Transporting Sydney, one early bus at a time
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Thanks to Cooper Crellin for the pictures on his recent flight to Europe
Busways services will be impacted by protected industrial action tomorrow, Tuesday 11th September 2018. This includes services in the Blacktown, Gosford, Penrith, Windsor and Wyong. This is being organised by the Transport Workers Union (TWU) over disagreements between Busways and the TWU caused by a new enterprise agreement.
Drivers will stop work from 6am to 7am and again from 4:30pm to 5:30pm. Services up to 30 minutes outside those time periods to allow for drivers to get to and from their depots.
It is also understood that drivers will also not turn on the Opal readers at all tomorrow, allowing for a “fare free day” This will mean however that Real Time data information will not be available.
All school services will operate as normal.
Today we were out and about along the Light Rail line in Randwick. Here are some photos so you can see the great progress that has been made in recent months.
Busways services will be impacted by protected industrial action tomorrow, Friday 7th September 2018. This includes services in the Blacktown, Gosford, Penrith, Windsor and Wyong.
Drivers will stop work between 12pm and 1pm for a meeting, with some services cancelled as early as 11am and as late as 2pm to allow for the driver to get to and from the meeting site.
It is also understood that drivers will also not turn on the Opal readers at all tomorrow, allowing for a “fare free day” This will mean however that Real Time data information will not be available.
All school services will operate as normal.
Major service changes are occurring to bus and train services across Sydney and Newcastle from 30th September 2018. These changes are designed to improve reliability and connections as well as respond to changes in operation requirements surrounding the closure of the ECRL and the privatisation of Region 6 Buses.
Train Service Changes
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T1 North Shore Line |
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T1 Northern Line |
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Central Coast and Newcastle Line |
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T8 Airport & South Line |
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Bus Service Changes
| New Station Link Bus Services | |
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| Route | Details |
| SL1 | Epping to Chatswood via Macquarie University, Macquarie Park and North Ryde
Monday to Friday Both Directions 4.30am to 6am: every 10 minutes 6am to 9pm: every 6 minutes 9pm to 12.30am: every 10 minutes Saturday and Sunday Both Directions 5am to 10am: every 10 minutes 10am to 7pm: every 5 minutes 7pm to 12.30am: every 10 minutes |
| SL2 | Epping to Chatswood via Motorway and North Ryde
Monday to Friday To Chatswood 6am to 10am: at least every 6 minutes To Epping |
| SL3 | Beecroft to St Leonards via Macquarie University and Macquarie Park
Monday to Friday To St Leonards To Beecroft |
| SL4 | St Leonards to Macquarie Universityvia Macquarie Park
Monday to Friday To St Leonards 3pm to 7pm: at least every 4 minutes To Macquarie University 3pm to 7pm: at least every 15 minutes |
| SL5 | Eastwood to Macquarie Park via Macquarie University
Monday to Friday To Macquarie Park To Eastwood |
| SL6 | Epping to Macquarie Park via Macquarie University
Monday to Friday To Macquarie Park To Epping |
| SL7 | Epping to Macquarie University Campus
Monday to Friday To Macquarie University Campus To Epping |
| Northern Bus Changes | |
| Route | Details |
| 136 |
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| 141 |
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| 169 |
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| 193 |
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| 270
271 |
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| Minor service adjustments will also be introduced on routes 586, 592, 596, 599 | |
| Eastern Suburbs and Inner West Bus Changes | |
| Route | Details |
| 357
(new route) |
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| 400 |
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| 410 |
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| 418 |
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| 420
420N (new route) |
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| 423 |
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| 461 |
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| 504 |
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| North West and West Bus Changes | |
| Route | Details |
| 251 |
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| 253 |
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| 285 |
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| 288 |
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| 292 |
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| 293 |
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| 294 |
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| 533 |
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| M54 |
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| 614X |
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| 637
638 |
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| 639 |
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| 640 |
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| M60 |
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| Minor service adjustments will also be introduced on routes 295, 501, 515, 546, 549, 553, 603, 605, 607X, 608, 609, 610, 610X, 611, 619, 626, 630, 632, 633, 635, 637, 638, 639, 640, 641, 644, 651, 661, 702, 705, 711, 714, 715, 728, 729, 746, 756, 757, 775, 780, 786, T72, 841, 858, 865, 866, N50, N70, N71, N80, N81, M61 | |
| Newcastle and Hunter Bus Changes | |
| Route | Details |
| 138
140 |
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| 261 |
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| 262
263 |
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| 266
(new route) |
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| 267 |
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| Central Coast Bus Changes | |
| Minor service adjustments will also be introduced on the following bus routes:
15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 30, 32, 32/4, 34, 34/2, 36, 37, 38, 44, 47, 50, 50/3, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 59, 63, 64, 65, 66A, 66C, 67, 68, 70, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 90, 91, 93, 94, 95, 95X, 96, 97, 98, 99 |
This month our featured bus route is Route 700 operated by CDC Hillsbus. Route 700 runs from Parramatta Interchange to Blacktown Station via Blacktown Road, Great Western Highway and Wentworthville.
This route dates from April 2, 1982, when a number of local bus routes from the 1925 bus numbering system were renumbered and re routed into the 700. This original service was operated by Western Road Bus Services. In 1987, the route was acquired by Toongabbie Buses and then later in December 1988, it was acquired by WestBus.
From December 3, 1994 the 700 was rerouted via Blacktown Rd direct, instead of operating via Hayes Road through Seven Hills. Subsequent changes of hands saw WestBus bought out by National Express Group and then later ComfortDelGro Cabcharge. In May 2004, the operating name of WestBus was changed to Hillsbus in the area which Route 700 operated.
In May of 2009, Route 700 was rerouted in the Westmead area, replacing part of rerouted 705, as a result of Ministry of Transport review of Region 4.
The service is operated out of the Hillsbus depot in Seven Hills. It has an average running time of 45 minutes outside of peak hours. It runs every 30 minutes between 6am and 11pm daily, with extra services in peak hours.
Transport NSW Blog has been shown information regarding potential changes to Routes 400 and 418 from September 30 2018. These changes relate to previously reported information surrounding the potential splitting of the routes.
It is understood that the following splits will occur.
357: Bondi Junction – Mascot Station (STA R9)
418: Burwood – Kingsford (TSA R6)
This would see the old STA route 357 return along its old route between Bondi and Mascot replacing the existing 418, with the 418 being truncated to Kingsford. The two will share a common route between Mascot and Kingsford.
400: Bondi Junction – International Airport (STA R9)
420: Burwood – Eastgardens (TSA R6)
Route 400 will be truncated short at the International Airport, whilst a new route, 420 will take over the western portion of the route. They will share a common route between the Airport and Eastgardens. Both of these routes will run 24 hours, 7 days a week and will be limited stops. Route 410 will be abolished.
It has been confirmed that the proposed rail line to Western Sydney Airport will be deliver and delivered by Sydney Metro. This comes alongside information provided to us that the government intends for all new rail lines in Sydney to be of a Metro Rapid Transit Standard.
The project is expected to form a North-South spine in the outer west, between Tallawong in the North and Macurthur in the South via St Marys, Western Sydney Airport and Narrellan. A heavy rail connect from the South West Rail Link at Leppington is also expected to be built.
The NSW Government today announced train services changes and improvements from 30 September to help support customers while the railway between Epping and Chatswood is upgraded to for the Sydney Metro.
Improvements include more services for stations north of Chatswood on the T1 North Shore Line and double the number of express trains running to and from the Sydney CBD via Strathfield during the peak for Central Coast customers.
Key adjustments on the rail system from 30 September include:
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T1 North Shore Line |
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T1 Northern Line |
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Central Coast and Newcastle Line |
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T8 Airport & South Line |
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There will also be minor adjustments to some services on other lines.
Sydney has a long history with double deckers trains. In this edition of Sydney’s Transport History, we will be delving deeper into their domination of Sydney’s suburban rail rolling stock.
In the 1960s, the tenders were called for the first double decker passenger rolling stock. Between 1964 and 1968, 120 double deck trailer carriages were delivered to the NSW Government Railways from Tulloch Limited. They were incorporated into sets with single deck power cars. Tulloch delivered a number of double decker motor cars in 1968. When coupled with the double decker trailer carriages they formed the worlds first fully double decker Electric Multiple Unit trains.
In 1970, the first intercity Double Deck V-set trains entered service. At the time, these trains were described as the “most luxurious commuter stock in the world”. Delivered over 19 years, most of the newer sets are still in service.
In 1972, the first Comeng-constructed stainless steel double deck suburban power-cars entered service. These cars were originally paired with Tulloch trailer cars , but from 1973, Comeng Trailer cars entered service. Later in the 1970s, A Goninan & Co constructed a number of similar cars. Whilst most of these 1970s sets have since been retired, 24 of them still operate as S sets on the T2, T3, T6 and T8 lines.
Goninan built the first air conditioned suburban trains in 1981, with 160 K sets being delivered through 1985. In 1986, similar C sets with more modern safety features were introduced.
Between 1988 and 1996, 530 “Tangara” cars were introduced. These trains marked the first major redesign for the suburban rolling stock since double decker trains were introduced were and were also the last publicly funded new train design in NSW. These new trains allowed for the fill retirement of single deck suburban services in 1993.
Millenium Trains were introduced in 2002 and have formed the basis of all new trains delivered since. These were the first passenger trains in NSW to include automated announcements and information displays. These M sets allowed for the retirement of the original Tulloch carriages.
55 four carriage OSCar sets were delivered between 2006 and 2012 that allowed the oldest V sets to be retired and some services to be increased form four to eight cars in length. The H sets allowed for the next generation features found on M sets to be available on longer Intercity services.
Waratah trains are the latest design of double decker trains to be deliver to the NSW government railways and the first model to be built outside of Australia. These Chinese built trains continue on the design of the Millennium with some m minor improvements. The original order included 78 8-Car A sets. From 2018, 24 8-Car B set trains will be introduced to replace the remaining 24 S-Set trains.
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