MS Gong Ride 2025

For travel to the start lines, participant will need to use an Opal card or contactless payment method to pay for travel.

After the ride dedicated special event trains will run regularly from Fairy Meadow Station back towards Central. Remember to show your MS Gong Ride pre-purchased train ticket when boarding services.

Opal

You can use an Opal card for all modes of public transport in Sydney and surrounding regions, including metro, trains, buses, ferries and light rail.

Remember to top up your Opal card before you travel to avoid waiting in line at top-up machines. You can top up your card online or at an Opal retailer.

More ways to pay

If you have a contactless-enabled American Express, Mastercard or Visa debit or credit card, or a linked device, you can use it to pay for your travel by tapping on and tapping off at Opal card readers. Available on all public transport, contactless payments are another way to pay on the Opal network. Adult Opal fare pricing applies and you will receive Opal benefits, including daily and weekly fare caps.

Sydney Metro services are high-frequency, driverless trains running between Sydney’s north-west and south-west via the city.

Please note that due to planned weekend trackwork, Metro services will not run between Tallawong and Sydenham.

Buses replace Metro services between Tallawong and Chatswood only. Use trains to travel between Chatswood, the City and Sydenham.

Note due that due to City Circle trackwork trains from the North Shore will end at Wynyard, you'll need to change for light rail services to get to Central then connect with T4 Line trains to either start line.

For Metro service disruption information, check travel alerts or plan your trip using the Trip Planner.

Participants are reminded to be considerate when sharing these services with the rest of the public as stations will be busier than normal. Make sure your bicycle is stowed safely with you when travelling on trains and that it isn't obstructing doorways or passageways.

Getting there

• Start line at Tempe: the closest stations to the 80km starting point are Tempe, Wolli Creek and Sydenham on the T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line. Tempe Recreation Reserve is a less than 10 minute ride from these stations.  
• Start line at Engadine: the closest station to the 53km starting point is Engadine on the T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line. Cooper Street Reserve is a short 5 min (1.3km) cycle ride away.

Additional early morning services will run to help you get to the starting line:

• South Coast Line:
  • Additional services will leave from Wollongong at 4:23am, 4:46am, 5:21am and 5:53am stopping all stations to Austinmer, then Stanwell Park, Helensburgh, Waterfall Engadine, Sutherland, Hurstville, Wolli Creek, Tempe, Sydenham, Redfern, Central and to Bondi Junction. 
  • Trains leaving Wollongong at 4:56am, 5:31am, and train leaving Kiama at 5:57am will make an additional stop at Wolli Creek and Tempe.
  • Trains leaving Wollongong at 5:31am, and train leaving Bondi Junction at 6:15am will make an additional stop at Engadine.
  • During the event, train services between Port Kembla and Wollongong will be replaced by buses between 9am and 6pm
• T4 Illawarra Line:
  • All services will make an additional stop at Wolli Creek and Tempe between 5.30am and 8am. Services will also make extended dwells at Engadine to allow participants to disembark with their bikes safely
• T8 Airport & South Line:
  • All services will an additional stop at Wolli Creek between 5:30am and 8am.

Getting home

The closest station from the finish line at Thomas Dalton Park is Fairy Meadow on the South Coast Line.

• Dedicated special event trains for participants will leave Fairy Meadow running towards to Central every 25 to 35 minutes between 9:30am and 5:30pm.
• Services will make stops at Thirroul, Stanwell Park, Otford, Waterfall, Engadine, Sutherland, Hurstville, Wolli Creek, Tempe, Sydenham, Redfern, Central and Bondi Junction.
• Participants need to show their $8 pre-purchased Special Event Train tickets when boarding services. Opal cards cannot be used on these special event trains. You can also purchase a special event train ticket at the finish line.

Trackwork

Planned weekend trackwork is taking place on Sunday 2 November on the following lines and may affect how you travel to and from the event. Plan your trip using the Trip Planner.

• M1 Metro Line: Metro services do not run between Tallawong and Sydenham. Buses replace services between Tallawong and Chatswood only. Use trains between Chatswood, the City and Sydenham. For travel to and from Waterloo use local buses or trains from Redfern.

More detailed trackwork information will be available closer to the event.

Trackwork is carried out on an ongoing basis to maintain the safety, reliability, and efficiency of the Sydney Trains network. For train service disruption information, check trackwork and travel alerts or plan your trip using the Trip Planner.

Participants are reminded that bicycles cannot be taken on buses because they are difficult to stow without inconveniencing or potentially endangering other passengers, for more details see our Travelling with bikes page.

Make the most of the extra trains running to get you and your bike to and from the event. 

Bus diversions 

Due to road closures, some buses will be diverting from their regular routes and using different stops.

Sydney South:

• Route 303: From 4am until 10am services towards Sans Souci will be unable to make stops along the Grand Pde from Kyeemagh to Brighton Le Sands due to lane closures in place for the event. Services from Sans Souci back to the city run as normal.
• Route 422: From 4am until 10am services towards Arncliffe will continue travelling via the Princes Hwy, missing a stop on West Botany St at Flora St (Stop ID 220563). Services to the city run as normal.
• Route 478: From 4am until 10am services towards Ramsgate will miss two stops along the Grand Pde between Brighton Le Sands to Monterey due to lane closures in place for the event.
• Route 947: from 4am until 9:30am services in both directions towards Kogarah will detour via Chuter Ave, Sandringham St and the Grand Pde. Stops will be missed on Malua St, Gannons Ave and Norman Ave due to road closures. Buses will make temporary stops along Chuter Ave and The Grande Pde.  Stops will be missed on Malua St (Stop ID: 221972), Gannon’s Avenue (Stop ID: 221912) and Norman Ave (Stop ID: 221911).
• Route 992 and 993: From 4am until 9:30am services to Station Street will divert via Cooper St to access Princes Hwy and Station St.

For bus service disruption information, check travel alerts or plan your trip using the Trip Planner.

Sydney Ferries are a great way to get around the city, but services are very popular and may reach capacity, especially on weekends.

We don’t recommend travel on ferries to participants with bikes. Crews can refuse to allow a bicycle on board if there is a safety concern or not enough room for it to be safely stowed on board so make sure to have an alternative transport option in mind. 

Participants are encouraged to catch trains instead. Learn more about travelling on public transport with bikes on the Travelling with bikes page.

For ferry service disruption information, check travel alerts or plan your trip using the Trip Planner.

L1 Dulwich Hill Line

L1 Dulwich Hill Line light rail services run between Central Station (Grand Concourse) and Dulwich Hill via Darling Harbour and the Inner West. Services run regularly from 5am to 1am daily. Plan your trip using the Trip Planner. 

From Central change for a T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra line train towards your start area. 

L2 Randwick and L3 Kingsford Lines

L2 Randwick light rail services run between Circular Quay and Randwick via Central Station (Chalmers Street) and L3 Kingsford line services run between Circular Quay and Juniors Kingsford via Central Station (Chalmers Street). Services run regularly from 5am to 1am, plan your trip using Trip Planner.

From Central change for a T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra line train towards your start area.

L4 Westmead and Carlingford Line

Westmead and Carlingford Line light rail services run between Carlingford and Westmead via Parramatta CBD. Services run regularly from 5am to 1am daily. Plan your trip using the Trip Planner. 

Alight at Parramatta Square and connect with a train service to Central for connecting trains to Tempe and Engadine on the T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line.

Passengers are reminded that trams can’t stop quickly or easily – so please stop, listen and look around for trams and use designated pedestrian crossings. 

For maps and service frequencies see light rail service information. For light rail service disruption information, check travel alerts or plan your trip using the Trip Planner.

Motorists are advised to exercise caution as there will be large groups of cyclists sharing roads with vehicles along major roads between Tempe, Engadine, The Royal National Park and Fairy Meadow throughout the day. Motorists are advised to expect delays and use alternative routes while closures are in place around the start and finish areas.

Tempe start area drop off zone: a dedicated drop off zone will be located at the Tempe IKEA car park. The start line at Tempe Recreation Reserve for the 80km ride is a short 600m ride via the cycleway.

Road and lane closures will be in place around the start lines at Tempe and Engadine in Sydney, along the course through the Royal National Park and around the finish line in Fairy Meadow. 

Road closures

Road and lane closures will be in place around the start lines at Tempe and Engadine in Sydney, along the course through the Royal National Park and around the finish line at Fairy Meadow.

• 4am to 9:30am from Tempe to Sutherland: sections of West Botany St, Holbeach Ave and Bestic St. The speed limit will be reduced to 60/km along Rocky Point Rd/Taren Point Rd from Sans Souci to Taren Point.
• 5am to 10am from Sutherland to Waterfall: Lane closures on the Princes Hwy from Kirrawee to Loftus and the speed limit will be reduced to 60km/h from Kirrawee to Waterfall. Delays are expected travelling southbound on the Princes Hwy during this time. 
• 5am to 2:30pm in the Royal National Park: McKell Ave, Lady Wakehurst Dr, Sir Bertram Stevens Dr and Otford Rd. Access to the Royal National Park is via Farnell Ave only. The speed limit will be reduced to 40km/h along Lawrence Hargrave Dr from Stanwell Park to Thirroul from 6am to 3pm.
• 5am to 4.30pm Bulli and Fairy Meadow: sections of Elliotts Rd near the finish area will be closed and the speed limit reduced to 40km/h on sections of Elliotts Rd.

For the latest traffic information check Live Traffic NSW or download a real-time traffic app.

Parking

Tempe start area drop off zone: a dedicated drop off zone will be located at the Tempe IKEA car park. The start line at Tempe Recreation Reserve for the 82km ride is a short 600m ride via the cycleway.

Special Event Clearways

Special event clearways will be in place at various times between 4am and 11am in Sydney and between 5am and 3pm  from Stanwell Park to Fairy Meadow on sections of major roads along the event course route including the Princes Hwy, General Holmes Dr, The Grande Parade, Rocky Point Rd, Taren Point Rd, Kingsway, Sandringham St, Lawrence Hargrave Dr and Pioneer Rd.

Clearways are strict no-parking zones for all vehicle types, and apply even to local residents and TfNSW Mobility Scheme Permit holders. Check signs carefully as vehicles left in clearways will be towed and a fee applies. If your vehicle is towed it will be relocated to the nearest legal parking space, use the Find My Car website or call 132 701 to find its new location.

Tempe, Wolli Creek, Banksia, Kyeemagh, Brighton Le Sands, Sandringham, Sans Souci, Caringbah, Taren Point, Miranda, Gymea - From 4am to 10am

• General Holmes Dr between Henson Street and Bruce Street (Northern side)
• The Grand Pde between Bruce St and President Av (Eastern side)
• Princes Hwy between IKEA driveway and West Botany St (Eastern side)
• Princes Hwy between Brodie Spark Dr and Gannon St (Western side)
• Bay St between Princes Hwy and Young St
• Bestic St between West Botany Rd and Francis Ave (Northern side)
• Bestic St between Caroma Ave and General Holmes Dr (Northern side)
• Holbeach Ave between Princes Hwy and South St roundabout Northern side
• West Botany St between Marsh St and Bestic St (Eastern side)
• Rocky Point Rd between Sandringham St and Toorak St (Eastern side)
• Sandringham St between The Grand Pde and Rocky Point Rd Southern side
• Kingsway between Taren Point Rd and Princes Hwy (Southern side)
• Taren Point Rd between Toorak Av and Kingsway Eastern side

Engadine to Heathcote - From 4am to 11am

• Princes Hwy between Opposite Old Bush Rd (898 Princes Hwy) and Opposite Whitton St Eastern side

Engadine - From 5am to 9:30am

• Engadine Ave between Princes Highway and Preston Ave 

Coalcliff, Scarborough, Coledale, Austinmer, Thirroul - From 5am to 3pm

• Lawrence Hargrave Dr between 400m north of Coalcliff Train Station and The Esplanade Eastern side

Bulli, Bellambi, Fairy Meadow to Wollongong - From 5am to 3pm

• Carters Ln between Pioneer Rd and Elliotts Rd (Eastern side)
• Farrell Rd between Trinity Row and Carrington St (southern side)
• Pioneer Dr between No. 11 Pioneer Drive (Woonona) and Carters Lane (Eastern side)
• Trinity Row between 30m north of Godolphin St and  Farrell Rd Eastern side
• Elliotts Rd between Squires Way and carpark
• Thomas Dalton Carpark from Elliotts Rd

Clearways are strict no-parking zones for all vehicle types, and apply even to local residents and TfNSW Mobility Scheme Permit holders. Check signs carefully as vehicles left in clearways will be towed and a fee applies. If your vehicle is towed it will be relocated to the nearest legal parking space, use the Find My Car website or call 132 701 to find its new location.

Tempe start area drop off zone: a dedicated drop off zone will be located at the Tempe IKEA car park. The start line at Tempe Recreation Reserve for the 82km ride is a short 600m ride via the cycleway.

Finish area Wollongong Pick up zone: a dedicated event pick up zone will be located at the University of Wollongong Innovation Campus car park.

For details of taxi networks servicing the Sydney area, visit Transport Operators

For taxi services in Wollongong, visit the Illawarra Taxi Network for details and to book services.

Accessible trips are shown in the Trip Planner with the wheelchair icon. You can select "accessible services only" in the Options to ensure you only see accessible services. Only trip plans with accessible train platforms, ferry wharves and buses will be presented. See accessible travel or download a transport app (select the "Accessibility" filter).