Tickets and Opal
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Opal is your ticket to getting around on public transport.
Keep and reuse it to pay for travel on public transport. Once you have your Opal card, just add value, then tap on and tap off to travel.
If you don’t have an Opal card, you can use a contactless payment card such as an American Express, Visa or Mastercard for the same fare and benefits of an Adult Opal card.
Don’t forget, it is an offence to travel on public transport in NSW without being in possession of a valid ticket. Authorised officers and Transport police regularly check tickets.
Get an Opal card in Newcastle
To get started visit transportnsw.info to order a card or find an Opal retailer in the Newcastle area.
Adult and Child/Youth Opal cards are also available at the Newcastle Transport Hub located at the Newcastle Interchange.
Gold Senior/Pensioner and Concession Opal cards are available to order from Opal and contactless payment benefits transportnsw.info
Opal and contactless payment benefits
There are lots of benefits of using an Opal card, including cheaper fares and daily and weekly fare caps. To learn more visit transportnsw.info
Opal fares
For information about Opal fares visit transportnsw.info
Concession and eligibility
You may be eligible for a concession fare. For information, visit transportnsw.info
Opal Customer Care
Opal cards
Adult
Opal card for Adult aged 16 years and over, full fares
Child/Youth
Children aged 4 – 15 years are entitled to concession fares on public transport in NSW.
Eligible secondary students aged 16 years and older also pay concession fares with their proof of entitlement card.
Children aged 3 years and under travel free on public transport.
School
The School Opal card is for eligible primary and secondary school students and provides free or concession travel on public transport between home and school.
Senior/Pensioner
If you have a Seniors Card or Pensioner Concession Card issued by any Australian state or territory, or NSW War Widower/ers Card, you are entitled to concession fares on public transport in NSW. You are also entitled to concession fares if you’re an eligible asylum seeker. You must carry your proof of entitlement when travelling on a concession fare or you may be fined.
Concession
If you are an eligible NSW tertiary student, apprentice, trainee or jobseeker you are entitled to certain concession fares on public transport in NSW. When travelling on a concession fare, you must carry your proof of entitlement card or you may be fined.
Free
If you have a Vision Impaired Person’s Travel Pass, you are entitled to free travel on public transport in NSW. Your attendant may also travel free if your Vision Impaired Person’s travel pass is endorsed Plus attendant. Ex defence with service-related disabilities as well as war widows and widowers are also entitled to a range of free or concession travel.
Single
Opal single trip tickets are single-use tickets for ferry trips. You must tap on and tap off when travelling with an Opal single trip ticket
Opal single bus ticket are tickets that you can purchase from the driver on board the bus. Customers do not need to tap on or tap off with Opal single bus ticket. Opal single bus tickets are not available on pre-pay services.
It is an offence to travel on public transport in NSW without being in possession of a valid ticket.
Newcastle Transport authorised officers are out and about on buses, ferries and light rail. The new team, based here in Newcastle, are ready to help customers. If you see them during your travels, don’t hesitate to ask them for assistance with your journey or ask any public transport questions.
As well as providing travel assistance, they are checking tickets and educating customers about the importance of always travelling with a valid ticket.
If everyone pays the correct fare, it benefits the whole community as money can be spent on extra services and new infrastructure.
Newcastle Transport authorised officers and NSW Police officers are responsible for ensuring ticketing compliance and patrolling public transport. They have the right to ask to see your ticket and concession entitlement at any time. They carry Opal card readers to check your balance, recent transaction history and the card type (e.g. Adult, Senior/Pensioner, Concession or Child/Youth).
You must carry your Concession Card when travelling on a concession fare as proof of entitlement or you may be fined.
Depending on the circumstances, they have the authority to issue an official caution. While this does not require the payment of a penalty notice, your details will be recorded and a penalty notice may be issued if you are found to be committing a similar offence in the future.
If you are caught travelling without a valid ticket, not paying the correct fare or travelling using a concession ticket without being in possession of your proof of entitlement card, you may be issued with a fine of $200 (Maximum $550).
Official cautions and penalty notices are either sent by mail to your residential address, or issued on the spot.