Reservations and tickets
Booking and paying for your ticket
There are several booking and payment options for people wishing to travel with CountryLink.
Online booking is available to all passengers except those wishing to book sleeping berths, groups of 10 or more and passengers with special requirements, e.g. people travelling with wheelchairs. Payment can be made by credit card and Pay it @Post.
You can also call our reservation centre on 13 22 32 to make a booking over the phone. Payment can be made by credit card, cheque or Pay it @Post.
If you visit a CountryLink travel centre or booking office you can pay in person using cash, credit card, EFTPOS or cheque. Accredited CountryLink agents offer a similar service and accept payment in cash, credit card or cheque.
Once you have booked your seat, please reconfirm your reservation 48 hours prior to departure by calling the CountryLink Reservation Call Centre on 13 22 32.
Overseas visitors can either use this site to book online or make travel arrangements through one of our accredited CountryLink agents.
CountryLink has teamed with Australia Post to provide additional flexibility for customers. You can book your ticket online or by calling 13 22 32 and visit your nearest post office to pay for it.
When you book online, it's important to print out or write down your Australia Post reference number so you can take it to the post office. Post offices accept payment in cash or via EFTPOS, but can't accept credit cards. Once your payment has been processed you will be sent an e-mail confirmation. Please ensure that you print this confirmation and carry it throughout your journey as this is your ticket.
If you phone our reservation centre on 13 22 32 an operator will enter your details into the Pay it @Post system and provide you with a reference number. Take this number to your post office and pay in cash or via EFTPOS. Your ticket will be posted to you when payment has been processed.
Should you need to alter your payment method from Pay it @ Post to credit card, please contact our reservation centre on 13 22 32. Pay it @Post can only be used for fares $10 and over and for booking passage on services at least seven days in advance.
Credit card tickets
If you book online you will be sent an e-mail confirmation. Please ensure that you print this confirmation and carry it throughout your journey as this is your ticket.
Your ticket will be posted to you when payment has been processed if you book your seat by calling 13 22 32 or using our Pay it @Post service.
Ticket receipt
If you book online you will be sent an e-mail confirmation. Please ensure that you print this confirmation and carry it throughout your journey as this is your ticket. Your ticket will be posted to you when payment has been processed if you book your seat by calling 13 22 32 or using our Pay it @Post service.
When you visit a CountryLink travel centre or agency you will receive your ticket on the spot.
If you book a standard CountryLink ticket via one of our international agents you will receive your ticket on the spot. If you book an East Coast Discovery Pass or Backtracker Pass through an international agent you will receive a voucher which you can exchange for your pass at a travel pass agency after you arrive in Australia.
Lost tickets
You can organise a replacement for a lost or mutilated ticket by contacting CountryLink or one of its agents before scheduled departure and providing details about where the ticket was purchased, when the trip is due to take place and where it is to. You will also need to provide proof of your identity. A substitute ticket for exactly the same journey will only be issued if your purchase of the original ticket can be verified and it was sold to you by an authorised CountryLink outlet. Substitute tickets cost $12.10 and cannot be exchanged or refunded.
Changing travel plans
You can rebook or cancel tickets at any time and while we endeavour to be flexible in relation to your needs, the following fees, terms and conditions apply if you change or cancel your travel plans through a CountryLink Travel Centre, booking officer or accredited agent.
| If you cancel or rebook... | then... |
| Seven days or more before departure (date and time on ticket) | You are entitled to a full refund. |
| Less than seven days before departure (date and time on ticket) | You are entitled to a refund less a $5.50 cancellation and/or rebooking fee. |
| Less than 48 hours before departure (date and time on ticket) |
You can cancel online or by calling 13 22 32 and are entitled to a refund less a $5.50 cancellation and/or rebooking fee. However, your refund cannot be processed online. You must surrender your ticket at a CountryLink Travel Centre or booking office in order to process the refund. Tickets are non-refundable. However, you may rebook for the next |
| After departure (date and time on ticket) |
available service within 24 hours. A $5.50 rebooking fee will apply. |
| If you rebook and... | then... |
| Upgrade your ticket (e.g. from economy to first class) | You will not be charged a rebooking fee on payment of the fare difference. |
| Downgrade your ticket (e.g. from full-peak to off-peak) | You are entitled to a refund of the fare difference subject to the timings and fees quoted above. |
Other terms and conditions
- Credit card payments – refunds can only be credited to the original card used.
- Pay it @Post payments – to rebook, cancel or obtain a refund you must call 13 22 32, or visit a CountryLink accredited agent.
- Refunds may not be available on certain discounted or promotional tickets, so please check at time of booking.
- If you are travelling on a discounted fare you may be required to upgrade to a full fare and pay the fare difference.
- Tickets are non-transferable.
- The fees quoted on this page are per booking and apply to CountryLink outlets only.
- Fees charged by private travel agents and other rail entities may vary, so please check these before booking. For example, Queensland Rail currently charges $12.50 per passenger for rebooking or $22.00 per passenger for cancelling CountryLink tickets at least 30 days before departure.
- Backtracker Passes purchased online are automatically activated once a booking is made. Active Backtracker Passes are non-refundable. Refund applications for non-activated Backtracker Passes purchased online can be made by contacting odysseysupport@countrylink.nsw.gov.au.
Further information
Group bookings
If a booking is made for a group of 10 or more adults you will receive a 15 per cent discount. There is no discount on child fares. When a booking is made for a group of 30 or more, the leader or organiser travels free. In order to be considered a group you must book at the same time and travel together from the same point of departure to the same destination in the same class of seat. Group bookings cannot be made online so please call 13 22 32 or visit a CountryLink travel centre.
School groups
CountryLink provides school groups with a safe and reliable way to travel. We ask that:
- Organisers contact CountryLink on 13 22 32 to make reservations and advise that a group will be travelling.
- Tell your local station manager when you will be departing and returning and how many will be travelling.
- Ensure each child is aware of and adheres to luggage restrictions.
- Please try to avoid Sydney's CityRail services during peak times (7.00-9.00am and 4.00-7.00pm).
- Make sure there is one teacher or carer for every 20 primary or secondary school children. This should be one teacher or carer per five preschool children.
- While on board CountryLink services, school children are expected to maintain the same level of safe and courteous behaviour required of adult passengers.
Family fares
Family members, e.g. parents, grandparents, guardians and children who are members of the same household, can take advantage of CountryLink's family fare. All adults pay full fare (or use valid concession cards or pensioner travel vouchers), the first two children pay child fares and any additional children travel free of charge. People travelling on family fares must make exactly the same journey. Family fares can be booked online.
Infants
Children aged under four years are permitted to travel free of charge. One free seat per paying adult passenger with any additional sleeping berth charges to be paid. In the interest of safety infants must be accompanied by a parent or guardian aged 16 years or older. Infants must be personally allocated and occupy a reserved seat next to the adult and they are not to be seated on another passenger's lap. If additional seats are required for infants in excess of the number of adult passengers holding tickets, the child's fare must be paid for each additional seat.
If the adult is travelling in a sleeping berth the infant travels free, provided they occupy the same sleeping berth as the adult. The adult pays a first class fare plus the sleeping berth fee. If the infant occupies a sleeping berth on their own then the first class child fare is to be paid plus the sleeping berth fee.
As sleeper compartments are twinette in style, one adult passenger travelling with one infant will need to book sole use of the sleeping compartment and pay the appropriate child and adult fare, plus berth charges. Passengers travelling with infants cannot be booked in a compartment with an unrelated passenger.
With any additional "paid" child's ticket, a fee of $5.50 will apply to reservations cancelled inside seven days of travel.
Concessions
You can book your journey online if you hold some concession cards. Please call 13 22 32 to book all other concession fares. Concessions cannot be used in conjunction with promotional fares or discounts offered by CountryLink.
Service delays/disruptions
Significant delays and disruptions are reported in the service status section of this website. You can also call CountryLink on 13 22 32 between 6.30am and 10.00pm, seven days a week to check that your train is on time.
When to arrive
Please arrive at the station at least 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time if you intend to check in luggage or 15 minutes ahead if you do not have luggage to check in. Passengers travelling with bicycles will need to allow even more time to disassemble their bikes and pack them into boxes.
Travelling between airports and stations
Sydney: Services run directly from the city centre to stations located inside the Domestic and International terminals. It only takes 10 minutes to travel from Central to Domestic Airport Station and 12 minutes to International Airport Station. Get timetable and fare information at the CityRail website.
Brisbane: Airtrain rail services run between both domestic and international airports and Brisbane's CBD stations, including Roma Street Station where CountryLink trains begin and end their Queensland journeys. Visit Airtrain's website for more information.
Melbourne: Skybus services run between Melbourne's domestic and international terminals straight to Melbourne Southern Cross Station (formerly Spencer Street Station) where CountryLink services arrive and depart. Visit Skybus's website for details.
Travel between airports and stations cannot be booked through CountryLink.
Transborder Alpinexpress
Services to Canberra Airport, Berridale, East Jindabyne, Jindabyne, Bullocks Flat or Thredbo.
The Alpinexpress services between Thredbo and Canberra and vice versa will no longer be shown in the CountryLink Southern region timetable. For departure and reservation enquiries please refer to the Transborder website.
CityRail services
CityRail is the passenger rail service covering the greater Sydney region and is the sister company to CountryLink. If you plan to catch CityRail services before or after your CountryLink journey, you can now pay for those CityRail legs at the same time.
Please note: you can't reserve seats on CityRail services. You must carry your CountryLink ticket with you on CityRail services and connections are not guaranteed.
Visit the CityRail website or call 131 500 to find out about timetables and scheduled trackwork.
