TriMet provides bus, light rail and commuter rail transit services in the Portland, Oregon, metro area. We connect people with their community, while easing traffic congestion and reducing air pollution—making the Portland area a better place to live. More
Transferring Between Buses and Trains
Using your ticket, pass or transfer receipt
With your valid ticket, pass or transfer receipt you can ride any combination of buses, MAX trains, WES trains and streetcars to complete your trip. Most fares can be used on C-TRAN as well.
Using a ticket
A validated (time-stamped) ticket is valid for 2 hours. You can board any bus or train until the expiration time shown. On the bus, if you pay with an unvalidated ticket, the operator will give you a transfer receipt to complete your trip (see below).
Using a bus transfer receipt
On the bus, if you pay in cash or use an unvalidated ticket, the operator will give you a transfer receipt (commonly known as a "transfer").
You can board any bus or train to complete your trip until the expiration time shown at the top of the transfer.
- On weekdays, transfers are valid for 1 hour past the last scheduled stop on the route or Downtown.
- On weekends and holidays, transfers are valid for 2 hours past the last scheduled stop on the route or Downtown.
Your transfer is your proof of payment, so keep it with you until you have completed your trip.
Using a pass
If you have a valid pass, you can board any bus or train until the expiration date and time printed on the pass. (1-Day Passes are valid until the end of the service day printed on the pass.)
Using TriMet fares on C-TRAN
TriMet tickets and passes are accepted on C-TRAN Local and Limited routes, but not on Express routes or C-VAN. Unvalidated TriMet fares are the same as cash, and upgrades are not available. TriMet LIFT and Portland Public Schools Photo ID Student Passes are not valid on any C-TRAN service.
Using C-TRAN fares on TriMet
If you have a C-TRAN All-Zone or Express fare, you can ride TriMet buses and trains. C-TRAN fares are not valid on LIFT. C-Zone fares (including Reduced Passes and C-Zone Day Pass) and the Clark College C-Pass are not valid on TriMet.
Why aren't all transfers valid for a full 2 hours?
Tickets and bus transfer receipts are intended to let you complete your trip in one direction by transferring between buses and trains. (Of course, in some cases, you may be able to make a return trip on the same fare.)
Buses: On weekdays, when most bus service runs at least every half-hour, bus transfer receipts are valid for 1 hour past the last scheduled stop on the route or Downtown, so you can make connections with other buses or trains. And if your connection isn't running as scheduled, this gives you enough time to catch the next one. On weekends and holidays, when some lines run only every hour, transfers are issued for 2 hours past the last scheduled stop on the route or Downtown. Expiration times are rounded up to the next half-hour.
So, the expiration time on your transfer may vary, based on where you boarded in relation to the end of the route.
Rail: MAX and WES tickets, on the other hand, are always valid for 2 hours. Why? Tickets are validated automatically, either by a ticket machine or a validator.
We realize this can be confusing. We're looking into better ways to collect fares—such as smart cards—which would make the system simpler and more consistent.