Opal - E-ticketing - fares discussion etc.

[Jonno]

The readers are very legible compared to the good ol Go Card readers.   Plus loud beep. Oh Dear Reader Envy!!!

[Gazza]

I wonder if cubic could supply those models to the GCLRT?

[boxe]

They are in a playlist now because it has been finalised.

[ozbob]

http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/opal/fare-information

Fare information

The following fare information is relevant to customers travelling on the Neutral Bay ferry route during the Opal card customer trial.

Only adult Opal cards are being issued during this stage of the Customer Trial therefore all information covers only adult fares.

The Opal card single adult ferry fare is $5.60.

Weekly Travel Reward

The Opal card has a weekly Travel Reward after eight  paid journeys, which means that after eight  paid journeys in a week*, all journeys after that will be free to customers.

* The Opal week runs from Monday to Sunday for the purposes of fare calculation.
Example:

Currently you might be using a MyFerry TravelTen costing $44.80 (from January 6, 2013 this fare increases to $46.40) to travel to and from work, Monday to Friday.

If you use an Opal card instead, and still make at least eight paid journeys in the week, from Monday to Thursday for example, you will pay $44.80 and you can continue making unlimited further journeys on Friday and at the weekend for free.
$2.50 Sunday Daily Travel Cap

Travel on Sunday as much as you want on the Neutral Bay ferry and the most you will pay for the day is $2.50.

[ozbob]

http://opal.com.au/  now active ... will the the main site later this year ...

[ozbob]

From the Sydney Morning Herald click here!

Opal card goes east for train travellers

Opal card goes east for train travellers
February 12, 2013 Jacob Saulwick

TRAIN commuters on Sydney's eastern suburbs line will be the first to use the city's new Opal public transport card from the middle of this year.

The eastern suburbs line, running between Bondi Junction and the city, was chosen as the first train route to use the card because it is relatively contained.

Commuters will initially be able to use the card to get on and off at any station on the city circle and on the eastern suburbs line, but not beyond.

The tap on/off terminal at the Neutral Bay Wharf. NSW Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian announced today the trail of the new electronic ticketing system and revealed the Opal card. 25th November, 2012.

The philosophy behind starting the trial on a narrow section of the train network is the same as the thinking behind trialling the Opal card on one ferry route - the Neutral Bay service - which started late last year.

Since the ferry trial began in November, 533 commuters have signed up to use the card, modelled on London's Oyster card.

In the week to January 21, card readers on the Neutral Bay route recorded 482 journeys.

''We are seeing the benefits of a small, controlled trial and progressive roll out - one of the reasons the Neutral Bay route was chosen,'' a spokesman for Transport for NSW said.

''For example, we have been able to contact customers when they forget to tap off,'' the spokesman said.

''It's also clear ... that most customers who interchange onto other modes are likely to wait until Opal is available on that mode before they use it.''

Manly is the next ferry route to gain access to the Opal, which should be in place across all trains, buses and ferries by the end of 2014.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/opal-card-goes-east-for-train-travellers-20130211-2e8vi.html

[somebody]

Meanwhile Auckland's plans are to have the full system implemented in that time in spite of starting only a few months before the restarted effort in NSW.

Oh the shame - far behind Auckland.

[ozbob]

... ''For example, we have been able to contact customers when they forget to tap off,'' the spokesman said ...

 

[SurfRail]

I suspect this might have happened with the Redcliffe and Sunshine Coast pilots as well.  Watch them abandon it when the control group members are no longer the only ones using it.

[Set in train]

Good news, I will be staying within walking distance of the North Sydney wharf. I'll be popping down to "North Shore Supermarket Shop 1 54 High St North Sydney" to buy a card. http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/opal/top-up-opal-card

Journo friend lives and works on the Eastern Suburbs line, I've had him phoning TfNSW about pricing there, it will be a MyTrain 1 fare, currently $3.60.

[somebody]

Good news, I will be staying within walking distance of the North Sydney wharf. I'll be popping down to "North Shore Supermarket Shop 1 54 High St North Sydney" to buy a card. http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/opal/top-up-opal-card

Journo friend lives and works on the Eastern Suburbs line, I've had him phoning TfNSW about pricing there, it will be a MyTrain 1 fare, currently $3.60.

You realise that opal is only good on the Neutral Bay ferry?

[ozbob]

From the Telegraph click here!

Sydney public transport gets easier with rollout of e-ticket

Sydney public transport gets easier with rollout of e-ticket
CITYRAIL passengers could be using the new Opal Card within two months.

Stations on the Eastern Suburbs Line and City Circle will be the first to get the new technology, with installation of the new electronic system's first readers at Town Hall last week.

The readers will be tested over the coming months before the system goes live with the first passengers to use the cards by July or August at the latest.

"It's like having an e-tag in your pocket and you'll never have to buy a ticket again," said Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian.

Only those passengers whose journey starts and ends at a station with opal readers will be able to use the new ticketing system.

The technology will be progressively rolled out to the remaining 297 stations across the network over the following 18 months.

Pricing for train journeys has yet to be finalised, although one-way trips are expected to be slightly cheaper on the Opal card than paper tickets

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Weekend slog will soon become the new peak hour

[somebody]

New announcement: https://www.opal.com.au/en/fare-information/

No fare integration between modes, but a slight discount as compared to weekly train fares.

Cynics = win
Optimists = lose

[minbrisbane]

Got to be joking!  Not integrated, ffs they might as well have kept the magnetic stripe tickets. 

[ozbob]

Got to be joking!  Not integrated, ffs they might as well have kept the magnetic stripe tickets.

Will be eventually, this is just the next stage of the trial ...

[somebody]

Got to be joking!  Not integrated, ffs they might as well have kept the magnetic stripe tickets.

Will be eventually, this is just the next stage of the trial ...

Says who?

[Golliwog]

Interesting fare scheme with a $15 dollar daily cap. Most notable when it pops up in the Opal vs MyTrain Adult Fares Comparison table for trains rides over 65km. A single trip is $8.10, so with the cap commuters get a discounted return journey at $6.90.

[ozbob]

Got to be joking!  Not integrated, ffs they might as well have kept the magnetic stripe tickets.

Will be eventually, this is just the next stage of the trial ...

Says who?

http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/opal/faqs

What is the difference between a Customer Trial and full implementation of the Opal card?

The Customer Trial will have limited functionality and limited route availability.

Different features of the Opal card and its accompanying services will become available as the Customer Trial progresses. This allows feedback to be gathered and will help to improve the system.

The full potential of the new electronic ticketing system, especially the ability to travel across ferries, trains, buses and light rail on the Opal card, will arrive progressively.

[somebody]

I'd read that as an integrated ticket rather than an integrated fare.  It isn't clear though.

[ozbob]

http://cts.cubic.com/en-us/customers/australasia/casestudysydney.aspx

[ozbob]

Opal will be integrated, how that will be achieved is the question?

I expect more details as it develops.

[somebody]

I don't see how the Cubic link clarifies anything.

Opal will be an integrated ticket.  Doesn't make it an integrated fare.

[ozbob]

Yes, it is not clear on that point, fare integration, although I would be surprised if it isn't.  The link clearly says it will be an integrated ticket system which is the query made by jon.  They might just stick to a distance system and when you reach a cap it will give free travel on all modes any way.

They have the MyMulti's, guess they might  replicate those ... http://www.cityrail.info/tickets/which/mymulti

It is based on the Oyster, so anything is possible.  My guess is they still don't really know yet what they are going to do .. lol

[ozbob]

Opal Card Train Customer Rollout Maps

[somebody]

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/06/13/3780827.htm?site=sydney

Gladys takes your questions for 27 minutes on ABC 702.  A bit after the 10 minute mark she actually promises fare integration but unfortunately no one challenges the point that it isn't being provided with train/ferry trips next week.

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Commuters learn the tap dance as Opal trial leaves the station

[ozbob]

Twitter

Malcolm Turnbull ‏@TurnbullMalcolm 47m

Very happy using my new Opal card on the train today. Long overdue and great credit to Gladys Berejiklian for making it happen

[ozbob]

SecureIDNews --> Cubic announces 10,000 Opal cards milestone for Sydney

[ozbob]

Opal Card begins on all Sydney Ferries services east of the Harbour Bridge

--> http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/opal-card-begins-all-sydney-ferries-services-east-harbour-bridge

[ozbob]

The Telegraph --> Ferries to go Opal by the end of this week

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Ticketless to ride: more commuters get a chance to tap into the Opal smartcard

[ozbob]

Mass Transit --> Australia: Cubic Completes Opal Card Rollout on Sydney Ferries Network Four Months Early

[ozbob]

Cubic --> Cubic Completes Opal Card Rollout on Sydney Ferries Network Four Months Early

[ozbob]

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow

PT fact of the day: Sydney Opal 1st bus trial: Routes 594-594H North Turramurra or Hornsby - City from 30 Sep http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/opal  #ptfact

[ozbob]

 

Sydney Morning Herald --> Opal smartcard debuts on Sydney buses

... But the free "transfers" between buses will not extend to trains or ferries. For instance, the fastest way to travel from Bondi Beach to Town Hall in peak hour is to catch a bus to Kings Cross Station and then change to a train.

Under the Opal system, anyone doing this will continue to have to pay two fares.

"We believe that customers should pay for the mode they are using," Ms Berejiklian said.

"We don't think it's fare that train and bus customers should subsidise ferry customers, for example. There are many systems around the world, some do it the way we do it, others have chosen to have a flat fare for every single mode. But we don't think that's fair."

Bus commuters will continue to have to "tap on" at the front door of a bus.

But in a change from current practice, they will then have to "tap off"' at the end of a trip. If someone forgets to tap off, they will be charged the maximum fare for that bus route.

"I do want to remind customers that no matter what mode of transport you are using, you have to remember to tap on and off," Ms Berejiklian said. "I do want to stress that ..."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/opal-smartcard-debuts-on-sydney-buses-20130926-2ufpj.html

[ozbob]

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow 40s

Opal smartcard ... Sydney buses http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/opal-smartcard-debuts-on-sydney-buses-20130926-2ufpj.html ... Idiots!! By not mode integrating their smart card setting up for failure #nswpol

[ozbob]

Twitter

Daniel Bowen ‏@danielbowen

NSW transport minister specifically rejects free multimodal transfers. Madness. http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/opal-smartcard-debuts-on-sydney-buses-20130926-2ufpj.html ... Ping @humantransit ,via @JakeSaulwick

[STB]

Le derp!  What is it with Sydney and their phobia to have proper integrated ticketing?  Yes they do have the My Multi ticketing product, but ideally that should be the ONLY ticketing product, none of this My Bus, My Train etc business!   They have the chance to get the integration right with the Opal, here's hoping as the installation and testing progresses they integrate the ticketing so you don't have to pay twice.

[verbatim9]

Edgecliff to Glebe Train/Bus, The Rocks to Camperdown new proposed Tram/Bus, Belrose Business Park to Hornsby Bus/Train all multi modes and the fastest way to and from destination on PT. This will make an expensive trip. Good revenue raising for the government though! I guess it doesn't really matter if you are a regular user throughout the week and make more than 8 trips then its free so you can rack up 8 trips quite easily changing modes if that works. Just a Edgecliff to Glebe return must calculate out to be 4 trips as transfers are not included. 2 trips from Edgecliff to Glebe return in a week then equates to 8 trips. Then Free

Whoops you have to break the journey in-between and wait 60mins
Transferring between different modes of transport

If you transfer between a bus, train, or ferry service, your Opal fare will be calculated separately for your train trip and your ferry trip. If your transfer is completed within 60 minutes, this is considered to be one journey for the purposes of the Weekly Travel Reward.