How Much Does the Sydney Airport Train Cost?

Sydney Airport train fares to the city

The Airport Link train serves both International Airport Station (Terminal 1) and Domestic Airport Station (Terminals 2 and 3). The published one-way prices below apply between either airport station and city stations such as Central, Town Hall, Wynyard and Circular Quay, as well as Kings Cross.

Children under four travel free. Single trip tickets do not receive an off-peak discount. These are the fares published by Airport Link as at June 2026; prices can change, and a journey to another station may cost a different amount.

Why the fare includes an airport station access fee

A Sydney Airport train ticket has two components: the regular distance-based rail fare and an additional charge for using one of the airport train stations. The extra charge is called the station access fee, or gate pass, and is collected by the Airport Link Company.

For an adult travelling between the airport and the city with Opal or contactless payment, the fare breaks down as follows:

The airport access fee stays the same whether the adult rail portion is charged at peak or off-peak rates. This is why the train can appear expensive for a relatively short trip: most of the total is the charge for entering or leaving an airport station.

Station access fees and weekly caps

The station access fee depends on the fare category and how the passenger pays. Opal cards and contactless payments attract the same access charge; a single trip ticket has a higher access charge.

For single trip tickets, the airport access fee alone is AU$19.00 for adults or AU$16.90 for children, before adding the train portion. The separate weekly airport access fee cap applies to Opal and contactless travel, but not to single trip tickets.

The airport access charge does not count towards ordinary Opal daily or weekly travel caps. Once you reach your airport access fee cap, further airport access fees are waived for the rest of the Opal week (Monday to Sunday); normal rail fares can still apply.

There are also reduced station access fees for certain short journeys: AU$10.34 between an airport station and Mascot, AU$12.74 between an airport station and Green Square, and AU$5.20 between the domestic and international airport stations. These amounts are access fees only; the train fare is additional.

Unlike the usual Opal 60-minute transfer rule, tapping off and then back on at an airport station within an hour can trigger two station access fees. Avoid exiting the paid area unnecessarily if you intend to continue travelling.

When do peak and off-peak fares apply?

For Sydney suburban trains, peak periods run from 6.30 am to 10 am and from 3 pm to 7 pm, Monday to Thursday, excluding public holidays. Outside those periods, and on Fridays, weekends and public holidays, Opal and contactless passengers receive the off-peak rail discount.

The time you tap on determines whether the train portion is charged at the peak or off-peak rate. The 30% off-peak discount applies to the eligible rail fare, not to the airport station access fee. Opal single trip tickets do not receive the discount.

How to pay for the Sydney Airport train

Use an Opal card or a contactless bank card

For most adult visitors, the simplest option is to tap a contactless debit or credit card, or a phone or watch with an eligible digital wallet, at the station gates. Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards are accepted. An Adult Opal card works at the same fare.

Tap on at the departure station and tap off at your destination with the same card or device. Each passenger needs their own valid payment method; one card cannot pay for two adults travelling together.

Buy a single trip ticket at the station

You can buy an Opal single trip ticket from a ticket machine. It costs more than paying with an Opal card or contactless card and does not provide the normal Opal discounts or benefits. It is generally a fallback if you cannot tap with an eligible card or device.

Check concession and child eligibility in advance

Children aged four to under 16 can use a Child/Youth Opal card. Concession and Gold Senior/Pensioner Opal cards cannot be issued at airport stations, so eligible travellers should arrange their entitlement before the journey. Some concessions can be linked to a contactless payment card in advance through Transport Connect; not every concession category qualifies.

Ways to reduce the cost

• Pay with an Opal card or contactless card rather than a single trip ticket to avoid the higher ticket fare.
• Travel outside peak periods when practical. This reduces the rail component, although it does not discount the airport station access fee.
• If you use the airport train several times in the same week, the separate access fee cap may limit what you pay for that component.
• If price matters more than convenience, consider a bus connection to a non-airport station such as Mascot before joining the train network. Bus travel and the regular train fare still cost money, and the journey involves an extra transfer.

For a journey outside the central city, use the Transport for NSW Trip Planner to estimate the complete fare for your route and travel time before you leave.