticket (PET) should plan to get a

Gold Opal card before then.

• Gold Senior/Pensioner Opal customers don’t pay more than $2.50 a day.

• Gold Senior/Pensioner Opal customers can even pay less than $2.50 a day, depending on where

they travel. For example, some bus trips cost just $1.05.

• Customers do not need a credit card or the internet to get a Gold Opal card.

• Customers can call 13 67 25 (13 OPAL) and a customer service operator will assist.

• Or customers can visit the Opal website at www.opal.com.au – it takes only minutes to apply,

and then it takes about 5 to 7 days for the card to be mailed out to the customer’s home.

• Customers can spend as little as $2.50 cash to top up their card at Opal retailers.

• Top up using your debit or credit card at around 100 top-up machines at train stations, Circular

Quay wharf and Bondi Junction bus interchange.

• Around 2,000 Opal retail stores can be found at or close to major public transport stations and

• There is also an easy-to-use map at www.retailers.opal.com.au or customers can call the Opal

Customer Care line to find their closest retailer.

• Customers can easily and conveniently top up their Opal card over the phone 13 67 25 (13 OPAL)

or at www.opal.com.au, at any time of the week with a credit or debit card.

• Customers can also set their Opal card to auto top up if they wish, by linking their Opal card to a

credit or debit card, and it’s just like having an e-tag in their pocket.

Fact Sheet for tickets

Paper tickets being withdrawn from sale from 1 January 2016

MyTrain 1-5 MyBus 1-3

• Child Off-Peak Return

• Child Weekly

• Child Fortnightly

• Concession Weekly

• Concession Fortnightly

Light Rail (Zones 1 and 2) MyMulti 1-3

• Adult Day Pass

• Adult Weekly

• Concession Day Pass

• Family Day Pass

MyFerry 1-2 • Concession 7 Day

• Concession TravelTen

Link Tickets Airport

• Adult Single TramLink

• Adult Return TramLink

• Adult Single Bondi Beach

• Adult Return Bondi Beach

• Adult Single Moore Park

• Adult Return Moore Park

• Child Single TramLink

• Child Return TramLink

• Child Off Peak Return TramLink

• Child Single Bondi Beach

• Child Return Bondi Beach

• Child Off Peak Return Bondi Beach

• Child Single Moore Park

• Child Return Moore Park

• Concession Single TramLink

• Concession Return TramLink

• Concession Single Bondi Beach

• Concession Return Bondi Beach

• Concession Single Moore Park

• Concession Return Moore Park

• Adult TravelTen

• Concession TravelTen

PET / Family

• Pensioner Excursion Ticket (PET)

• Family Funday Sunday

• Adult Day Pass

• Adult 7 Day

• Child Day Pass

• Child 7 Day

• Concession Day Pass

• Adult 7 Day Airport Gate Pass

• Child 7 Day Airport Gate Pass

• Concession 7 Day Airport Gate Pass

Bundled Tickets

• Adult 1 Day Blue Mountains ExplorerLink

• Adult 3 Day Blue Mountains ExplorerLink

• Adult Zoo Pass

• Child 1 Day Blue Mountains ExplorerLink

• Child 3 Day Blue Mountains ExplorerLink

• Child Zoo Pass

• Concession 1 Day Blue Mountains ExplorerLink

• Concession 3 Day Blue Mountains ExplorerLink

• Concession Zoo Pass

• Senior/Pensioner 1 Day Blue Mountains

ExplorerLink

• Family Zoo Pass

Newcastle Buses and Ferries

• Adult TimeTen

• Concession TimeTen

• Concession 4 Hour

Paper tickets still on sale from 1 January 2016

My Train MyBus

• Adult Single

• Adult Return

• Concession Single

• Concession Return

My Ferry Newcastle (bus and ferry)

• Adult Single

• Adult Return

• Concession Single

• Concession Return

Light Rail

• Adult Single

• Adult Return

• Concession Single

• Concession Return OP425 715

• Concession Single

• Adult Single

• 1 Hour Adult Single

• 1 Hour Concession Single