Almost a decade after Sydney introduced tap-and-go payments for public transport, Melbourne's rail commuters will finally be able to ditch their Myki cards in the coming weeks.
The Victorian transport minister, Gabrielle Williams, will on Saturday announce the final steps of the rollout of tap and go across the metropolitan train lines and the main V/Line regional corridors.
From Sunday, commuters on the Cranbourne-Pakenham, Frankston and Stony Point, Sandringham, Sunbury, Werribee and Williamstown lines, as well as Bendigo, Gippsland and Geelong V/line services, will be able to bypass using a physical Myki card in favour of paying via a debit or credit card, smartphone or smartwatch.
Then, from 14 June, Alamein and Glen Waverley, Belgrave and Lilydale, Mernda and Hurstbridge lines will begin using the technology.
It follows a trial for commuters on the Craigieburn, Upfield, Ballarat and Seymour lines, which began in March but was paused when the government made public transport free for two months amid the surge in fuel demand. Fares have now been discounted to half price until the end of the year.
Williams said more than 88,500 tap-and-go trips have been recorded since trials began in March, with about 80% of those trips paid for via a phone or smartwatch.
Timeline of Modernising Myki
- 2021: The government approves the strategy for a new ticketing system.
- 2023: Contract with original Myki service provider expires and government contracts a new provider.
- 2024: Contract standstill for six months.
- 2025: Project reset confirmed and included in state budget. Phase 1: About 23,000 new reader devices installed across the network.
- 2026: Phase 2: New tap-and-go payments launch for full-fare passengers only.
- 2027: Phase 3: New tap-and-go payments launch for concession fares and Myki expands to all regional areas.
- 2028: Phase 4: New system is fully launched.
“Victorians are already saving money with half-price fares. Now we’re making public transport easier to use too,” she said. “Tap and go means one less card in your wallet and one less thing to worry about on your journey.”
The technology only supports full adult fares, so seniors, students and healthcare card holders must stick to their concession Myki cards if they wish to still receive their discounted rates.
Trams and buses will not have the technology as part of the initial rollout, with the government having “more to say in the coming weeks” about when tap-and-go will be available on them.
Passengers travelling where Myki is not available will also need to continue using a paper ticket or eTicket, while those who prefer using a physical card can continue to do so.
The government said station staff will be on hand to help passengers as the rollout continues.
US-based firm Conduent was awarded a $1.7bn 15-year contract in 2023 to upgrade the Myki system to allow contactless payments via a debit or credit card, smartphone or smartwatch.
At the time, the then public transport minister Ben Carroll said the change would bring Victoria into the “21st century” – years after Sydney introduced similar technology in 2017.
At the time, it was suggested the technology would be rolled out over the following two years. But an auditor general report released in March revealed a dispute between Conduent and the transport department over the contract and rollout schedule, which delayed the project by 18 months and added $136.8m to its cost.
As a result, concession passengers and all regional areas are not expected to be able to use the technology until mid-2027 and the Myki system will not be retired until a year later.
