Credit card, phone tap-on for Victorian train travel to roll out in 2026

The Allan government will promise credit cards and smart devices can be used to tap and go on trains by “early next year” — but some commuters may have to wait longer to use the new system.

The Allan government will promise credit cards and smart devices can be used to tap and go on trains by “early next year”, as it seeks to haul a $1.7bn myki upgrade back on track.

For the first time, Victorians have been given an indication of when new ticketing technology will be ready on the public transport network, allowing them to ditch plastic myki cards.

But the initial rollout of the “contactless payments” system will only be for full-fare passengers, and will be switched on progressively across rail lines rather than all at once.

This means public transport users who catch multiple rail lines, or switch to trams and buses during their commute, may have to wait longer to use the new system.

More than 20,000 new ticket readers will be installed across the rail network over coming months to enable the use of bank cards, smartphones and smartwatches for travel in 2026.

The new readers also work for myki cards meaning commuters who choose – or are forced – to remain on the old system can still touch on and off using their $6 plastic cards.

Contactless payments were due to go live across the network by the middle of this year. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

A trial of the new devices continues on buses in Wangaratta, but Public Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams said positive early results had meant the government was able to announce the next stage of the project.

“From early next year, we will begin rolling out tap-and-go technology across our public transport network – providing passengers with more ways to pay for their travel,” Ms Williams said.

“This project crosses every mode of public transport and requires extensive testing, so we will take a careful and considered approach as we roll out tap-and-go technology.”

Public Transport Victoria staff will conduct “closed trials” of the new technology on the rail network later this year, once new readers have been ­installed.

This will pave the way for the system to go live to members of the public in the first few months of 2026, which is a state election year.

Public Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams says the ‘project crosses every mode of public transport and requires extensive testing’. Picture: Valeriu Campan

As revealed by the Herald Sun, under original project timelines – which have never been revealed publicly – contactless payments were due to go live across the network by the middle of this year. But the project was bogged down by a legal dispute over costs and timelines after previous myki operators refused to hand over source code.

And there was further ­turmoil earlier this year when a project partner walked away from the lucrative deal.

The Herald Sun also reported this week that the installation of new ticketing readers at rail stations will include the replacement of devices at the soon-to-be-opened $15bn Metro Tunnel — which have never been used.

The government has promised to provide more information later in the year about the staged rollout of new technology, including how it will be progressively switched on across the rail network, and when buses and trams will be fitted with the technology.