At a glance
- How to pay
- Tap on and tap off with an Opal card, a Visa, Mastercard or American Express card, or a linked device
- Light rail and bus adult fare
- $3.30 for 0 to 3 km at peak, $2.31 off-peak
- Stockton ferry adult fare
- $3.30 at peak, $2.31 off-peak
- Daily cap (adult)
- $19.30 Monday to Thursday; $9.65 on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays
- Weekly cap (adult)
- $50
- Light rail hours
- 5am to 1am, seven days a week
- Help
- Transport Information line 131 500
To travel on Newcastle Transport light rail, buses and the Stockton ferry you tap on and tap off with an Opal card, or with a Visa, Mastercard or American Express credit or debit card or a linked device, and the adult fare for 0 to 3 km is $3.30 at peak and $2.31 off-peak, as of October 2026. Opal single tickets are the back-up option and cost more.
Newcastle Transport is the integrated service that runs buses, ferries and light rail in Newcastle. According to its FAQs, it covers the Newcastle local government area, Newcastle Harbour and the eastern part of Lake Macquarie between Adamstown Heights and Swansea Heads. Fares are set by Transport for NSW, so the figures below come from the Transport for NSW adult Opal fares page, and Newcastle Transport sends customers to transportnsw.info for fare information.
How do I pay on light rail, buses and the ferry?
Newcastle Transport’s Tickets and Opal page gives you two ways to pay a normal adult fare:
- An Opal card: add value, then tap on and tap off. You keep and reuse the card.
- A contactless payment card, such as an American Express, Visa or Mastercard, or a linked device. It gets the same fare and benefits as an Adult Opal card.
Adult and Child/Youth Opal cards are also sold at the Newcastle Transport Hub at Newcastle Interchange. Gold Senior/Pensioner and Concession Opal cards are ordered through transportnsw.info. The Newcastle Transport page also says you can find an Opal retailer in the Newcastle area through that site.
If you use a contactless card or device, Transport for NSW says to use the same card or device for all your travel in the week so your trips are added together for the caps. It also says to keep cards apart in your wallet when you tap, so the card you want is the one that is charged.
How much does a trip cost?
Transport for NSW lists light rail and bus fares by distance. The adult fares for light rail and for buses are the same in its tables:
| Distance | Adult peak fare | Adult off-peak fare |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 3 km | $3.30 | $2.31 |
| 3 to 8 km | $4.49 | $3.14 |
| 8+ km | $5.77 | $4.03 |
Newcastle light rail runs from Newcastle Interchange in Wickham to Newcastle Beach, with six stops. Transport for NSW’s tables do not name Newcastle routes, so use the Trip Planner or the Opal Travel app to check the fare before you travel.
What is peak and off-peak?
Transport for NSW gives a 30% discount on bus and light rail fares on Fridays, weekends and public holidays, and outside peak times Monday to Thursday. Peak times for bus and light rail are Monday to Thursday (excluding public holidays), 6:30am to 10am and 3pm to 7pm. Your fare is worked out from the time you tap on, and there is no off-peak discount with an Opal single ticket.
What about the Stockton ferry?
Transport for NSW lists the Newcastle Stockton ferry for 0 to 3 km at $3.30 ($2.31 off-peak) for an adult. The Newcastle Transport FAQs say the ferry runs between Stockton and Queens Wharf seven days a week. The hours on the Using public transport page are:
| Day | Ferry hours |
|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | 5am to 11pm |
| Friday | 5am to midnight |
| Saturday | 5:30am to midnight |
| Sunday | 8:45am to 10pm |
On late Friday and Saturday nights, bus route 55N runs between Queens Wharf and Stockton. You can also buy an Opal single trip ticket on board the ferry, at $4.00 for an adult and $2.00 for a child or youth.
How do the daily and weekly caps work?
You can travel as much as you like on metro, train, bus, ferry and light rail services in the Opal network and pay no more than the cap. Transport for NSW’s Opal benefits page lists:
| Fare type | Monday to Thursday | Friday, Saturday, Sunday, public holidays | Whole week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | $19.30 | $9.65 | $50 |
| Child/Youth and Concession | $9.65 | $4.80 | $25 |
| Gold Senior/Pensioner | $2.50 | $2.50 | $17.50 |
The Opal week runs from Monday to Sunday. The Opal day starts at 4am and ends at 3:59am the next day. Even after you reach a cap, you still have to tap on and tap off for every trip to have a valid ticket.
Is there a discount for changing between modes?
Yes. Transport for NSW applies a $2 discount to adult fares ($1 for Child/Youth, Concession and Senior/Pensioner fares) when you switch between metro or train, ferry, bus or light rail within 60 minutes of your last tap-off, as part of one journey. Newcastle Transport says the same about light rail: transferring within 60 minutes of tapping off a train, bus or ferry makes you eligible for the Opal Transfer Discount. If you make several light rail trips, tap on within 60 minutes of tapping off from your last trip and the trips are charged as one fare.
What if I forget to tap off?
Transport for NSW’s tapping on and off page says that if you forget to tap on or tap off with the same card or device, you are charged the default fare, which is the maximum possible fare for that service. You miss out on Opal benefits and could be fined for travelling without a valid ticket. You never pay more than the daily cap. If an Opal reader was not working and you were charged wrongly, you can apply for a fare adjustment.
If you change your mind about travelling, you can reverse your tap on by tapping the same card or device at the same stop. For light rail the window is 15 minutes, and for ferry it is 30 minutes. It is not possible once a bus has left the stop.
How much balance do I need on an Opal card?
To tap on with an Opal card you need enough balance to cover the shortest trip on that mode. Transport for NSW lists these minimums for adult fares:
| Mode | Adult minimum balance |
|---|---|
| Bus | $3.30 ($2.31 off-peak) |
| Light rail | $3.30 ($2.31 off-peak) |
| Ferry | $7.35 |
With less than the minimum you are not travelling on a valid ticket and may be fined. The Newcastle Stockton ferry has its own 0 to 3 km fare in the fare table above, so check the Opal reader at the wharf if you are unsure.
Can I buy a ticket on the platform?
You can buy Opal single trip tickets from ticket machines on Newcastle light rail platforms. Newcastle Transport says single trip tickets cost more than an Opal card fare and do not give any Opal benefits. For light rail, the Transport for NSW single trip fares for adults are $4.00 for 0 to 3 km, $5.40 for 3 to 8 km and $6.90 for 8 km and over. Child/Youth single trip fares are $2.00, $2.70 and $3.40 for the same bands. You cannot break your journey or get a return with a single ticket, and tickets are valid on the day of purchase until 4am the next day.
On buses, Newcastle Transport says Opal single bus tickets can be bought from the driver, and you do not tap on or off with them. They are not available on pre-pay services.
Who pays a concession or child fare?
Newcastle Transport’s Opal page sets out who is eligible:
- Children aged 3 and under travel free.
- Children aged 4 to 15 pay concession fares in NSW, as do eligible secondary students aged 16 and over who carry their proof of entitlement card.
- Seniors Card, Pensioner Concession Card and NSW War Widower/ers Card holders are entitled to concession fares and must carry proof of entitlement.
- Eligible NSW tertiary students, apprentices, trainees and jobseekers are entitled to certain concession fares and must carry proof of entitlement.
Transport for NSW says concession entitlements must be linked to your contactless payment card before you tap on to get the discounted fare. Some concession fares cannot use contactless payments, such as seniors living outside NSW and the ACT, and Free Travel Opal fares. Those need an Opal card.
What can I bring on board?
- Light rail: standard bicycles are not allowed for safety reasons, but fold-up bicycles are permitted. Surfboards travel free at any time and go in the surfboard racks in each carriage.
- Buses: bicycles cannot be taken on board. Surfboards can be taken, although the driver may refuse if the service is at capacity.
- Stockton ferry: bicycles and surfboards are permitted and there are special storage areas. The crew can refuse a bike if there is a safety concern or not enough room.
- Pets: they may travel on light rail, buses and ferries if confined in a box, basket or other container, and permission is still required from staff or the bus driver. Approved assistance animals are allowed.
When do services run?
Newcastle light rail is a turn-up-and-go service from 5am to 1am, seven days a week. Newcastle Transport’s site says bus and light rail timetables changed from 11 October, so check the current timetable or the Trip Planner before you go. Late on Friday and Saturday nights, NightOwl buses run after midnight on routes 11, 12, 13, 14 and 55N, which accept Opal cards.
For help planning a trip, call the Transport Information line on 131 500 or visit the Newcastle Transport Hub at Newcastle Interchange between 9am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. Newcastle Transport authorised officers check tickets on buses, ferries and light rail, and travelling without a valid ticket can lead to a fine.
Sources
- Newcastle Transport — Tickets and Opal (checked 19 October 2026)
- Newcastle Transport — Light rail
- Newcastle Transport — Using public transport
- Newcastle Transport — FAQs
- Transport for NSW — Adult Opal fares
- Transport for NSW — Opal benefits
- Transport for NSW — Opal peak and off-peak fares
- Transport for NSW — Opal single tickets
- Transport for NSW — Tapping on and tapping off
Featured image: Newcastle Beach light rail stop (photo: Marcnut1996 / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Newcastle Transport or Transport for NSW. Fares and conditions can change; check the official pages above and the Opal reader before you travel.