There’s nothing worse than running late for your train, only to discover that you don’t have enough funds to make it through the turnstiles, and you have to watch as your trains pulls away from the station while you fumble around with the Opal app or Opal ticket machine to top up. Or worse, by a single ride ticket because you forgot your opal card altogether.
It seems Sydney Rail has seen our distress and have come up with a solution. From this day forward you will be able to tap on and off all Sydney metro trains using a credit or debit card, or your smartphone if you have electronic payments enabled on it.
No card? No worries.
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If you’re thinking this news has come a little late, because you’ve seen contactless payments at certain ferries and light rail services throughout Sydney, that’s because the technology has only just been extended to the train network.
You can use any Visa, Mastercard, or AMEX card to tap on at a train station, and you’ll still receive the same daily, weekly, and Sunday travel caps that standard Opal cardholders currently have. However, you won’t have access to weekly travel discounts, concessions and transfer discounts if you tap on with a bank card, credit card or mobile.
Laura BarryLaura Barry is a writer, bookworm and interior design enthusiast with a love for reporting on all things homes, travel and lifestyle. When not tapping away at her keyboard, Laura can be found making endless cups of tea or perusing the shelves of Sydney’s many bookstores.
