Train passengers in Victoria will finally be able to pay their fare using a bank card, phone or smartwatch from next year, in a long-awaited update to the state’s ticketing system.
The public transport minister, Gabrielle Williams, on Friday announced more than 20,000 new card readers would be installed across the metropolitan and V/Line networks over the coming months that will eventually allow commuters to “tap and go” without needing a Myki card.
She said from early 2026, cardless ticketing will be rolled out across the train network and then progressively introduced on buses and trams.
“We’re taking a very considered and cautious approach to how we do this roll out, because we know that we need to both build this new system and keep the current system operating so that we’re not unnecessarily disrupting commuters in their day-to-day travels through our city and state,” Williams said.
“But we are very excited to be able to announce that the new ticketing technology – that tap and go technology – will be starting to roll out across our network from early 2026, starting with our rail network and then gradually, incrementally rolling out across the broader network from there.”
She said the move followed a successful trial of ticketless bus travel in Wangaratta. According to her department, almost 80% of full fare commuters used ticketless payment instead of cash and paper tickets during the trial in December and January.
The trial will end in May but Williams said it would be followed by others on the rail network. This could include Public Transport Victoria staff accessing the new technology before it is made available to the wider Victorian community.
It will initially be available only for full-fare passengers, though she mentioned development was under way for features such as different fare types and accounts.
Williams also said it would have no impact on the cost of the Metro Tunnel, which, despite not opening until later this year, has already had the older readers installed at three stations.
“As part of our new ticketing system contract, we have provided for the replacement and roll out of new ticketing readers across the network,” she said, adding that it would only require a “swap” of the readers, rather than replacing the entire gate structure at the stations.
In 2023, US-based company Conduent was awarded a $1.7bn, 15-year contract to run the ticketing system for Victoria’s train, tram and bus networks.
At the time, the then public transport minister, Ben Carroll, said the new system would bring Victoria into the 21st century.
For years, Urban planners and commuter advocates have called for credit card compatibility in Melbourne’s public transport ticketing.
Unlike other public transport ticketing systems, which accept credit cards and tap-to-pay-enabled phones and watches when boarding, Myki still requires a physical card, which costs $6 upfront before credit is added.
There is a mobile Myki version for Android devices, but not for iPhones, despite the government allocating $1m in 2019 to develop an Apple version and other improvements.
Sydney went ticketless in 2019, while in Queensland, the system has been in place on trams since late 2020 and on trains since mid-2022.
The Victorian opposition spokesperson for public transport, Matthew Guy, said it “simply shouldn’t be this hard” for Victoria to also adopt the technology.
Guy said Williams’ announcement only came after a week of scrutiny over the government’s “failure to deliver” several public transport promises.
“The Metro Tunnel isn’t open after 10 years, nor is the West Gate Tunnel, and every major project initiated by this government is either delayed, over budget, or both,” he said.
“Given that history, it’s no surprise that Victorians are sceptical about this latest contactless ticketing promise actually being delivered on time.”
