World Youth Day 2008 (WYD08) – Monday 14 July – Sunday 20 July

Public Transport Guide to attending World Youth Day events

If you are not a registered participant but are considering attending WYD events, this guide will provide useful information to help you get to events with a minimum of fuss and have a safe and enjoyable time.

Information for participants travelling to World Youth Day events

On weekdays participants are requested not to travel on services arriving in the City between 7am and 10am (unless attending Catechesis in the City) and services departing the City between 4pm and 7pm.

Listen carefully to service announcements at railway stations or onboard the train. This will assist in ensuring that regular commuters get to and from work.

Special train and bus services are operating for participants travelling between 10am and 3pm and again after 7.30pm from Tuesday 15 July to Friday 18 July.

Special train and bus services are operating for participants from 4am on Saturday 19 July and Sunday 20 July, and at the conclusion of the Final Mass. Read specific train and bus information in the subsequent sections below.

Participants are requested to respect other travellers on the transport network who may not be attending WYD08 events.

Participants must be in possession of a Pilgrim Passport or valid ticket when travelling on public transport. Pilgrim Passports can only be used for travel on suburban bus and train services. A ticket must be purchased if travelling beyond the suburban area. The boundaries for suburban train services are Bondi Junction, Berowra, Carlingford, Richmond, Emu Plains, Macarthur, Waterfall and Cronulla.

Travelling from intercity areas
Intercity services include Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands, Newcastle & Central Coast and South Coast services – they are not valid for use on Sydney Ferries. Participants travelling from intercity railway stations to the City should plan their travel to arrive in the City after 9am.

Holders of Pilgrim Passports travelling from intercity lines need to purchase a separate train ticket for travel to the nearest boundary railway station on that line and then continue their journey using the Pilgrim Passport to the City.

Click here for the boundaries map.

If travelling from intercity railway stations each day the most economical ticket to purchase is the 7-Day RailPass ticket. Purchase a RailPass on any day of the week and then use it for seven consecutive days between two designated railway stations (i.e. the station closest to where you are staying to the boundary station). These are available from CityRail station ticket offices.

Travelling home after World Youth Day
If you are flying out of Sydney on Sunday 20 July or on Monday 21 July, train services to Domestic and International stations on the Airport Line are likely to be very crowded. We recommend you allow plenty of time to travel to the airport. Expect large crowds at the airport checking onto flights, which may cause further delays.

Sydney Buses provides a bus service to the International and Domestic terminals at Sydney Airport. Route 400 operates between Burwood, Croydon Park, Campsie, Bexley, North Bexley, Rockdale, Banksia, Arncliffe, Sydney Airport, Mascot, Eastgardens, Maroubra Junction, Kingsford, University of NSW, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Waverley and Bondi Junction, seven days a week approximately every 20 minutes.

To download the Route 400 timetable click here

On Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 July, Route 400 is operating to and from normal terminals, but does not stop on Anzac Parade at the University of New South Wales, or in High Street at Botany.

To find the best way to get from your location to the airport, click here to use the Trip Planner. Note: Participants must be in possession of their Pilgrim Passport or a valid ticket when travelling on public transport.

A transport information guide for registered participants requiring special access arrangements (PWD) is available mid June.