Posts

Posted on

Featured Bus Route – February 2018

IMG_2295

This month for our featured bus route we step away from the STA and back into the realm of private operators.

Route 887 between Campbelltown and Wollongong via Macarthur, Appin, University of Wollongong and North Wollongong is operated by Busabout. During School Holidays, selected morning services towards Wollongong and afternoon services towards Campbelltown divert via Wollongong Beach.

Initially a commuter run with just a few peak hour services in each direction, the 887 has become very popular with not only workers but Uni Students and day trippers. For years this surge in patronage was ignored despite constant pressure from Local MPs, UOW and the Local Media. There were just five weekday services and two weekend services all of which suffered from chronic overcrowding, until the service was finally upgraded in November 2017.

Today the service runs hourly between 6am and 8pm on weekdays, with a half hourly service during peak hours. It runs every two hours between 9am and 5pm on weekend. There are sporadic extra trips that only operate between Campbelltown and Appin, particularly during peak hour and on weekend. The service no longer suffers from overcrowding but still remains extremely popular,

 

 

Posted on

Train Disruptions – Monday 29 January Update

IMG_8076

On Monday 29 January NO trains services will operate in NSW. This is due to strike action being undertaken by the RBTU and Sydney train drivers.

Please see below a list of disruptions and alternative options.

Train Services

  • No train services will operate in NSW. This includes Sydney Trains, NSW Trainlink Intercity and NSW Trainlink Regional services.

School Bus Services

  • All government contracted school buses will not operate. This includes all STA and most private operators.
  • School run buses will still operate.

Regular Bus Services

  • There will be cancellations to some route services, particularly those run by Private operators.
  • Some bus routes that duplicate train lines will have extra services.

Rail Replacement Buses

  • There will be limited rail replacement buses operating. They will operate very 10-15 minutes and have very limited capacity. See the list of routes below;
    • Hornsby, All Stops to Wynyard and return.
    • Blacktown, Seven Hills and return
    • Parramatta to QVB and return.
    • Parramatta, limited stops along Parramatta Rd to Central and return.
    • Penrith, limited stops along Great Western Highway to Parramatta and return.
    • Burwood, Croydon, Ashfield to Central and return.
    • Liverpool to Central and return.
    • Bankstown, All Stops to Belmore to Central and return.
    • Bondi Junction to Museum and return.
    • Sutherland to Central and return.
    • Cronulla, Woolaware, Caringbah to Central and return.
    • Oatley, All Stops to Arncliffe to Central and return.
    • Sydney Olympic Park Wharf to Sydney Olympic Park Station and return.
    • Campbelltown, All Stops to Liverpool and return.
    • Campbelltown, Leaumeah and return.
    • Mascot, Green Square to Central and return.
    • Sydney Airport International Terminal 1, Green Square to Central  and return.
    • Sydney Airport Qantas Domestic Terminal 3, Green Square to Central and return.
    • Katoomba, All Stops to Penrith and return.
    • Wollongong, North Wollongong to Central and return.
    • Gosford to Central and return.
  • All NSW TrainLink regional services will be replaced by buses. This may include some services on Sunday 28 January and Tuesday 30 January in addition to Monday 29 January.

Please do expect all modes of transport to be busier than usual, and take longer than usual due to congestion. If possible, avoid travelling on Monday 29 January.

Posted on

Train Disruptions – RBTU Industrial Action

IMG_8076

Due to planned legal industrial action being taken by the RBTU and Sydney Train Drivers, major disruptions are to be expected on the rail network from Thursday 25 January to Monday 29 January.

Please see below a list of all the planned disruptions by date.

Thursday 25 January 

  • Most Sydney Trains and all Intercity services will operate to a Saturday or reduced timetable.
  • NSW Regional Trains will operate as normal.

Friday 26 January 

  • Most Sydney Trains and all Intercity services will run to a Sunday or reduced timetable.
  • All T5 Cumberland Line and T6 Carlingford Line services will be CANCELLED
  • Trains to Revesby will instead terminate at Kingsgrove. Macarthur services will make extra stops.
  • Trains to Richmond will instead terminate at Blacktown. A limited shuttle will operate between Blacktown and Richmond
  • NSW Regional Trains will operate as normal.

Saturday 27 January 

  • Most Sydney Trains and all Intercity services will operate to a Saturday or reduced timetable.
  • All T5 Cumberland Line and T6 Carlingford Line services will be CANCELLED
  • NSW Regional Trains will operate as normal.

Sunday 28 January 

  • Most Sydney Trains and all Intercity services will run to a Sunday or reduced timetable.
  • All T5 Cumberland Line and T6 Carlingford Line services will be CANCELLED
  • All NSW Regional Services are CANCELLED

Monday 29 January

  • ALL Sydney Trains, Intercity and NSW Regional Services are CANCELLED. No passenger rail services will operate in NSW.

Please do be aware that further disruptions beyond those envisaged may be possible. Allow for significant extra travel time and plan alternative routes.

This is due to the actions of our state government and its Transport Minister, who refuse to agree on a fair wage and conditions for our train drivers. We should support our train drivers and condemn this current government for its heartless treatment. If a fair agreement can be made, much of this disruption will be averted.

Some schools (including SACS) have announced that they will not be opening on Monday 29 January if the strike goes ahead. Please check with individual school for more information.

 

 

 

Posted on

Featured Bus Route – January 2018

IMG_7396.JPG

Happy New Year! This year we will be having a featured bus route each month, so get requesting and see if your choice makes the top 12!

Our featured route this month is the 373 which operates between Coogee and City Circular Quay via Randwick Junction, Moore Park, Taylor Square and Elizabeth Street.

The 373 is one of the routes designated as a high priority Suburban route in the Sydney Bus Future report. This means that it runs 24/7 at a high frequency with stops every 800 or so metres along the route. The corridor it services is being further upgraded with the introduction of light rail between. Randwick and City Circular Quay, which may see the route take more of a back seat role in the future

Much like many other Eastern Suburbs bus routes, the 373 largely duplicates an old tram line. It began operation in its current state in 1960 as a replacement for the Coogee tram line which had just closed down.

The service currently operates 24 hours with high frequency. It runs very 5 minutes in the peak, every 10 minutes off peak and on weekends and every half an hour overnight.

It is operated out of STA’s Randwick Depot, with some services also operating out of Port Botany and Waverly depots during peak hours. It is serviced by a mix of regular 12.5m buses and high capacity 18m articulated buses.

 

Posted on

Merry Christmas – Summer Holiday Timetables

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my readers!

Please be aware of some changes to services over the next two weeks;

  • No express buses will operate
  • Peak Hour train services will be reduced
  • Extra ferries will be added
  • Extra services for New Year’s Eve

Enjoy the pics I took of Waverley Depot’s Christmas Bus.

IMG_6841IMG_6979

Posted on

Featured Bus Route – December 2017

This month’s Featured Bus Route is the new B1 B-Line. The B1 B-Line is a new turn up and go Bus Rapid Transit route operating on the Lower North Shore and Northern Beaches between Wynyard and Mona Vale. It was introduced last weekend on Sunday 26 November 2017, primarily as a replacement for the L90 service.

The B1 B-Line is operated by a fleet of brand new MAN ND323F buses with Gemilang Eco Double-Deck bodywork from Mona Vale depot. The service runs between 5am and Midnight daily, with services every 5 minutes during peak, 10 minutes off peak and on weekends and 15 minutes in the evenings.

The B1 B-Line is a limited stops service. It only stops at Wynyard, Neutral Bay, Spit Junction, Manly Vale, Warringah Mall, Dee Why, Collaroy, Narrabeen, Warriewood and Mona Vale. A planned extension to Newport is currently under construction.

This service is unique in that is uses foreign built buses, offers free wifi, next stop screens and announcements as well as USB ports at every seat. At all stops along the route real time schedule and capacity screens have also been installed.

Posted on

New Timetables

New Timetables are now in effect across the state, delivering thousands of extra weekly services. This means that our new train, ferry and bus networks are in action. There are over 1500 new train services including 750 on weekends, 7000 new bus services and 150 new ferry services starting today.

Major Changes are listed below

Trains

  • 1500 extra services, including 750 on weekends
  • New T8 Airport Line delivering trains every 8 minutes at least during the day Monday through Sunday.
  • Peak Hour Express trains between Parramatta and Central every 3 minutes
  • Rerouted T2 Inner West Line to Parramatta with trains every 6 minutes in Peak
  • Rerouted T5 Cumberland Line to Leppington with additional weekend services
  • Express Blue Mountains weekend trains

Ferries

  • 150 extra services
  • New F4 Cross Harbour Line servicing Pyrmont, Barangaroo, Circular Quay, Rose Bay and Watsons Bay
  • Rerouted F7 Eastern Suburbs Line servicing Circulalar Quay, Gardern Island, Darling Point and Double Bay
  • New F8 Cockatoo Island Line

Buses

  • Brand New Northern Beaches and Lower North Shore Network 
  • Introduction of the B-Line Bus Rapid Transit between Wynyard and Mona Vale
  • New Routes and major diversions including 199 Manly to Palm Beach and M30 extention to Taronga Zoo
  • Major Changes in Lane Cove including cancellation of 289 and rerouting of 292 services
  • Renumbering of UNSW services to 891 Central to UNSW, 893 UNSW Gate 3 to Central and 898 UNSW Gate 8 to Central
  • New route 379 Bronte to North Bondi replacing truncated 389 and 440 which both now finish at Bondi Junction
  • Extra Peak Hour and Late Night services to Bondi Junction on routes 352, 353, 360, 379 and 418
  • Extra Peak Hour services from the Hills District to the City
  • Additional services to Macquarie Centre
  • Additional Services to Olympic Park

For futher information and a list of all of the changes staring today click here

Posted on

Featured Bus Route – November 2017

12211633073_4b89de1c8c_b.jpg

As requested, this month we are doing one of the Northern Beaches routes that will disappear after the round of timetable changes later this month. The L88 operates between City Wynyard and Avalon via Spit Junction, Warringah Mall, Dee Why and Mona Vale in that direction only. Inbound services are instead listed as short workings of the L90.

The L88 runs every 30 minutes daily between 6am and 10pm, with higher frequency during evening peak hour. It operates using articulated 18m busses from Mona Vale and Brookvale depots.