From today, public transport passengers will enjoy savings when traveling on Fridays, with prices now matching the discounted weekend fares.
As part of the Opal changes that came into effect this week, Friday fares are now slashed by 30% on all metro, train, bus and light rail services across the entire network.
This means a Friday train ride from Parramatta to Central drops from $5.72 to $4.
The Friday travel cap will also be halved, meaning passengers can have unlimited travel on Friday for no more than $8.90, and $4.45 for child/youth and concession passengers. Seniors can still access their $2.50 maximum daily fare.
The new discount is being applauded by Sydney’s business community, with hopes it will encourage people to visit the CBD on Fridays for work, food and drink, shopping, and socialising.
The latest Opal data shows last month there was an average of 480,000 trips into Sydney’s CBD on Fridays across all modes, down 25% compared with September 2019.
Cheaper Fridays are available to all Opal passengers across the network. Daily fare caps will automatically be applied. Passengers using a contactless card or device to pay their fare are reminded to always tap on and tap off with the same card or device for each trip to ensure they unlock the $8.90 all-day travel cap as well as other Opal benefits like transfer discounts.
On Monday 16 October, the annual Opal fare update came into effect, with an average increase of 3.7%, which will see an out-of-pocket difference of around $1 per week.
Visit Transport NSW for more information about Opal fares and fare estimates for multimodal trips.
Transport Minister Jo Haylen said:
“Fairer fare Fridays start today, meaning every weekend will be a long weekend for passengers on the Opal network.”
“Last month there was an average of half a million trips into Sydney’s CBD on Fridays, down 25% on pre-pandemic patronage. We want to see that number grow to enliven our city and deliver a bump to businesses that have been calling for help.
“This this will benefit the 1.9 million commuters who travel across our network on Fridays. With this discount, we hope to see even more passengers tapping into cheaper fares and making public transport their mode of choice.
“No matter where you’re coming from or going to, from Newcastle to the South Coast or Blue Mountains, your travel on the Opal network will be capped at $8.90.”
Minister for Small Business Steve Kamper said:
“This is a great initiative which will provide a much-needed boost for businesses, by encouraging more people to work from the office and kick their weekend off in the CBD.
“We want to see Sydney at it’s vibrant best, and to do that we need to have the customer base to support our fantastic hospitality, retail and tourism businesses.”
Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolaou said:
“Anything that encourages people to come into the city for work, entertainment and retail is a fantastic initiative.
“The many CBD businesses desperate for the return of foot traffic will be among the first to applaud the Friday fare savings. It will certainly help restore Sydney’s mojo.
“We have endured a situation where Sydney has become a 3 days a week city with Mondays and Fridays agonisingly quiet.
“It was always going to take an incentive to encourage workers to come back to the office and the Friday Opal card saving is a great step in that direction.”
Table – Opal fares caps
| Card type | Mon to Thu daily fare cap | Fri to Sun daily fare cap | Weekly fare cap |
|---|---|---|---|
Adult | $17.80 | $8.90 | $50.00 |
Child/Youth | $8.90 | $4.45 | $25.00 |
Concession | $8.90 | $4.45 | $25.00 |
Senior | $2.50 | $2.50 | $25.00 |
