March 24-30, 2024: Issue 619

 

Service adjustments for local buses from March 31 2024: increase in runs for b-line + frenchs forest to city run -  details

B-line at Warriewood. Photo: Joe Mills

Just weeks after announcing a new blueprint for NSW bus services through what was outlined in the Bus Industry Taskforce's Second Report, released February 22, 2024, the changes for routes will come into effect Sunday week. Some services will be increased, and some will be decreased- for example, the 141-Austlink to Manly via Frenchs Forest & Seaforth will have two weekday midday, and four evening trips withdrawn. Others will be slightly increased and some will go altogether - the weekday 06:50 trip from Killarney Heights (273) will be withdrawn due to the ongoing driver shortage and availability of alternative options.

The list states many will have 'updated running times to better reflect operating conditions'.

Bus Timetable changes were announced in July 2023 as well, stated then to be in response to industry-wide driver shortages. Sources within the industry state the privatised services struggle to attract drivers as they are expected to work for reduced wages and benefits that make it financially unfeasible to do such a job.

The Second Report noted expected population growth has not been catered for in funding for new bus services, leaving growing communities disconnected from essential services, as has occurred at Frenchs Forest, with commuters left stranded day after day as buses to the city are either full before they get to their stop, or cancelled to meet privatised contract arrangements.

The Taskforce will provide the NSW Government with its Final Report and recommendations by 1 May 2024.

Read the Bus Taskforce Second Report

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said:

“The Second Bus Taskforce report will deliver the biggest improvement to bus services that NSW has seen in a generation. “For too long bus services have been the forgotten mode of Transport in NSW. They carry more than 40 per cent of passengers but are lucky to get more than 2 per cent of capital investment. This must change. Tens of thousands of passengers rely on the bus network and we need to do better."

"Too many growing communities were neglected because the former government had no plan for what their future bus services would look like.  We now have plan to make sure those communities get the bus services they need."

The changes announced on Friday March 22 state from Sunday 31 March, timetables and routes for some Beaches and North Shore buses will be adjusted to improve reliability and capacity to meet customer demand.

Key service adjustments include:

  • Increasing services on B-Line due to an increase in passengers and on-board crowding.
  • Discontinuing route 137 (this route, operating only once each weekday in each direction, has just two unique stops and is otherwise duplicated by other routes).
  • Doubling of daytime frequency on route 161 to better cater to locals and visitors to Manly.
  • Additional services from Frenchs Forest to the Sydney CBD in the morning peak to alleviate overcrowding.
  • Replacing route 195/6 (an after hours combined route 195 and 196) with separate route 195 or 196 trips.
  • Replacing route 270X with additional trips on route 270 (route 270 also operates as an express for much of the route, and journey times are comparable).
  • Discontinuing route 282 and replacing these trips with route 281 or 283 trips.
  • Minor changes to simplify and improve reliability on school services.
  • Changes to running times to reflect actual journey times, including both faster trips and extra time where it is required.
  • To accommodate existing patronage on weekday mornings, a route 280 service will operate from Chatswood Station (Stand C) to Frenchs Forest/Northern Beaches Hospital, extending to Bantry Bay via the old 137 route. This will replace the current 137 AM route.  No replacement of the current 137 PM required.

Further information on the changes is below - all the changes may be accessed here:

B1 - BN1

  • Adjustments to peak period timings to better align capacity with demand.
  • Enhanced weekday frequency with services every 7 mins or better for most of the day, including increased capacity during off-peak, contra-peak and evening periods to support high demand.
  • Enhanced Saturday frequency with services every 6-7 mins for most of the day, and every 8 mins in the evening.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions throughout the week, including faster peak running times on Fridays during school term and weekdays during school holidays.

142

  • Minor adjustment to three weekday trips to simplify the operating hours of the deviation to Warringah Aquatic Centre.

150X

  • Weekday AM peak frequency improved to every 10 mins (currently every 12 mins).
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

154X

  • Weekday shoulder peak frequency will reduce to every 20 mins (currently every 10 mins) due to low demand and availability of alternatives.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

155

  • Weekday AM peak frequency will reduce to every 30 mins (currently every 20 mins) due to very low demand and availability of alternatives.
  • Minor reductions to frequency and operating hours in the evening due to very low demand and availability of alternatives.

156

  • Weekday PM peak frequency will reduce to every 20 mins (currently every 10 mins), however, PM contra- peak frequency will improve to every 20 mins (currently every 30 mins).
  • The last service in both directions nightly will now be 30 mins earlier due to very low demand.

160X

  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions, including faster peak running times on weekdays during school holidays.

161

  • Weekday off-peak and weekend daytime frequency improved to every 30 mins (currently every 60 mins) to support growing demand.

162

  • One additional weekday PM peak trip will operate to improve connectivity with ferries at Manly.
  • Adjustments to weekday peak trip departure times to provide a more consistent frequency.

165X

  • One additional weekday AM peak trip and two additional weekday PM peak trips will operate to support high demand.

170X

  • One additional weekday AM peak trip and one additional weekday PM peak trips will operate to support high demand.

172X

  • Selected weekday AM contra-peak trips will receive extra running time due to significant late running issues.

174X

  • One additional weekday AM peak trip and one additional weekday PM peak trips will operate to support high demand.

178

  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

179

  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

180

  • One additional weekday evening trip will operate, replacing an existing route 180X trip.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

180X

  • The last weekday PM peak trip towards Collaroy Plateau will be replaced by a route 180 trip due to low patronage on this service from the city and availability of alternatives.

181X

  • Two weekday PM trips will no longer operate due to low demand and availability of alternatives, reducing frequency to every 30 mins outside of the height of peak.

182

Weekday peak frequency between Narrabeen and North Narrabeen will be reduced to every 20 mins (currently every 10 mins) due to very low demand and availability of alternatives.

190X

  • The last weekday PM peak trip will be withdrawn due to low demand and availability of alternatives.

199

  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions, including more reliable running times on weekdays during school holidays.

230

  • Additional weekday peak trips will operate to support school student loadings and maintain frequency between Milsons Point and Spit Junction at where route 154X trips have been removed.

238

  • The first weekday trip from Taronga Zoo Wharf will be extended to Balmoral Beach (currently ends at Taronga Zoo) to improve ferry to bus connectivity.
  • On weekends, timing and capacity adjustments have been made to ensure that sufficient capacity is provided between Taronga Zoo Wharf and Taronga Zoo.

280

  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.
  • Services will now operate a more consistent 20 min weekday peak frequency in both directions.
  • Services will operate earlier and later throughout the week, in line with typical operating hours for buses in the region.

141

  • Two weekday midday, and four evening trips withdrawn due to low demand.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

193

  • Weekday evening trips reduced due to low demand.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

194

  • Four additional weekday trips will operate, replacing route 194X trips.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

194X

  • Four weekday trips will instead operate as route 194 to reflect demand.
  • Weekday PM peak frequency will be reduced to every 20 mins (currently every 15-20 mins) to reflect demand.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

195

  • Improved coordination with route 197 to maximise peak frequency along the common alignment.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

196

  • Timetable adjustments to maintain coordination with routes 196 and 197.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

197

  • Weekday peak frequency reduced to every 20-30 mins (currently every 10-20 mins) to improve reliability.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

260

  • One earlier weekday PM peak trip introduced to support school student demand.
  • One later weekday PM peak trip removed due to low demand.

270

  • Some suspended weekday peak trips have been reinstated with high capacity buses to support high demand.
  • The single route 270 trip commencing from Frenchs Forest East will be replaced by an additional route 279 trip.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

271

  • Some suspended weekday peak trips have been reinstated with high-capacity buses to support high demand.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

273

  • The weekday 06:50 trip from Killarney Heights will be withdrawn due to the ongoing driver shortage and availability of alternative options.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

274

  • An additional weekday AM peak trip will operate to support high demand.
  • Two weekday PM trips will be removed due to low demand and availability of alternatives.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

277

  • Two weekday trips extended from/to Chatswood.
  • One additional Saturday trip, providing a consistent two-hourly frequency between 08:10 and 18:10.
  • Sunday and Public Holiday services introduced, operating to the same timetable as Saturdays.

278

  • An additional weekday AM peak trip will operate to replace a route 273 trip.
  • The first three weekday trips will now end in Forestville instead of Chatswood due to low demand and duplication with other services.

279

  • One weekday early morning trip will be removed due to low demand, however, an additional AM peak trip will operate to replace a route 270 trip.
  • The weekday PM trips will now end in Frenchs Forest to reduce duplication with other services.

281

  • Additional evening and weekday PM peak trips will operate, replacing some route 282 services.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

283

  • The weekday morning short working trips that commence from Belrose and operate in the opposite direction to the standard variant will now be standardised to operate as per the standard variant.
  • Additional evening and weekday PM peak trips will operate, replacing some route 282 services.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

284

  • Outside of school times, services will no longer operate to or from Chatswood due to low demand and availability of alternatives.
  • Some weekday trips with very low demand will be removed.

556

  • The weekday AM peak extension school extension to Killara will be removed due to low demand.
  • Sunday and Public Holiday frequency will be improved to every 60 mins.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

558

  • The weekday AM peak school variant from Roseville will be removed due to low demand.
  • Sunday and Public Holiday services introduced, operating to the same timetable as Saturdays.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

560

  • One weekday PM peak trip removed due to the ongoing driver shortage.
  • Sunday and Public Holiday frequency will be improved to every 60 mins.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

562

  • One weekday trip in each direction will be removed due to very low demand and availability of alternatives.

571

  • Two additional weekday AM peak trips will operate, replacing two unique variant route 572 trips.

572

  • The first two weekday trips will operate as route 571 instead.
  • Weekday peak frequency will be reduced to every 30 mins (currently every 20 mins) due to the ongoing driver shortage.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

573

  • One weekday AM peak short trip will be removed due to low demand.
  • Finlay Rd deviation will now be served by every trip on weekdays.
  • Sunday frequency improved to hourly (currently two hourly)

575

  • Weekday peak frequency will be reduced to every 30 mins (currently every 20 mins) due to the ongoing driver shortage.
  • An earlier weekday service will operate from Hornsby Station to provide better access to Hornsby Hospital.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

576

  • One weekday AM peak trip will be removed due to low demand.
  • A simplified timetable will be introduced with deviations experiencing very low demand removed.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

576T

  • The weekday 11:20 trip from from Turramurra Station will be removed due to very low demand.

577

  • Sunday and Public Holiday frequency will be improved to every 60 mins.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

577P

  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

582

  • The weekday 16:08 trip from Acron Rd will now depart four minutes later.
  • Sunday and Public Holiday frequency will be improved to every 60 mins.

586

  • Pennant Hills HS deviations are now operated as school special services.
  • Updated running times to better reflect operating conditions.

588

  • A simplified timetable with fewer variations will be introduced.
  • Two additional weekday evening trips will operate to replace existing deviations on route 587.

589

  • Turramurra HS extension now operates as school route 8089.

591

  • St Ives HS extension now operates as school route 9124

594

  • On weekdays, one AM peak and one PM peak trip will be removed due to low demand beyond the shared corridor with route 194/194X and availability of alternatives.

595

  • Trip adjustments to the weekday timetable to provide more consistent frequencies.

598

  • Minor adjustments to the timetable to improve scheduling efficiency.

599

  • Minor adjustments to the timetable improve scheduling efficiency.