Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) has awarded two contracts for the complete modernisation of Sydney’s ticketing system. The contracts form part of the Opal Next Generation programme, also known as Opal 2.0.
Valued at AUD 820 million (USD 593 million), Opal 2.0 is the most significant project aimed at delivering faster, more affordable and fully integrated journeys across the public transport network. Development of the new system will continue throughout 2026, with the first hardware installations scheduled for 2027. Full completion is expected in 2028.
Following an international procurement process, INIT has been selected to implement the Account-Based Ticketing solution, while Trapeze Group has secured the contract for the bus transport solution.
One of the most significant upgrades will be the installation of digital passenger information screens on 5,000 buses for the first time across the New South Wales public transport network. These screens will display upcoming stops and estimated arrival times, alongside onboard audio announcements.
Authorities have also pledged to eliminate the long-standing issue of “ghost buses”, a frequent complaint among passengers whereby buses appeared on apps and digital maps but never actually arrived at the stop. The new system is expected to significantly improve real-time monitoring and the accuracy of vehicle tracking data.
At the same time, nearly one million passengers eligible for concession fares, including pensioners and seniors, will be able to use contactless technology directly for discounted fares and automatic fare caps.
Weekly fares for adults will be capped at 50 Australian dollars, while children and concession passengers will benefit from a 25-dollar weekly cap. Seniors and pensioners will have a daily cap of just 2.50 dollars, after which all further journeys will be free. In addition, fares on metro, train, bus and light rail services will be 30 per cent cheaper on Fridays, weekends, public holidays and outside peak hours.
As part of the project, 25,000 new Opal validators will be installed across train, metro, bus, light rail and ferry services, replacing equipment that has been in operation for more than a decade and has now reached the end of its lifecycle.
The new Opal 2.0 system will also introduce advanced passenger features, including automatic fare corrections in cases of incorrect charging without the need to contact customer services, personalised travel and fare notifications, as well as digital Opal cards integrated into mobile devices.
The upgrade is intended to simplify public transport for millions of passengers across Sydney and the wider metropolitan area through the introduction of Account-Based Ticketing technology and contactless payments directly via smartphones or bank cards.
Passengers will be able to use different devices for tapping on and tapping off, without needing to use the same phone or card for both actions.
In addition, event-goers will be able to scan QR codes on their tickets to access free public transport services.
Opal 2.0 will deliver a completely new digital ticketing system, a redesigned Opal app, digital travel cards and significantly more accurate real-time passenger information.
The modernisation of Sydney’s ticketing system represents the most extensive transformation of Opal since its introduction 13 years ago. The current system has been used for more than 600 million journeys annually.
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