Travel in regional NSW for seniors, pensioners and concessions
We’ve created this guide especially for seniors, pensioners and concession card holders living in regional areas of New South Wales who rely on public transport to get around, and who may need extra information and support navigating travel due to age, limited mobility or disability.
Public transport in regional NSW
There are many transport options in regional NSW.
Bus services run within and between most regional centres and towns throughout NSW. These are operated by local bus companies and are different to NSW TrainLink coach services, but are all part of the same statewide public transport network.
In most areas you can hail buses from dedicated bus stops, but in some rural areas bus stops may not be signposted and you will need to contact the local operator to find out where buses pick up and drop off passengers.
Finding bus services near you
The best way to find details about bus services in your region is using the Trip Planner to plan a specific trip. You can also look up a timetable or route map and find contact details for local bus operators
Bus fares and tickets
Eligible seniors, pensioners and concession card holders travelling on local bus services in regional areas of NSW are entitled to:
- half-price fares for individual bus trips
- $2.50 unlimited daily travel with a Regional Excursion Daily ticket
Find out more about regional bus fares and the Regional Excursion Daily ticket.
NSW TrainLink run train and coach services between more than 365 regional and remote destinations across NSW, and across the borders into Victoria, Queensland and the ACT.
Small regional communities in NSW now have more travel options and better connections to nearby centres with many new coach services gradually being introduced around the state.
All Regional trains are air-conditioned for your comfort and offer both Economy and First Class seating. Every train has a buffet car which serves food and drinks including snacks, hot meals and alcoholic beverages (subject to operating hours).
All Regional coaches are air-conditioned and offer allocated Economy seating, large windows, reclining seats with headrests and lap sash seatbelts.
NSW TrainLink fares and bookings
Eligible seniors, pensioners and concession card holders are entitled to:
- 50% off ordinary Adult peak season Economy and First Class fares
- $2.50 unlimited daily travel on Regional train and coach services with a pre-booked Country Pensioner Excursion ticket
Pensioner Travel Vouchers are available for:
- NSW and ACT Pensioner Concession Card holders
- NSW War Widow/er Transport Concession Card holders
You can book tickets:
- online at transportnsw.info/regional
- over the phone on 13 22 32 (7am to 10pm daily)
- in person with an accredited NSW TrainLink sales agent or at selected train stations
For more information about NSW TrainLink fares, bookings, and terms and conditions of travel, visit transportnsw.info/regional
On Demand is a safe, reliable and affordable new public transport option available in some regional areas designed to improve connections to transport hubs and popular destinations like shopping centres or hospitals.
The cost of an On Demand trip is similar to the cost of a local bus trip, with discounted fares available to seniors, pensioners and concession card holders.
Trips are usually booked and paid for via an app or over the phone.
On Demand services can pick you up from home or an easy to access location, and take you where you need to go.
In some areas On Demand services provide door-to-door connections. In other areas pick-up and drop-off points may be nearby location such as shopping areas, healthcare precincts, public transport hubs and convenient meeting points in residential areas.
To find out if On Demand public transport services are available in your area, visit transportnsw.info/on-demand.
Supported transport options
If you need assistance, there are supported transport options for you.
Community Transport is a government-subsidised scheme available in many regional areas that supports people with limited transport options to live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives by making it easier to get around and stay socially connected.
It is especially designed to help eligible members of the community get to medical appointments, participate in social activities, do shopping and maintain independent living at home.
Find out more about Community Transport
You can search for Community Transport in your area and find contact details for your local operator online. See transportnsw.info/operators, then under ‘Filter by mode’ select ‘Community Transport’.
If you are physically unable to use regular public transport services because of a severe and permanent disability you may qualify for discounted taxi travel under the the Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme.
The scheme provides discounts of up to half the metered fare to a maximum $60 subsidy per trip, for travel in regular and wheelchair accessible taxis.
Find out more about Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme
Travel training is a self-directed, practical learning program designed to build independence.
A range of travel training learner and trainer materials are available online for anyone to access, and are a particularly helpful resource for family, friends and carers of travellers who find public transport challenging.
Planning your trip
We provide a number of tools that allow you to plan your trip. You can use the Trip Planner to plan a trip and get fare estimates and accessibility information. Or download the Opal travel app or real-time transport apps to help you get around. For a handy collection of travel planning instructions and guides all in one place, see our Help with planning page.
Use the Trip Planner to plan your journey from A to B and it will automatically calculate the best way to complete the trip between location A and location B including the latest real time data, if available.
You can find accessible service information with the Trip Planner
- Enter your departure location, destination and travel date/time, then select ‘Go’ to see all available trip options
- Refine your results by choosing ‘Options’ then select ‘Accessible services only’
You can further refine your results to show trips with, for example, the fewest changes, the least walking, the earliest departure times and your preferred mode of travel.
With the Trip Planner, you can also:
- view public transport options on a map
- save your favourite trips for next time
- print out your trip plan or share it with someone via a link
- get fare estimates
- be notified about planned travel disruptions
See Trip Planner help for further instructions.
If you just want to see all the services departing from a particular stop, you can use the Departures tool, and then add filters to only include certain routes or lines along with other options.
To look up the details of a route including a map and download a PDF timetable of the scheduled routes times, you can look up your route on the Routes and timetables page.
If you’re tech savvy, try using a travel planning app
Download a Transport for NSW endorsed app to your phone or device so you can plan trips on the go. Buses in some regional areas now have real-time location tracking, so with the right app you’ll always know how far away your bus is.