NightRide | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Owner | Transport for NSW |
Locale | Sydney, Australia |
Transit type | Bus |
Number of lines | 16 |
Number of stations | 120 |
Operation | |
Began operation | 18 June 1989 |
Operator(s) | Busways CDC NSW Transit Systems NSW U-Go Mobility |
NightRide is a network of bus routes in operation between midnight and 4.30am in Sydney, Australia. The sixteen routes are run by bus operators as listed below and allow for a nightly shutdown of the Sydney Trains suburban rail network. The NightRide network was established in mid-1989 as low-patronage late-night train services were progressively withdrawn.[1][2] Services follow major roads, and some stops are some distance from the railway stations they replace. In addition, some routes serve stations on multiple railway lines. In the city, most services depart from George Street, above Town Hall station.
Normal bus fares apply to NightRide journeys.[3]
The suspension of train services overnight allows for maintenance to occur on tracks. Passengers reportedly feel safer on buses than mostly-empty trains late at night. However, in 2014, it was reported that patronage on most NightRide routes was falling. The Tourism and Transport Forum has called for 24-hour train operations to resume.[2]
History
[edit]The first NightRide routes, to Riverwood, Campbelltown and Sutherland, commenced in June 1989. Services to Penrith, Hornsby and Cronulla began two months later.[4] New services were introduced to Bondi Junction in 2009; and Carlingford and Richmond in 2011.
A city loop route, called N1, was established in 2000 and cancelled two years later.[5]
New contracts for all routes commenced 1 March 2018 with a number of routes going to different operators. The routes then became normal commuter routes under the administration of Transport for NSW instead of Sydney Trains. Changes included N100 Railway Square to Bondi Junction which commenced in 2009 ceasing, replaced by route N91 in conjunction with frequency changes to some routes.[6]
From 23 August 2020, two additional routes, N31 and N92 were introduced, and all N71 services standardised to operate to Richmond.[7]
Network
[edit]As of 2023, the NightRide network operations are as below:[8][9][10]
Note: Routes N61 and N81 operate early morning on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only.
References
[edit]- ^ Nightride services Fleetline August 1989 page 120
- ^ a b Late night travellers vote with their feet to dump NightRide Archived 8 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine Sydney Morning Herald 10 March 2014
- ^ "Transport NSW Adult Opal Fares".
- ^ Nightride Bus Service Starts Railway Digest August 1989 page 271
- ^ Changes to NightRide Buses: 1 November 2002 Archived 21 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine Action for Public Transport (NSW), retrieved 28 March 2006
- ^ NightRide bus changes Transport for NSW Info 26 February 2018
- ^ Bus service changes in August Transport for NSW 9 August 2020
- ^ Transport for NSW, Customer Experience Division. "Late night services". transportnsw.info. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Timetables Complete GTFS - TfNSW Open Data Hub and Developer Portal". opendata.transport.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Timetable N20 Riverwood to City Town Hall via Airport" (PDF). transportnsw.info. Retrieved 15 October 2023.