Public transport may be free for the next 12 days but travelling out of the Illawarra may take longer than usual with buses replacing trains on some parts of the South Coast line.
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The NSW Government's "fare free period", which the government says is designed to boost business and provide hip pocket relief, begins at 4am on Thursday.
The cost of all Opal trips on trains, buses, light rail and ferries in Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, the Hunter and the Illawarra being waived.
Critics have described the free travel as a delayed mea culpa from a government that shut down the train network in February during a dispute over an enterprise bargaining agreement with rail unions.
"With floods, industrial action, and COVID-19, it has been a challenging time for many, and this initiative will deliver some hip pocket relief, encourage people to enjoy what Greater Sydney has to offer, and also provide a boost to businesses," Transport for NSW Chief Operations Officer Howard Collins said.
"Head out to the Easter Show, catch a game of footy or dinner with family and friends, and help revitalise our city centres and support local communities."
Illawarra residents who are travelling to Sydney will need to make allowances for changed timetables and buses replacing trains.
Until 2am on Thursday, buses will replace trains between Thirroul and Waterfall, continuing to Sutherland.
Express buses will also run between Wollongong, North Wollongong and Sutherland during this time, and trains will run between South Coast Line stations and Thirroul only, some to a changed timetable.
T4 Illawarra Line trains run between Waterfall, Cronulla and Bondi Junction.
READ MORE: Dangerous Dapto bridge forces road closure
Then, from Thursday morning and through the Easter weekend, a new set of timetable changes will kick in.
Buses will replace trains between Port Kembla and Wollongong, Dapto and Sutherland, and between Central and Bondi Junction - with commuters warned that they may need to change buses to continue their journey.
How the fare-free period will work
While no money will be charged, travellers are still being asked to tap on and off with either an Opal card or contactless credit or debit card.
"The Opal system will still operate, as it helps Transport for NSW and other operators plan services and keep people safe by monitoring passenger numbers and capacity across the network," Mr Collins said.
People attending events with integrated ticketing during the 12-day fare free period, including the Easter Show, can show their ticket to staff at the station or when boarding services, or tap on and tap off as normal for free travel.
The fare free period will end at 4am on April 26.
It does not cover NSW TrainLink Regional trains and coaches including XPT and Xplorer services, or the access fees at Sydney's domestic and international airports.
Illawarra unaffected - for now - by bus strikes
Earlier this week, the Illawarra was unaffected by a 24-hour bus strike which hit parts of Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Hunter and Queanbeyan.
On Monday, more than 1000 bus drivers from a patchwork of bus regions walked off the job in protest over wages and workplace conditions.
The strike only affected bus networks run by contractors Transit Systems, ComfortDelGro and Transdev, which are in wage negotiations with Rail, Tram and Bus Union and Transport Workers Union members.
Union officials said drivers in the Illawarra who work for Premier and Dions were also currently in enterprise agreement negotiations, but have not yet moved to take any sort or protected industrial action.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
