Cleveland train users will be the next to benefit as the rollout of the Smart Ticketing system continues.
Customers travelling from between Central station and Cleveland station will have access to the system from Wednesday, November 30.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said $371 million project continued to gather pace, with Cleveland line customers now having more ways to pay.
“Delivering better public transport services for Queenslanders isn’t just about having more trains or buses, it’s also about making it easier for people to hop on and off without barriers,” Minister Bailey said.
“This trial allows adult customers to use their credit card, debit card, smartphone or smartwatch to pay for their train journey – meaning you don’t need to think before hoping on a train, you can just tap and go.”
Member for Capalaba Don Brown said the system would put Queensland on par with major cities like London, Singapore and New York.
“This is an exiting time for Queensland’s public transport network, as the Palaszczuk Labor Government delivers major transport infrastructure like Cross River Rail,” Mr Brown said.
“Record levels of investment in our region means that commuters can get home safer and sooner, spending more time with family and friends.
“I look forward to getting onboard with this new system, and I encourage commuters to give it a go.”
Member for Lytton Joan Pease encouraged commuters to give it a go.
“There is no doubt this trial is proving to be very popular with public transport users,” Ms Pease said.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the rollout extend onto our local buses, which is set to take place next year.
“This will be a big job – replacing about 1300 fixed devices and 12,000 onboard readers to bring 18 different payment systems across the regional bus network together under one Smart Ticketing umbrella.
“Whether you’re visiting family and friends in Cairns, Bowen, Rockhampton or Bundaberg, there will be one seamless way to pay.”
Member for Bulimba Di Farmer praised the success of the trial, which had already clocked up more than two million trips.
“It’s hard to miss the bright pink card readers that have become a fixture on train platforms through our area, and now we’ll get to put them to good use,” Ms Farmer said.
“Commuters and tourists alike are finding it easy to use, and we’ve seen incredible numbers tap on and off using the system since it began.
“We’ll continue to develop the system to bring concession card holders onboard, but encourage those who travel on a discounted rate to continue using the go card for the time being.”
Member for Greenslopes Joe Kelly said the expansion added new destinations to the Smart Ticketing map.
“This is another important step toward rolling out the system across the South East Queensland heavy rail network, following on from trials already underway,” Mr Kelly said.
“We’ll now see the South Brisbane and South Bank transport hubs come alive with Smart Ticketing, which is an important connecting area to our hospital and health precinct as well as South Bank businesses.
“It’s an exciting time for the area, and for those living through our eastern, bayside suburbs.”
Smart Ticketing is already operational on the Ferny Grove, Ipswich/Rosewood, Springfield Central, Sunshine Coast/Caboolture, Redcliffe Peninsula, Doomben and Shorncliffe train lines.
It will next be launched on the Airport, Beenleigh, and Gold Coast lines, enabling customers to interconnect from the Gold Coast Light Rail through to Brisbane CBD and the airport, with buses and ferries set to follow next year.
Train users who prefer to pay with their go card will be able to continue doing so. Customers travelling on a child or concession fare should continue to use their go card for now, as should customers travelling to or from destinations not yet using the trial, or anyone using a connecting bus or ferry service.
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