© Jayden So・Unsplash License

Australia

Sydney

Australia's harbourside gateway. Ferries are part of the commute here, so getting around is sightseeing in itself.

Sydney Trains / NSW TrainLink Intercity

Tap an American Express, Mastercard or Visa contactless card straight on the gate - no Opal card needed. Anything outside those three brands gets refused at the reader as Card Not Valid.

Updated on August 2, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Pick one card to use at the gates
    Choose one card for the gates and keep it apart from your other cards so they cannot be read together.
  2. 2
    Tap on until the reader turns green
    Before you go to the platform, hold your card on the gate reader until the display turns green.
  3. 3
    Tap off again when you get out
    Tap off at the gate when you arrive. Forget it and you are charged the maximum possible fare for that trip.
  4. 4
    Make your transfer within 60 minutes
    Transfers to metro or Intercity trains need no extra tap; switching to another mode within 60 minutes counts as one journey.
  5. 5
    For child fares, buy an Opal card
    Child/Youth fares cannot be paid with a bank card, so buy an Opal card at a shop and load value onto it.
  6. 6
    Check for trackwork before you set out
    Track maintenance mostly happens overnight and at weekends, with buses replacing trains on whole sections - check first.

Fares

Single fares6

Train/Metro 0-10km
Lower is off-peak, upper is the Mon-Thu peak; Fridays, weekends and public holidays are off-peak all day
3.03〜4.33 AUD ≈ $2–3
Train/Metro 10-20km
3.76〜5.38 AUD ≈ $3–4
Train/Metro 20-35km
4.34〜6.2 AUD ≈ $3–4
Train/Metro 35-65km
5.79〜8.28 AUD ≈ $4–6
Train/Metro over 65km
This band covers the long runs out to the Blue Mountains and Newcastle
7.46〜10.66 AUD ≈ $5–8
Opal single trip ticket (by distance)
From station machines only; you cannot break your journey, no return tickets and no off-peak discount
5.2〜12.8 AUD ≈ $4–9

Fare caps2

Daily fare cap (Adult)
$9.65 on Fridays, weekends and public holidays, $19.30 Monday to Thursday; the airport fee sits outside it
9.65〜19.3 AUD ≈ $7–14
Weekly fare cap (Adult)
The Opal week runs Monday to Sunday and resets each Monday
50 AUD ≈ $36

Card itself1

Opal card minimum top up
$20 minimum at shops and machines; $10 only when topping up online or in the app
10〜20 AUD ≈ $7–14

Estimates use exchange rates as of September 5, 2026

An Opal machine at a station: top-ups and paper single tickets. This one is card-only — no cash. Taken Apr 2022 © J03098・CC BY-SA 4.0

Payment

Tap to ride
VISAMastercardAmexDiscoverDinersJCB銀聯
Tap straight on the gate; Adult fares for visitors, same caps and discounts
IC card
The Opal card itself is free - buy at a shop and load $20 to start
Paper tickets
Sold by machines at select stations only - one trip each, no transfers
Cash
Cash at Opal retailers and Service NSW Centres; station machines are card-only

Quick facts

Hours
No trains 00:00-04:30
Fares from
3.03 AUD+

Heads-up

  • Tapping your whole wallet risks a wrong charge or no ticket

    Never tap your whole wallet on the reader. If it detects more than one card you can be charged on the wrong card, billed two maximum default fares, or left with gates that will not open and no valid ticket.

Timetable

Operating hours No trains 00:00-04:30
Typical duration Nine lines meet at Central and run out to the suburbs and the Blue Mountains
Check the official site for the latest times and service status

Route map

9 lines ·160 stations
© OpenStreetMapOpenMapTilesData (ODbL)