Opal Trips - Light Rail

This dataset contains Official Light Rail Utilisation figures. Opal tap-on/tap-off data (representing an individual entering and exiting a Light Rail station), is aggregated to a total monthly figure representing the estimated number of trips.

Starting July 1, 2024, the methodology for calculating trip numbers for individual lines and operators will change to more accurately reflect the services our passengers use within the transport network. This new approach will apply to trains, metros, light rail, and ferries, and will soon be extended to buses. Aggregations between line, agency, and mode levels will no longer be valid, as a passenger may use multiple lines on a single trip. Trip numbers at the line, operator, or mode level should be used as reported, without further combinations.

The dataset includes reports based on both the new and old methodologies, with a transition to the new method taking place over the coming months. As a result of this change, caution should be exercised when analysing longer trends that utilise both datasets. More information on NRT ROAM can be accessed here

Caution

1. School Student travel using concessional Opal cards is included. However this may be underrepresented, due to inconsistent tap-on/tap-off behaviour by students at light rail stations

2. Magnetic Stripe Ticketing (MST – paper tickets) data was also available in July 2016. MST patronage data for July is available here

3. Opal data may be subject to minor revision for the two months following upload

4. Data is static at a point in time, and may not match other reports that are real time

5. All non-Opal travel is excluded, for example transport concession entitlement cards, integrated ticketing for major events, and fare non-compliance

6. An Opal Trip is defined as a tap-on/tap-off pair (including where only a single tap-on or tap-off is recorded)

7. A significant portion of the Light Rail line was closed during the months of January 2017 and 2018, resulting in lower number of trips in both months

Please note: the data includes Newcastle Light Rail