Bus Route Numbering Changes

Scroll to the end of the article to see a list of Northern Beaches routes renumbered from May 3 2020. 

There will be a number of upcoming changes to the numbers of some bus routes across Sydney. Focusing in on routes with non-standard route numbers (any route without a regular 3-digit route number), all routes will be renumbered into a regular system. All routes will either have a three digit number (e.g. 000, 374, 999), a three digit number followed by ‘X’ to denote an express or limited stops version of a route (e.g. 000X, 374X, 999X) or a three digit number followed by ‘N’ to denote an overnight route (e.g. 000N, 374N, 999N).

A large majority of routes already have a regular route number, so these changes will be mainly focused at ‘express’, ‘limited stops’, ‘metrobus’ or ‘T-Way’ route services. Of course, some of these routes have already received this change. All CDC Hillbus express services have been numbered with a ‘X’ suffix at the end of years, and recently STA introduced this on their Botany Road corridor. Some overnight services on flagship corridors, such as STA’s 333 and 400, have had services between midnight and 5am renumbered 333N and 400N for over a year. The changes now are to ensure that this is uniformly applied across the network.

Transport NSW Blog supports these changes to the network. We believe that it is important to retain a uniform numbering system for all bus routes across Sydney and NSW, and that integrating all routes across Sydney more uniformly into the current system is a big win. Despite this, we want to ensure that these changes are indeed applied across the whole network. Too often we see half hearted changes that get applied to half the network but then never get fully rolled out. All routes need to comply with the new system fully, and realistically all non-compliant routes should move across at the same time in order to avoid any drawn out period of noncompliant routes.

STA Region 8, covering the Lower North Shore and Northern Beaches area will be making these changes across all of its express and limited stops routes from Sunday 3 May 2020. It is understood that STA Region 9, covering the Eastern Suburbs and Inner City as well as TSA Region 6, covering the Inner West and Inner South will change over to the new system when the long awaited changes to the South East bus network due to the opening of the light rail occur. It is anyones guess as to when that and the other regions renumbering will occur, however it is expected to be completed later this year across STA and TSA.

LIST OF NORTH SHORE AND NORTHERN BEACHES ROUTE NUMBER CHANGES 

• Route E50 renumbered to 150X
• Route E54 renumbered to 154X
• Route E60 renumbered to 160X
• Route E65 renumbered to 165X
• Route E66 renumbered to 166X
• Route E68 renumbered to 168X
• Route E69 renumbered to 169X
• Route E70 renumbered to 170X
• Route E71 renumbered to 171X
• Route E75 renumbered to 175X
• Route E76 renumbered to 176X
• Route E77 renumbered to 177X
• Route E78 renumbered to 178X
• Route E79 renumbered to 179X
• Route E80 renumbered to 180X
• Route E83 renumbered to 183X
• Route E85 renumbered to 185X
• Route E88 renumbered to 188X
• Route E89 renumbered to 189X
• Route L90 renumbered to 190X

No routes or timetables will be changing on 3 May 2020, only the route numbers that buses show on the destination board and in timetable apps.

Thanks to Leon Sharpe for providing images of buses displaying new route numbers for use in the article.