Victoria’s tap-and-go public transport system is officially heading to every train station in the state, meaning regional travellers will soon be able to leave their myki at home and tap on with a bank card, phone or smartwatch instead.
The expansion is now reaching the regional V/Line network, with Echuca switched on from today, Wednesday, 19th August, and the remaining regional lines set to follow progressively over the coming weeks.
Once the rollout is complete, passengers will be able to tap and go at every train station across Victoria, as well as on trams and myki-enabled buses.
When is tap-and-go rolling out across regional Victoria?
The regional rollout is happening in stages:
- 19th August: Echuca
- 23rd August: Swan Hill Line
- 30th August: Shepparton Line
- 6th September: Ararat and Maryborough lines
- 13th September: Warrnambool Line
- 20th September: Bairnsdale Line
- 27th September: Albury Line
- 22nd November: Benalla and Euroa, following station upgrade works
The Victorian Government is installing new readers at regional stations that previously required paper tickets or eTickets. Transport Victoria says 108 new myki readers are being installed across 37 V/Line stations as part of the expansion.
That means the days of needing to organise a separate paper ticket for many regional train journeys are gradually coming to an end.
How does tap-and-go work?
The new system is designed to work much like contactless payments elsewhere around Melbourne. Passengers can use a contactless debit or credit card, smartphone or smartwatch to tap on and off at participating stations. Your fare is then charged automatically.
If you prefer the old-school approach, you can still use a physical myki card. There’s no requirement to switch to contactless payments.
And if you’re travelling on a V/Line service where seat reservations are available, you can still reserve a seat. If you haven’t reserved one, the Victorian Government says passengers can purchase an unreserved fare at their station using tap and go.
What about concession cards?
Passengers travelling on concession fares, seniors and people under 18 should continue using their concession or Youth myki. Moreover, Physical myki cards will continue to be accepted for eveeryone, so passengers who prefer using one can carry on as normal.
Victorians under 18 can still travel free with a Youth myki. There’s no need to switch to a bank card or other contactless payment method. Use the same card or device for the whole journey. Also, don’t tap on with your phone and tap off with the linked physical card.
Millions of tap-and-go journeys already been made
Victorians have taken to contactless public transport payments since the technology first launched, with more than five million journeys made using contactless payment since March 2026.
The system has been progressively expanded beyond the initial metropolitan rollout, and the regional station upgrades will take it to the rest of the train network. Once the rollout is finished, Victoria will have contactless payment available at every train station in the state, alongside trams and myki-enabled buses.
The tap-and-go expansion comes as Victoria’s public transport fares remain half price until January 1, 2027.
The discount applies across the state’s trains, trams and buses, including regional services. Full-fare daily travel is capped at $5.70, while concession daily fares are capped at $2.85 during the initiative.
For more information about the new system, visit the Victorian public transport website.
