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Best way to the game? The Footy Express!
Friday, 14 March 2025
The State Government is once again providing free Footy Express services for the 2025 AFL season, making it easy for fans to get in and out of the city every game without the stress.
Adelaide Metro will put on about 300 extra bus, train and tram trips for every Crows and Port home game at Adelaide Oval – including for every game during next month’s highly anticipated Gather Round.
From Gawler and Golden Grove to Noarlunga, Glenelg and West Lakes, the Footy Express services will carry thousands of footy fans safely to the city in time for the first bounce – all for free.
Beyond just a convenient transport option, the Footy Express is part of the game-day experience— bringing fans together in a shared journey of camaraderie, anticipation and a collective understanding of the highs and lows on the ride home.
At the conclusion of the 2024 home and away season, the Footy Express had transported about 460,000 passengers, up 10 per cent on 2023 - enough footy fans to fill Adelaide Oval eight times over.
The Footy Express was marvelled at by more than 45,000 interstate visitors during Gather Round in April, which saw almost half of the 222,000 ticketholders use free Adelaide Metro services across the four-day footy festival.
The roots of the Footy Express run deep. It all began back in 1974 with extra bus services to Football Park in West Lakes. Fast forward to 1994, the “Crows Express” was born, which then evolved into today's Footy Express. In 2014, after the redevelopment of Adelaide Oval saw footy return to the city, the service expanded to include buses, trains, and trams.
This year’s ‘Don’t Stress. Take the Footy Express’ road safety campaign, launched this week, aims to tackle traffic-related stress and cut down on driver distractions, ensuring every fan gets to the game and home again safely.
The THINK! Road Safety message, featuring Port Adelaide’s Ollie Wines and Adelaide’s Rory Laird will roll out across Adelaide Oval, digital screens at Adelaide Railway Station, Adelaide Metro vehicles and social media throughout the home and away season.
91 lives were lost on South Australian roads last year, demonstrating the importance of recognising and positively changing driver behaviour and attitudes.
The first Footy Express services will hit the road on Sunday, 16 March when Adelaide takes on St Kilda at 12:05pm. Plan your journey: https://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/.
The ‘Don’t Stress. Take the Footy Express’ campaign forms part of the State Government’s commitment to South Australia’s Road Safety Action Plan 2025-27.
Quotes attributable to Adelaide Metro’s Event Coordinator and Disruption Lead Sam Brown:
Each season our Adelaide Metro team start the meticulous planning for the season months in advance, working closely with Adelaide Oval management, local councils, emergency services and our transport operators, to develop transport and traffic management plans.
From its humble beginnings, to now whisking away about 460,000 passengers a season, we now see the number of AFL patrons travelling on public transport services exceed 50 per cent of the crowd for some games.
The Footy Express is a finely tuned operation that creates a world of convenience for South Australian footy fans. Now, game day isn't just about the match; it's about the journey there and back.
Delivering reliable and efficient transport is crucial because it contributes to the overall positive experience of an event.
Providing free and reliable transport allows people to leave their cars at home and arrive on time and safely – and the additional services minimises disruptions to regular public transport users.