The 48 hours of free train travel offered by the NSW Government as a way of making up for extensive disruptions has been extended to 6am Saturday, and will include regional travel.
The initiative, which will see an estimated 2.2 million people ride for free, includes NSW TrainLink services to destinations such as Brisbane and Melbourne, with Regional Transport Minister Jenny Aitchison urging country residents to take advantage of the offer.
“We encourage our regional passengers to use the rail network over these two days to explore regional NSW,” Ms Aitchison said.
“Fare-free days include regional routes to places like Melbourne and Brisbane. You will need to book in advance, but this is a fantastic opportunity to get out and explore this state and beyond.”
Tickets from the New England to Sydney are sold out on both days, but it is possible to book to locations like Maitland, and then switch to other metropolitan services, or enjoy free travel between local stops.
The 48-hour fare-free period is part of the NSW Government’s response to months of disruption across the rail network prior to a new enterprise agreement being finalised with the rail workforce earlier this month.
From 12:01am Thursday 31 July to 6am Saturday 2 August, no fares will be charged on Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink, Airport Link and Sydney Metro services. Opal gates will remain open or be turned off during this period, and passengers travelling in the early hours of Saturday morning will still ride free.
While commuters are not required to tap on or off, anyone who does and is accidentally charged a fare will have it automatically adjusted to zero within a week. Thos who have already booked ticket travel will also have any fees paid refunded.
Travel on buses, ferries and light rail is not included in the offer and fares will still apply as usual for those services.
Transport Minister John Graham said the fare-free travel was both a thank you to commuters and an economic stimulus measure.
“The gates will be open on Thursday and Friday, and we are inviting people to get out and about on the rail system wherever they are, including a free trip home if they happen to get a train after midnight on Friday,” Mr Graham said.
“This is acknowledgement to the travelling public that months of disruption took its toll, but it is also an invitation to support those businesses who had some lean days.”
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