MS Gong Ride 2026 by Train: Early Trains From Wollongong From 4:23am, $8 Special Trains Home From Fairy Meadow, No Bikes on Buses (Wollongong, NSW)

This has now finished. The details below applied up to Sunday 1 November 2026 and are kept as a record.

Transport for NSW says trains are the best way to travel with your bike to the MS Gong Ride on Sunday 1 November 2026, with extra South Coast Line trains leaving Wollongong from 4:23am and special event trains from Fairy Meadow to Central every 30 minutes from 9:30am. Bikes cannot go on buses, including rail replacement buses.

Up to 10,000 cyclists will take part in the 45th MS Gong Ride, according to Transport for NSW. This is the second of three guides: our road closures and clearways guide covers the course and our course and rules guide covers the ride itself. Everything here was checked on Tuesday 27 October.

Which trains run early on Sunday morning?

Transport for NSW’s event page lists additional South Coast Line services that leave from Wollongong at 4:23am, 4:37am, 5:22am and 5:53am. They stop at all stations to Austinmer, then Stanwell Park, Helensburgh, Engadine, Sutherland, Hurstville, Wolli Creek, Tempe, Sydenham, Redfern and Central, and then all stations to Bondi Junction.

Train	Extra stops listed
Leaving Wollongong at 4:56am and 5:31am, and leaving Kiama at 5:57am	Additional stop at Wolli Creek and Tempe
Leaving Bondi Junction at 6:15am	Additional stop at Engadine
T4 Illawarra Line, all services between 5:30am and 8am	Additional stop at Wolli Creek and Tempe
T8 Airport and South Line, all services between 5:30am and 8:30am	Additional stop at Wolli Creek

Which station is closest to each start line?

The closest stations to the 80km start line at Tempe Recreation Reserve are Tempe, Wolli Creek and Sydenham on the T4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra Line. Transport for NSW says the reserve is less than 10 minutes by bike from these stations, and that a metro to Sydenham followed by a 7-minute ride gets you to the start. The closest station to the 53km start line at Preston Park, Engadine is Engadine, a short 2-minute ride away. To reach Engadine from the metro, change at Sydenham for a T4 train.

Ride	Start	Closest stations	Start time
80km	Tempe Recreation Reserve, Tempe	Tempe, Wolli Creek, Sydenham	6am
53km	Preston Park, Engadine	Engadine	8am

The organiser says no dedicated parking is available at the start sites and asks participants to check parking restrictions carefully if they drive. IKEA Tempe car park is the dedicated and only drop-off zone for 80km participants, and participants are not permitted to park there all day.

How do I pay to get to the start?

You need an Opal card or a contactless payment method to travel to the start lines. You can tap on and off with a contactless American Express, Mastercard or Visa card or a linked device, and adult Opal fare pricing applies, with daily and weekly caps. The pre-purchased special event train ticket cannot be used for travel to the Tempe Recreation Reserve or Preston Park start sites on event day.

How do I get home from the finish?

The closest station to the finish at Thomas Dalton Park is Fairy Meadow on the South Coast Line. Dedicated special event trains for participants run from Fairy Meadow to Central and Bondi Junction every 30 minutes between 9:30am and 5:30pm. They stop at Thirroul, Stanwell Park, Otford, Waterfall, Engadine, Sutherland, Hurstville, Wolli Creek, Tempe, Sydenham, Redfern and Central, and then all stations to Bondi Junction. Most services leaving after 2pm terminate at Central.

Special event train	Details
Ticket	$8 MS Gong Ride pre-purchased train ticket; show it when boarding
Opal cards	Not accepted on the special event trains
Where to buy	During registration, from the MS Plus online store, or at the finish line
Valid for	The return journey only, from Fairy Meadow, on the Sydney Trains network
Frequency	Every 30 minutes, 9:30am to 5:30pm, Fairy Meadow to Central or Bondi Junction

How does the e-ticket work?

The organiser’s FAQs say the special event train ticket is an e-ticket sent to the email address used for the order. Volunteer train ticket assistants at the station scan it before you board, so have it open on your phone with the screen brightness turned up. Each e-ticket is unique and can be scanned only once. If you lose your phone or it goes flat, the assistants can find your order by name, and the organiser recommends carrying a printed copy. To get an e-ticket resent, call 1300 733 690 or email events@msplus.org.au.

Can I take my bike on a bus, a ferry or light rail?

Bicycles cannot be carried on buses, including rail replacement buses, because they are difficult to stow without inconveniencing other passengers, according to Transport for NSW. Bikes are permitted on ferries and light rail only at the discretion of the crew or driver, if there is safe space. Transport for NSW does not recommend ferries for participants with bikes, and suggests trains instead.

The organiser says participants can travel with e-bikes on Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink Intercity services to and from the ride on Sunday 1 November. This excludes converted e-bikes, which are regular pedal bikes fitted with batteries and motors, and which the FAQs say have been banned on trains and Metro services since 1 November 2025. Transport for NSW also asks riders to stow their bike safely with them and not obstruct doorways or passageways, because stations will be busier than normal.

What trackwork is on that weekend?

Planned weekend trackwork affects parts of the network on Sunday 1 November. The main points for riders are:

• Buses replace trains between Central and Strathfield or Olympic Park until 10am on Sunday. If you travel from the west, take a train to Glenfield and connect with a T8 train to Wolli Creek or Sydenham.
• Buses replace trains between Hornsby and Berowra on the T1 North Shore Line and between Hornsby and Strathfield on the T9 Northern Line.
• The Central Coast and Newcastle Line and the Hunter Line are fully closed across the weekend.
• On the South Coast Line, buses replace trains from Port Kembla to Wollongong from 9am to 6pm and from Wollongong to Port Kembla from 10am to 6:30pm, and trains run to a changed timetable between Wollongong, Thirroul and Bondi Junction.

What if I am coming to watch?

The special event trains are exclusive to riders with a valid ticket, and the pages we read do not describe a separate service for spectators. Regular South Coast Line services run to the changed timetable and replacement buses described above, and Transport for NSW says you can pay for regular services with an Opal card or contactless payment. Some buses divert along the course because of road closures, and our closures guide lists the streets near the finish at Fairy Meadow. For live updates, follow @MSGongRide on X and Facebook, and @TrainsInfo and @BusesInfo for transport.

Sources

• Transport for NSW — MS Gong Ride 2026 (early trains, stations, special event trains, trackwork; checked 27 October 2026)
• MS Gong Ride — FAQs (special event train tickets, e-bikes, drop-off; checked 27 October 2026)
• MS Gong Ride — The event

Featured image: Fairy Meadow railway station sign (photo: JustARandomEditor123 / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with MS Plus, the MS Gong Ride, Transport for NSW or Sydney Trains. Train times, trackwork and conditions can change; check the Trip Planner, the official pages above and the signs on the day.