The number of Opal card retailers in the Illawarra has nearly doubled since August.
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Five months ago, there were 17 places where people could buy the cards.
This month, shortly after the card was rolled out to buses in the region, there are 33 outlets.
This includes two outlets in Thirroul, where the station is one of the hubs in the revamped train timetable.
Despite the timetable increasing the patronage of Thirroul station, for months the closest Opal card retailer was in Woonona - 3.6km away.
Now, the closest is just 700 metres away.
However, Helensburgh – the other hub station in the northern suburbs – has not fared so well.
The closest retailer is still 2.6 kilometres from the station.
Stations in Wollongong’s south are the best when it comes to Opal card retailers.
Dapto station has a retailer just 210 metres away, while someone at Unanderra station needs to walk just 250 metres to buy an Opal Card.
At Albion Park Rail, a shop is 290 metres away, while Kiama station is 300 metres from a retailer.
Earlier this week, Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian announced Opal top-up machines could begin to appear on stations from next year.
A timeline for the rollout has not been finalised, however, and they will not solve the problem at Helensburgh as the machines won’t sell Opal cards.
Meanwhile, the government has announced Opal train fares will rise while bus and light rail fares remain unchanged.
Paper train tickets will also increase.
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal set the maximum increase at 3.8 per cent, but Mrs Berejiklian said the prices would only rise in line with the cost of living – an increase of 2.8 per cent.
The rise will see the price of a train trip to Sydney increase by 20¢.
The new fares will come into effect on January 4, 2015.