Sydney's Power Spots: Wireless charging at bus stops expands as NSW upgrades rail safety

Sydney's public transport network has quietly expanded wireless charging at several hubs, offering free power to phones and other devices. The program, run by Transport for NSW, is designed to ease the anxiety of dying batteries during commutes and is available at multiple train stations and bus interchanges.

Power Spots began as trials in June 2023 at Liverpool and Campbelltown stations. Since then, the system has rolled out to Town Hall, Lidcombe, Bondi Junction and several bus interchanges. Transport for NSW says the program is expanding to 18 major hubs, including Central, Wynyard, Bankstown, Blacktown, Parramatta, Chatswood and Penrith. Each stand can charge up to seven devices at once, with a mix of wireless charging pads and USB-A and USB-C ports. Many pads sit outside ticketed zones, so anyone can access power 24/7 without tapping on.

Late last year, a Sydney-based expat posted a TikTok clip showing her phone charging on a bench at a Bondi bus shelter, with no visible cords. The post quickly drew hundreds of thousands of views and a flood of comments from commuters surprised by the feature. The discovery has sparked discussions about the hidden tech built into the city’s transport infrastructure and prompted some comparisons to the station’s high-tech reputation.

Transport for NSW says the chargers are intended as a convenience for a broad cross-section of travellers, including students, day-trippers, professionals and people who may not have ready access to power. The authority notes that the wireless pads provide a practical upgrade to daily life for passengers who rely on mobile devices for information and safety while on the move, and that the rollout is part of a broader push to modernize urban mobility.

Separately, Sydney Trains has installed rubber gap fillers at more than 20 station platforms to reduce falls and items dropping onto the tracks. The safety upgrade followed data showing hundreds of incidents in 2023 across the network, with a notable concentration at Redfern Station. Officials described the gap fillers as durable supports that adapt to curvature on some platforms, extending to accommodate various train types. The program began around 2021, and officials have since reported that no falls through the gap have been recorded at sites where fillers were installed.

Together, the Power Spots expansion and the rail safety upgrades illustrate ongoing modernization of Sydney’s transport network, blending accessible charging technology with practical safety engineering to improve daily commutes.