Railways and Tramways of Australia
Travel and Ticketing
A range of train and tram operators provide services throughout Australia and various ticketing systems are in place. Smart cards are typically used for transport journeys within capital cities. They are reusable plastic cards for travel on public transport journeys, and can be easily kept in a wallet or purse. Smart cards can be registered, enabling lost or stolen cards to be reported and blocked. Cash tickets are also available in most cities, although travel using a smart card is generally cheaper.
Smart card systems for train, tram and light rail services operate in the following capital cities:
-
Sydney: Opal card
-
Melbourne: Myki card
-
Brisbane: Go card
-
Perth: SmartRider card
-
Adelaide: Metrocard
-
Canberra: MyWay card.
All major public transport operators provide websites with timetables, fares and other information. Some websites providing information about train and tram services also include details of other transport modes, such as buses and ferries.
Tickets for long-distance journeys require booking in advance, which is available in person, by telephone or online. Tourist railways typically provide ticket sales immediately prior to the journey, but some can be booked in advance online or by telephone.
Children under the age of five years travel free in Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania, while in New South Wales and Victoria free travel is restricted to children under the age of four years. Concession fares are generally around half the full adult fare, and are available for children, pensioners, seniors, people with disabilities and war veterans. A concession card is usually required to receive a concession fare. Tourist railways typically use the same age and concession eligibility requirements as the urban public transport systems in state capital cities.
Links to interstate and intrastate travel and ticketing information are below.