Perth runs on one simple idea: a single network, one flat fare. Transperth — trains, buses and the Swan River ferry — is all run by the state’s Public Transport Authority, and whichever combination of bus, train and ferry you use, you pay once and can keep transferring for three hours.
The basics
Transperth’s train network has eight lines, all meeting in the city centre: Airport, Armadale, Ellenbrook, Fremantle, Mandurah, Midland, Thornlie-Cockburn and Yanchep. Around that sits a large bus network (buses are run under contract by Swan Transit, Path Transit and Transdev, all branded as Transperth), plus the free CAT buses looping through central Perth and Joondalup. A small ferry service crosses the Swan River between the city and South Perth.
How to pay
You’ve got three ways to pay, and they all work the same way: tap on when you board, tap off when you leave.
- SmartRider — a reusable plastic card. It costs $10 to buy (with a $10 minimum starting balance) from Transperth InfoCentres or retail outlets — including one right at Perth Airport’s Terminal 1. A Standard SmartRider gets you an automatic 10% discount off the cash fare; set up Autoload (a direct debit that tops up the card automatically once its balance runs low) and the discount rises to 20%.
- Contactless payment — tap a Visa or Mastercard, or your phone/watch wallet, straight on the reader. No card to buy, but you’re charged the full standard cash fare, with no SmartRider discount, and concession fares aren’t available this way.
- Cash — buy a paper ticket on the bus or from a train station machine.
Whichever card you tap, use the same one every time on a trip — mixing a physical card and its digital wallet version (or presenting two cards at once) triggers a default, most-expensive fare. On buses, you can only tag on at the front door, though you can tag off at any door.
Fares
Since January 1, 2026, Perth scrapped its old fare zones for one flat, distance-blind system:
| Cash / contactless | SmartRider (10%) | SmartRider + Autoload (20%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Sections (a single ride, 3.2 km or less) | $2.40 | $2.16 | $1.92 |
| Go Anywhere (3 hours, unlimited transfers, anywhere) | $3.50 | $3.15 | $2.80 |
| DayRider (unlimited for the day) | $7.00 | — | automatically capped |
| Concession — Go Anywhere | $1.60 | $1.44 | $1.28 |
Tap a SmartRider or contactless card and you’re automatically capped — ride past the three-hour window and you’re charged again, but never more than the $7.00 DayRider rate in a single day. Cash riders should ask for the “Go Anywhere” fare at the ticket machine or from the driver for the same three-hour, go-anywhere ticket.
Two more things worth knowing: central Perth has a Free Transit Zone — ride a bus or train that starts and ends inside it (bounded by City West, Elizabeth Quay and Claisebrook stations for trains) and it’s free, provided you tag on and off as normal. And every Sunday, travel is free network-wide for anyone tapping a SmartRider or contactless card, from the first service of the day until the last (the free ride doesn’t extend into the small hours of Monday).
Getting from the airport
Perth Airport sits right on the Airport Line, a branch of the Midland Line, but which station you want depends on your terminal:
- Terminals 1 and 2 (international and the bulk of domestic/Qantas) — get off at Airport Central station.
- Terminals 3 and 4 — there’s no station at the terminal itself. Take the free Route 292 shuttle bus (about every 12 minutes at peak, 15 minutes off-peak and on weekends) to Redcliffe Station, the next stop up the line. Transperth states Redcliffe Station is about 15 minutes from the CBD by train.
It’s the same fare as any other ride — the $3.50 Go Anywhere fare (as little as $2.80 with SmartRider Autoload) — with no separate airport surcharge.
Apps to download
- Official Transperth App — journey planning, live bus tracking, and service-disruption alerts, straight from the operator.
- Google Maps — fine for basic trip planning if you don’t want another app on your phone.
When it runs
Transperth runs a big weekday network — Transperth reports about 15,850 bus trips, 1,108 train trips and 926 CAT trips on a typical weekday — with the Swan River ferry alone scaling back from roughly 122 weekday sailings in the warmer months to about 60 in June–August. Exact first and last services vary by line and route, so check the Journey Planner or a line’s timetable for your trip. One fixed point: free Sunday travel for SmartRider and contactless riders runs from the very first service of the day to the very last.
Accessibility
All Transperth buses kneel to the kerb and have fold-out ramps, with space for two wheelchairs, prams or mobility devices — though not every bus stop is upgraded yet. All trains have marked wheelchair spaces, and stations are rated either “Independent Access” (compliant platform gaps and tactile indicators) or “Assisted Access” (where you may want a companion). Call 1800 800 022 — ideally an hour ahead — and staff will help you board or alight at any station. TTY users can reach Transperth on 133 677.
Etiquette & local quirks
- Tap on at the front, off at any door on buses — tagging on elsewhere gets you charged the maximum fare.
- Sunday is free for SmartRider and contactless riders — locals plan beach trips and Fremantle wanders around it.
- The CAT buses in central Perth and Joondalup are free — no tapping required at all.
- No smoking (including vapes) or drinking on board or at stations, and keep your feet off the seats — both are specifically called out as fineable.
Good to know
- Fare enforcement is real: transit officers do spot checks with handheld scanning devices that read SmartRiders and contactless cards alike. An infringement notice gives you 28 days to pay or appeal before a Final Notice adds another 28.
- Buy a SmartRider at the airport — a Smart Carte outlet at Terminal 1 sells them, so you can tap straight off the plane if you’d rather not deal with contactless billing quirks.
- The ferry across the Swan River runs fewer weekday trips in winter (about 60 a day, June–August) than in the warmer months (about 122 a day, September–May) — don’t expect peak-season frequency if you’re visiting mid-winter.