Private Observations 2019

[gilberations]

Busways are again announcing the cancelation of three services to provide buses for the Springwood-Penrith closure

[boronia]

Are Busways so short on buses/drivers that they have to cancel services to do this?

There seem to be plenty of coaches from other companies doing the work. Telfords had a few out there today as well as previously mentioned.

[burrumbus]

Yes interesting Boronia.I would have thought there would be plenty of charter only operators that would be available to do that job.

[Cowra]

If there is an emergency rail shutdown, operators can be and often are requested by TMC to cancel route services to cover rail replacement.

[boronia]

This was hardly an emergency shutdown. It was somewhat pre-planned, even if only by a day or so, and has been ongoing for over a week.

[Glen]

This was hardly an emergency shutdown. It was somewhat pre-planned, even if only by a day or so, and has been ongoing for over a week.

I'd still call it an emergency. It's a lot of buses and drivers to produce out of nowhere on very little notice.

[Stu]

This was hardly an emergency shutdown. It was somewhat pre-planned, even if only by a day or so, and has been ongoing for over a week.

Any unplanned event that causes a disruption to timetabled train services is deemed an emergency. The ongoing rail replacement bus services only became planned after the initial incident that caused the line to be closed.

Another unique emergency situation was the incident that occurred in February this year when a car hit a signal box at Riverwood. This was deemed a rail emergency that lasted 3 x days despite trains still operating with buses on stand by at East Hills and Kingsgrove. On the last day of the emergency bussing, trains were terminating at Kingsgrove after 21:00 and buses then conveyed passengers all stops to East Hills to a waiting train.

[marcnut1996]

Demonstrator unit CJ65VY seen operating 441 from QVB at 10.10am today. i.e the demo unit is with Transit Systems.

[Jurassic_Joke]

I love the rectangular shaped windows, gives the bus a much sleeker look. Transit Systems R3 Volvo CB80's also looks like this. Rather than what STA loves with the rounded corner windows. And definitely quite something unique to see an all-white bus instead of the usual TfNSW livery.

EDIT - Also, not common to see a CB80 with openable windows (I know PBC has some), so thats a nice touch too

[Stonesourscotty]

Has anyone seen 1294/5 of Busways? these are the only two i have yet to see in service are 1174/5 the last remaining bustechs still at Penrith?

[Campbelltown busboy]

I love the rectangular shaped windows, gives the bus a much sleeker look. Transit Systems R3 Volvo CB80's also looks like this. Rather than what STA loves with the rounded corner windows. And definitely quite something unique to see an all-white bus instead of the usual TfNSW livery.

EDIT - Also, not common to see a CB80 with openable windows (I know PBC has some), so thats a nice touch too

Go out to anywhere around Blacktown Penrith and the Hawkesbury Valley and look for a Busways spec CB80 all Busways spec CB80s have openable windows

[Aurora]

This was hardly an emergency shutdown. It was somewhat pre-planned, even if only by a day or so, and has been ongoing for over a week.

We still pay emergency ( uncontracted as it is still last minute) rates to the bus companies. Quite lucrative for them if they can supply.

[LB608]

EBus Pty Ltd,have all buses been sold since Voluntary Insolvency 1/2019

[burrumbus]

EBus Pty Ltd,have all buses been sold since Voluntary Insolvency 1/2019

Thanks Peter for this sad information.Ebus were one of the better charter onlys in Sydney with a good fleet and good presentation.They concentrated very much on school transfer work.
It appears as though Travelon Coaches are taking over the business through the administrators.
See https://www.ebusmacarthur.com/
It would appear that the centralised new payment system that the Education Department introduced last year has resulted in much slower payments that has caused a cash flow issue within the ebus business.
Very sad.

[swtt]

Route 686 (Katoomba loop) apparently gets a frequency boost to 10 min on Sundays from 28/4 but the Service Alterations page fails to mention that the Saturday frequency gets chopped from 15 min to 30 min

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[Jurassic_Joke]

You mean kinda like in the last big train timetable changed they failed to mention in service alterations they took away half the late north shore line trains that used to go via MQ Park so they terminate at north Sydney instead?

[neilrex]

Route 686 (Katoomba loop) apparently gets a frequency boost to 10 min on Sundays from 28/4 but the Service Alterations page fails to mention that the Saturday frequency gets chopped from 15 min to 30 min

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I've been at Echo Point at Katoomba several times, where there was about 3 times as many passengers waiting, than could get on the bus.

Like the ferry problems, this is a consequence of the huge difference in fares, for family daytrippers, between Saturdays and Sundays.

[Volgren optimus fan]

Apparently according to a newspaper article from the Cessnock advertiser rover coaches are supposed to get more low floor accessible buses I wonder if they will be more iveco metro Express buses? I hope so don’t mind express I’ve been on one of red busses expresses and they were quite good plus I know that rover got a Iveco express low floor bus last year.

[mactransit]

In regards to a previous post about the Western Sydney university Parramatta shuttle - CDC have put together an interesting fleet of small to mid capacity buses to operate the service.

I noted down some of the buses I have seen operating the shuttle:
TV 5624 - CDC Travel MB0405 Custom 510
TV 5628 - CDC Travel Volvo B10M MkIV Custom 510
CR47GY - Optare Metrocity
CQ40PN - Optare Metrocity (ex Telfords)
1HD2YQ (Vic) - Optare Solo
m/o 8885 - Hillsbus Hino Poncho
m/o 8886 - Hillsbus Hino Poncho

The original Toyota Coasters that operated on the service are still to be found, but are in small numbers than before - presumably some were hired and have now been returned.

[BAMBAM]

EBus Pty Ltd,have all buses been sold since Voluntary Insolvency 1/2019

Thanks Peter for this sad information.Ebus were one of the better charter onlys in Sydney with a good fleet and good presentation.They concentrated very much on school transfer work.
It appears as though Travelon Coaches are taking over the business through the administrators.
See https://www.ebusmacarthur.com/
It would appear that the centralised new payment system that the Education Department introduced last year has resulted in much slower payments that has caused a cash flow issue within the ebus business.
Very sad.

Two of their buses are on Manheim with their auction on the 17-4-19, 2 days time.

TV 8822 - Custom Coaches "Mk88" Volvo B10m MK III

https://www.manheim.com.au/trucks-machi ... rchResults

TV 8823 - Volgren Volvo B10M Mk II

https://www.manheim.com.au/trucks-machi ... rchResults

[Jurassic_Joke]

Transit Systems Mercedes 0500LE CB80 Demonstrator, quick interior shot

Nice enough bus - but is there anything unique / otherwise standout about it? The previous demo bus, the Scania K320UB Volgren Optimus that Transit Systems was in possession of, had a Euro 6 engine to boast

IMG_6954.jpg (116.96 KiB) Viewed 5512 times

[Daniel]

It is also a Euro 6. The first Australian chassis.

[iamthouth]

Route 686 (Katoomba loop) apparently gets a frequency boost to 10 min on Sundays from 28/4 but the Service Alterations page fails to mention that the Saturday frequency gets chopped from 15 min to 30 min

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There is no reduction on the Saturday 686 from the base term timetable, but it has school vacation only additional weekend services which show up in the current 15/04 timetables.

[swtt]

Route 686 (Katoomba loop) apparently gets a frequency boost to 10 min on Sundays from 28/4 but the Service Alterations page fails to mention that the Saturday frequency gets chopped from 15 min to 30 min

Sent from my Huawei Mate 20 Pro using Tapatalk

There is no reduction on the Saturday 686 from the base term timetable, but it has school vacation only additional weekend services which show up in the current 15/04 timetables.

So on Saturdays it's always a 30 min frequency I believe?

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[iamthouth]

30 min term, 15 min SVAC weekends, due to tourist influx.