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[NSW] Free Train and Metro on Travel Sydney Trains, Airport Link, Sydney Metro and NSW TrainLink on 21/9 & 22/9 @ NSW Transport

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[NSW] Free Train and Metro on Travel Sydney Trains, Airport Link, Sydney Metro and NSW TrainLink on 21/9 & 22/9 @ NSW Transport
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GoIdDigger on 19/09/2024 - 18:52 transportnsw.info (2285 clicks)
Last edited 23/09/2024 - 09:07 by 2 other users

Travel will be free on all train and metro services operated by Sydney Trains, Airport Link, Sydney Metro and NSW TrainLink booked services this weekend

From 11pm Friday 20 September to 1am Monday 23 September 2024:

Travel will be free on all train and metro services in NSW.
You will not be required to tap on or tap off for any train or metro service.
Opal gates and readers will be turned off at stations during the fare free period.

The fare free weekend includes Airport Link and gates at Airport Line stations (Domestic and International).

The NSW Minister for Transport, Jo Haylen, just announced free rail travel this weekend (21-22 September) on the Opal Network in NSW. The only place this seems to have been published is on ol’ mate’s LinkedIn. That’s official enough for me.

Airport fees will still apply, as always.

Source: Jo Haylen, NSW Minister for Transport, LinkedIn

We know rail travel could be a challenge as a result of industrial action.

So this weekend, we’re making all rail travel free.

Travel Public Transport Train Fare

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Transport for NSW
Transport for NSW

closed Comments

    • GoIdDigger on 19/09/2024 - 18:55

      Much appreciated!

    • MadMax1972 on 20/09/2024 - 09:03

      I cannot find anything that says Opal cards are required. And the radio just said the gates will be open…

  • Averell on 19/09/2024 - 18:57
    +2

    Does this include regional services?
    Thanks

    • Luigy on 19/09/2024 - 19:25

      I'm wondering this as well

      • M00Cow on 20/09/2024 - 07:20
        +1

        They pretend around election time.

        • U30004 on 20/09/2024 - 08:07

          thats fine

  • slimsnorlax on 19/09/2024 - 18:58
    +19

    and abc to avoid SMH paywall
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-19/nsw-sydney-trains-nsw…

  • duodeta on 19/09/2024 - 19:00
    +11

    Where do we go at weekends?! Make it Monday to Friday!

    • tonyjzx on 19/09/2024 - 19:02
      +29

      what do you think this is? queensland?

      oh right they still pay 50c

    • Onemoredeal on 19/09/2024 - 19:21
      +2

      Think of all the service workers and first responders that do shift work

    • Embaloo on 19/09/2024 - 20:26
      +5

      Whats on in Sydney this weekend:

      • Love Sydney Walk for life protest march, 2pm, Hyde park
      • Mid autumn moon-cake festival film screenings, world square 3:30pm onwards
      • Sister act production, capitol theatre, 7:30pm (not free)
      • Little Sydney Lives photography exhibition, Customs House, all day

      Or head west and take a trip to Leura or Katoomba

      • morse on 20/09/2024 - 04:51
        +7

        Love Sydney Walk for Life

        Is a pretty convoluted way of saying “anti abortion rally”

        • M00Cow on 20/09/2024 - 07:22

          do I have to wear a ear bandaid?

          • morse on 20/09/2024 - 09:41
            +8

            @1st-Amendment: You don’t know what my views are.

            But if the comment read like this instead:

            Whats on in Sydney this weekend:
            Anti abortion protest march, 2pm, Hyde park
            Mid autumn moon-cake festival film screenings, world square 3:30pm onwards
            Sister act production, capitol theatre, 7:30pm (not free)
            Little Sydney Lives photography exhibition, Customs House, all day

            It would be more transparent. Also super weird thing to put at the top of the list of things to do in Sydney for a general audience. I doubt it will feature on Sydney tourism page.

            • 1st-Amendment on 20/09/2024 - 14:10
              -1

              @morse:

              But if the comment read like this instead:

              So rather than the event organiser labelling their own event, you think you should do it for them? This is your argument?

              You don’t know what my views are.

              The fact you you only cherry picked only one event to re-name says everything…

            • M00Cow on 20/09/2024 - 14:41
              +1

              @morse:

              It would be more transparent

              to be fair, the username is fairly transparent, importing US ideology.

      • Ozb101 on 20/09/2024 - 06:14
        +2

        Change Leura for Lakemba bro

      • MrLeE on 20/09/2024 - 09:12

        Magic: the Gathering Pre Release for Duskmorne!

    • neoleo on 21/09/2024 - 00:19
      +1

      Other events in Sydney that may interest you all this Saturday with this free train:
      * Oz Comic-Con Sydney 2024 (paid)
      * Tulip Time 2024 in Corbett Gardens, Bowral, NSW (paid)
      * Orange Blossom Festival Parade, from 11 am (free)
      * Sydney Streets in Haymarket, City (free)

      Enjoy :)

  • zbc on 19/09/2024 - 19:05
    +4

    Trains only. Not buses, ferries, light rail etc. Dunno about Metro.

    • jjsu on 19/09/2024 - 19:31
      +3

      What if I take the Metro and then the train for travel?

      Does that mean I get charged the max fare for the Metro service as I can't tap off at the train station for the end of my journey?

      • dottydotdot on 20/09/2024 - 08:51

        Isn't there a tap on/off station as soon as you alight from the Metro?

        I need to go try out the Metro…..

      • test8888 on 20/09/2024 - 11:44

        I recall last free travel all gates were open both metro and train

    • impoze on 19/09/2024 - 23:10
      +2

      But metro is a train

      • 1st-Amendment on 20/09/2024 - 08:44
        -1

        But metro is a train

        Depends on your definition. In NSW we have five categories of passenger rail:
        Sydney Trains - the original 'heavy' trains servicing Sydney. Slow, old, clunky, unionised, prone to industrial action
        Intercity Trains - trains that operate between major towns/cities eg Sydney to Newcastle, Sydney to Wollongong etc mostly an extension of Sydney Trains
        Rural & Regional - trains that go out to more remote areas and interstate, generally slower less frequent services with a different ticketing system
        Light Rail - Trams
        Metro - Rapid and frequent city trains, automated and so frequent they don't need a timetable. Automation means better, faster, more reliable and are much more difficult for unions to interfere with.

    • lint on 20/09/2024 - 11:02

      Announce free rail travel but then it doesn't include light rail? Scam!

    • ozfinder11 on 20/09/2024 - 11:42

      Bit of a rort it's only trains/metro free! Fares on weekend are $9.50 weekend anyway.. my bus to the train station will cost me $3.40 and then on way home just a bus, $4.36 to a different location… so not free for me even though we will all be inconvenienced… crowded buses, delayed buses, etc.

    • cyssero on 19/09/2024 - 19:18

      Perhaps we should shut the entire rail network down for a day?

      • tonyjzx on 19/09/2024 - 19:20
        +1

        sydboy shares his thoughts

        what's happened is that they are in battle with the unions and so they are at deadlock so to avoid a strike they're just doing a weekend of free fairs

        which is ultimately just heading things off at the pass

      • billyb67 on 20/09/2024 - 07:28

        Considering they're giving us free travel, you can almost guarantee half the network will be down anyway.

  • ChickenDinner123 on 19/09/2024 - 19:19
    -1

    Gee..thanks

  • Luigy on 19/09/2024 - 19:22

    So how does this work exactly, open turnstiles or…? Am in northern Sydney for work so might as well check out a few places

    • Azro on 19/09/2024 - 19:28
      +1

      Gates will be closed as usual. Opal card go through gates for free. Credit cards pay full fare. This is how I understand it.

      • deeevan on 19/09/2024 - 19:42
        +2

        Time to find my Opal card

      • Luigy on 19/09/2024 - 19:45
        -3

        Not a sydney local so no Opal card unfortunately. Crap.

        Oh well guess I'll buy one and keep the 20 bucks on it, hope to come back in the next 12 years before it expires…

        • Azro on 19/09/2024 - 19:47
          -1

          Risking $20 to save $10?

        • pennypincher98 on 19/09/2024 - 19:48
          +1

          Well just saying you can transfer money between Opal cards quite easily - do with that information what you will (it will block the former though).

      • noren7 on 20/09/2024 - 07:21
        +1

        Credit/debit cards have the same benefits and fares and Opal cards as of a while ago, so I’m not sure about this

      • M00Cow on 20/09/2024 - 07:24

        really? that's cheeky.

      • jojoj on 20/09/2024 - 09:41
        +1

        Previous fare free days always treated Opal and credit cards the same. There’s no reason to think this would be different.

        • Azro on 20/09/2024 - 11:16
          -1

          That was my assumption based on "Opal card required" in the title.

  • Eliminator on 19/09/2024 - 19:36
    -1

    Wtf on a weekend only!!!

  • ilovefullprice on 19/09/2024 - 19:41
    +2

    If it’s free why do we need the Opal card?

  • pennypincher98 on 19/09/2024 - 19:43
    +14

    LOL this is genius - a lot of people will have reached their weekly cap already by the weekend and the metro is down between Tallawong and Chatswood all weekend (replacement bus).

    • U30004 on 19/09/2024 - 20:08
      +1

      Thanks for the insight

    • FutureTech on 19/09/2024 - 20:33
      -7

      There's no weekly cap anymore

      • Azro on 19/09/2024 - 22:26
        +2

        There is, $50 weekly cap.

    • impoze on 19/09/2024 - 23:10

      Oh no metro this weekend either

  • bargainatoraah on 19/09/2024 - 19:46
    +16

    Of course airport scam keeps scamming

    • ninjalot on 19/09/2024 - 20:19

      Such a joke right. If I'm just with carry-on I walk from Mascot to the domestic terminal, doable in about 20 mins!

      • slimsnorlax on 19/09/2024 - 20:39
        +11

        You can take the bus 420 and skip the airport surcharge

        • QuarterPounder2000 on 19/09/2024 - 22:03
          +4

          I always use the 420 bus when going to or from the airport.
          Costs me a few bucks each way including the train to home on my Opal card.
          Be warned there are usually ticket inspectors at the international terminal if you're heading to Rockdale station.

          • neonlight on 22/09/2024 - 14:13
            -1

            @QuarterPounder2000: True the only catch is getting to Burwood bus stop first which can be a hike for some people needing to yet taking train to Burwood first

      • Averell on 19/09/2024 - 22:40
        +1

        take 420 bus. During off-peak, it would cost you 20 cents, and around $1.1 during peak hours

    • Luigy on 19/09/2024 - 21:22

      Airport line has trackwork this weekend anyway…figures

  • Windows7forever on 19/09/2024 - 19:47
    +3

    Thanks. They have definitely flew this one under the radar. I will try and use this weekend.

  • U30004 on 19/09/2024 - 20:07
    +5

    Free train to jb hifi to get telstra plans

  • timhn on 19/09/2024 - 20:13
    +6

    Free return trips to Blue mountains

    • celinecc on 19/09/2024 - 22:03

      lol good idea

  • Freak00718 on 19/09/2024 - 20:31
    +10

    I think everyone is missing the point here…

    The free travel is on this weekend only to avoid charging customers for the disruptions they are about to face because of the industrial action over the weekend.

    Has nothing to do with being strategic about weekly caps, etc, and this is why it applies only to trains and not other modes of public transport.

    • pennypincher98 on 20/09/2024 - 06:44
      +2

      Industrial action is also happening today, but people actually use the trains today and may not quite have reached their caps yet - so still charging full price.

      The government wants this to be as cheap as possible and are hoping the union (who are wanting 50c fares among other things) don't realise just how little relief this is providing to commuters. It also happens to be the weekend the very line their campaigning against is half shut.

    • M00Cow on 20/09/2024 - 07:50
      +3

      actually the point is it's a headline grabbing announceable.

      Media: Something MUST be done Minister (about the industrial action)
      Minister: Here's something <announces free travel> !
      Transport Dept: WTF!?! we'll need $1m to cover the overtime & extra staff required to achieve this.
      Minister: Whatever it costs, I've got the attention not the unions.

      Actually the minister probably heard the union were set ro turn off Opal Card readers like in 2022 ans thought I can beat them to it & get a poll boost!

      https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/sep/19/union…

    • ozfinder11 on 20/09/2024 - 11:43

      If you catch 2 buses to make connections or avoid the trains, you're paying the same anyway with the weekend cap of $9.35…

    • Freak00718 on 20/09/2024 - 13:19

      It's always going to be a dogfight between the unions and the government.

      Unions want an exorbitant pay rise while wanting fares to be capped at 50c. You can't have both… How do they expect their pay rises to be funded? A similar union fight has happened in the construction industry where everyone got a pay rise and look what that led to… Building costs went through the roof

      Public transport fares in NSW are higher than most places, agreed. But this is to pay off the funds that the government has invested in public transport infrastructure. Some investments have been less than ideal (eg: Sydney light rail) but it's gotta be paid off regardless. Some studies have shown that the fares are not high enough to pay off this debt (plenty of reports done by the Big 4). Places like Singapore, Hong Kong, etc. have lower fares now because they have had projects like the metro for decades so these have all been paid off already.

      Also, keep in mind that the bottom line is that the taxpayer bears the cost of everything so it's about striking the right balance (eg: what is lesser of two evils).

      I'm indifferent to all of the above but there are always two sides to the story. Just my two cents..

      • neonlight on 22/09/2024 - 14:18
        -1

        Don't compare here to Hong Kong or Singapore. Their efficiency and rate of getting things done are 100x better than Australia. They actually are able to make money from public transport due to closer proximity and well planned decades ahead. Unlike the rubbish transport systems here takes several years for one metro line and only considered building one late 2010.

        Also we cannot take any tolerance on trains. Any drop of rain or staff being sick whole network goes down.

        We don't call them shitty rail for nothing

        I recall train was packed like sardines and signal failure caused me stuck in a train carriage on a hot day with no aircon on the Sydney harbour bridge. That's what we call being Aussie here being grilled in an oven.

        You have to experience it first hand to understand

  • jammy2006 on 19/09/2024 - 20:53
    +2

    Wow thanks for the generous offer, except the metro isn't running from my area anyway.

    Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September - Buses replace metro services between Tallawong and Chatswood.

    Even better - Replacement buses may be impacted by driver shortages.

    • GoIdDigger on 19/09/2024 - 20:55

      Dang that’s a shame

    • lachlantula on 19/09/2024 - 21:20

      i was hoping this would stop happening once the extension opened…

      seriously, do any other sydney trainlines go down for a whole weekend semi-often??

      • odysseus on 20/09/2024 - 02:07

        All of them do.

    • M00Cow on 20/09/2024 - 07:30
      +1

      aren't replacement buses free anyway?

      • jammy2006 on 20/09/2024 - 13:38

        Seems like it depends. In any case replacement buses, particularly for metro are a lot slower both in frequency and journey time.

        Customers are required to tap on and tap off from a replacement bus service where Opal readers are available and enabled to ensure they are travelling with a valid ticket. Transport makes every effort to ensure Opal enabled buses are used for planned trackwork and replacement services to ensure customers are charged correctly for their end-to-end multimodal journeys.

    • CL123 on 20/09/2024 - 10:07

      Where did you read or see this? That is the route I was thinking of trying out this weekend of free travel.
      I wonder if the replacement buses will be free then to try the Metro from Chatswood into the city?

  • gungirlyuna on 19/09/2024 - 21:36

    Does this mean don’t tap or you tap but it is free

    • elgrande on 19/09/2024 - 22:07

      Tap but free

      • kaikor on 20/09/2024 - 08:46
        -2

        Only with Opal cards, someone mentioned above if you use your credit card, will get charged as normal

        • AndyRates on 20/09/2024 - 16:28

          Called service NSW. It's all turnstiles open so do not tap on and off. It's free regardless

  • megadeth on 19/09/2024 - 22:03

    even airport line is closed. I'm catching a red eye flight to Sydney on Sat, and the trip just got extended by 2h at least… thanks minister for being so generous…

  • Wt133 on 19/09/2024 - 23:06
    +2

    The metro isn’t even running this weekend it’s supposed to be rail replacement buses

    • billyb67 on 20/09/2024 - 07:31

      That's exactly why they offered it. They know it's useless.

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