Public Transport in Perth: SmartRider, Trains, Buses and Ferries

Perth’s public transport changed more in the last year than in the previous eighteen: as of 1 January 2026, every single trip on the network costs the same flat fare no matter how far you travel, and you can now tap on with your own bank card instead of a transport card. Here is exactly how it works now.

The Go Anywhere Fare: one price, any distance

Zone-based fares are gone. Since 1 January 2026, a single trip on any Transperth train, bus or ferry costs the same flat rate whether you are going two stops or across the entire network – officially branded the Go Anywhere Fare. This followed a separate but related change in December 2025, when Transperth rolled out contactless payment across the network for the first time in the eighteen years since SmartRider launched, letting you tap on with an ordinary bank card, phone or smartwatch instead of buying a dedicated transport card.

SmartRider or just your bank card?

The genuinely important detail for students: concession pricing is only available through a physical SmartRider, not through a contactless bank card, phone or smartwatch. If you qualify for a concession fare, it is still worth getting and registering a SmartRider – the saving is significant, and setting it to Autoload gets you the lowest fare on top of that. If you are not eligible for concession, a contactless bank card is genuinely the simpler option, with no card to buy or top up. Either way, use the same card or device to tap on and tap off for the whole journey, since switching partway can trigger a higher default fare or fail to register properly, and fares are calculated and charged at the end of the day rather than shown immediately when you tap on.

Free Sundays and the free CAT buses

Two genuinely free options are worth building into your routine. Every Sunday, public transport across the network is free – you still need to tap on and off, whether using SmartRider or a contactless card, but no fare is charged. Separately, all four CAT (Central Area Transit) bus routes that loop around the city centre are permanently free, every day of the week, making them the easiest way to move around the CBD itself without paying anything.

Trains, buses and ferries in brief

Perth’s train network (Armadale, Thornlie-Cockburn, Fremantle, Midland, Ellenbrook and Yanchep/Joondalup lines) covers the main north-south and east-west corridors and is the fastest way to cover distance. Buses fill in everywhere the trains do not reach, including university-specific services like Curtin’s own free student shuttle. The main ferry route crosses the Swan River between Barrack Street Jetty in the city and Mends Street in South Perth, near Perth Zoo – useful, if not essential, for getting between the city and the UWA side of the river. For suburb-specific detail near UWA and Curtin, see our Perth student suburbs guide.

Bottom line

Since 1 January 2026, every Transperth trip costs a flat fare regardless of distance – as low as $2.80 with SmartRider Autoload, or $1.28 on concession. Get a SmartRider if you are eligible for concession pricing; otherwise a contactless bank card works everywhere at the same rate as cash. Either way, travel is free on Sundays and on the CAT buses, every day.