New Sydney and Outer Metro bus contracts (as from 2020)

[Aurora]

Although there are now a number of routes between Bankstown and Parramatta I dont think there is one via Chester Hill.

M91?

[Fleet Lists]

Sorry I missed that when I looked at the map.

[Paulee]

Transit Systems announced today they have regained region 3 contract plus pick up region 13 .
Seven years contract starting August 2023

[BAMBAM]

Transit System Sydney retains region 3 as well gaining region 13.

https://www.transitsystems.com.au/news/ ... -contracts

Transit Systems retains and adds Greater Sydney Bus Contracts

Improving operational performance and customer satisfaction levels have been key to retaining Transport for NSW Greater Sydney Bus Contracts, according to incumbent operator Transit Systems.

Partnering with Transport for NSW for nearly a decade, Transit Systems’ new contract will see it retain the Region 3 bus services it has operated since 2013, and from mid-2023 it will commence operating Region 13 bus services in Sydney’s South-West including the Lidcombe, Granville, Bankstown and Liverpool areas.

Over the last decade, Transit Systems has helped deliver transformational change in NSW public transport according to Chief Executive Officer Michael McGee.

“The last 10 years in New South Wales public transport has seen some of the greatest shifts in customer behaviour. For example, we have witnessed the impacts on COVID and the change to travel demands in our cities’ CBDs. We have seen the launch of electric buses and the positive impacts on the customer experience and the local environment. We have also witnessed the introduction of NSW’s smart ticketing system and On Demand services - digitization of payment platforms, removing cash from services and offering our customers more convenient ways to book, travel and pay for their journeys.

“We have leveraged our global experience alongside our local capabilities to deliver meaningful improvements to customers and we’re committed to continuing to work with Transport for NSW to deliver considerable change and improvements to public transport systems to enhance outcomes for all stakeholders,” he said.

Having been re-awarded the Region 3 bus services, Transit Systems will continue to improve the performance of a service that has already transformed from an under-performing region in 2013 into one of Sydney’s consistently best-performing on-time running region.

“Since transitioning Region 3 in October 2013, we have achieved exceptional on-time running and patronage growth,” he said.

Achievements include service planning improvements on the T80 coupled with the introduction of double decker buses that resulted in Transit Systems achieving the best on-time running of all the Sydney Bus Contracts for Region 3, and a 50% increase in patronage.

“We have also met the challenges of taking on NSW’s largest region, Sydney inner-west Region 6 in 2018 – improving service delivery, delivering innovative On Demand operations and introducing headway managed services in Region 3 and Region 6, as well as deploying Sydney’s first electric buses with the country’s largest electrified depot,” he said.

Transit Systems is also Australia’s most experienced operator when it comes to contract transition.

“We have developed and refined our transitions approach, with no other Australian operator having our level of transition experience.

“We have the benefit of the most successful contract transitions in Australia, London and Singapore and we’re extremely proud to have mobilised more competitively tendered metropolitan public transport contracts than any other bus operator in Australia.

“It demonstrates that we are both a highly efficient operator and a successful ‘change’ manager,” he said.

Kelsian Group CEO Clint Feuerherdt said he was proud of the entire Transit Systems team.

“Transit Systems has built an industry leading reputation as an advanced transport operator in terms of innovation, sustainability and performance. We proudly set the benchmarks.

“We will remain focused on connecting people, linking communities, finding solutions, creating opportunities and enhancing cities as the operator of Australia’s greenest fleet, largest electrified depot and expert network planner,” he said.

[gilberations]

So they’re taking over from Punchbowl Buses?

[gilberations]

So they’re taking over from Punchbowl Buses?

Sorry I meant Transdev

[stupid_girl]

What will happen to regions 5 and 10?

[Fleet Lists]

Unknown at this stage but one would expect that to be announced any time now.
I would expect those two regions to be combined but that is no certainty as the Transit Systems announcement does not appear to make any mention of 3 and 13 being combined.
It also leaves the question of Metrobus routes M91 and M92 which operate across regions 10 and 13 and up until now have both been operated by Transdev.

[marcnut1996]

With regions 3, 6 and 13 now technically touching each other, could Transit Systems theoretically have a crosscity route from City to Western Sydney Airport via Strathfield and Fairfield for example.

[Fleet Lists]

Certainly a possibility.

[Merc1107]

It also leaves the question of Metrobus routes M91 and M92 which operate across regions 10 and 13 and up until now have both been operated by Transdev.

Is there any precedent in Sydney for routes being operated by multiple operators?

[Linto63]

With regions 3, 6 and 13 now technically touching each other, could Transit Systems theoretically have a crosscity route from City to Western Sydney Airport via Strathfield and Fairfield for example.

Just because adjoining regions are operated by the same operator doesn't mean that services will be through routed. Although it will mean it will be possible to travel from Chatswood to beyond Liverpool exclusively by Transit Systems buses for anybody who has a lot of time on their hands.

[Merc1107]

Just because adjoining regions are operated by the same operator doesn't mean that services will be through routed.

Judging by discussion here it seems as though the trend is exactly the opposite - with long through services being split apart to improve punctuality, and concentrate services where they are actually needed.

[boronia]

With the known problems of long cross-regional routes, I doubt that would even be considered. Any TfNSW routes to WSA would most probably just feeders off rail stations.

Some enterprising private operator might invest in express services between KSA and WSA.

[Linto63]

Is there any precedent in Sydney for routes being operated by multiple operators?

Apart from route 400 Bondi Junction - Burwood that was briefly operated by State Transit and Transit Systems before being split, not in recent years. Otherwise the trend has been to split them as part of region reviews. Would expect the trend to continue with the M91 and M92 split at Bankstown. There are some examples in outer regions, e.g. Busways and Coastal Liner jointly operate route 80 on the Central Coast.

[Fleet Lists]

Just because adjoining regions are operated by the same operator doesn't mean that services will be through routed.

Judging by discussion here it seems as though the trend is exactly the opposite - with long through services being split apart to improve punctuality, and concentrate services where they are actually needed.

Very true. When the STA regions were privatised the various STA Metrobus routes were split and renumbered into the normal route number system so that these routes would not be operated by multiple operators, while shortly afterwards the CDC Metrobus routes were also renumbered, leaving Transdev M90 which is all region 13, M91 and 92 as the only Metrobus routes. I had expected that these routes would also be renumbered as it appeared to be government policy to do with the Metrobus name as it tended to conflict with the Metro rail which has been introduced over recent years, and to split M91 and M92 for the same reasons as the STA routes.

[Merc1107]

Perhaps the decision to split routes isn't purely driven by ideological boundaries, or the issue of punctuality? If the routes are performing their intended function, and are supported (not duplicated) by other buses, perhaps there is no need to interfere? As I'm not familiar with Sydney, I'd be interested to hear if these routes differ greatly in their purpose and utilisation compared with those that have already been split.

[Fleet Lists]

Is there any precedent in Sydney for routes being operated by multiple operators?

Apart from route 400 Bondi Junction - Burwood that was briefly operated by State Transit and Transit Systems before being split, not in recent years. Otherwise the trend has been to split them as part of region reviews. Would expect the trend to continue with the M91 and M92 split at Bankstown. There are some examples in outer regions, e.g. Busways and Coastal Liner jointly operate route 80 on the Central Coast.

Route 80 is one of four such routes 78, 80, 91 and 98. The timetables for these four routes are generally a mess as the software which creates the timetables can not handle input from more than one operator very well, Timetables are normally updated at the beginning and end of school terms but that does not happen for these four routes as they currently show starting dates of 14 October 2019 or 29 January 2021 and some part trips are not shown correctly. Until this is sorted out multiple operators need to be avoided.

Olympic Park route 7 has over recent times also been operated by both Puncbowl Bus Co and Transit Systems - when this happens the Transport for NSW timetable only shows the Punchbowl trips with the Transit Systems trips missing while Tripview shows a complete correct timetable.

Getting off topic but this has influenced the use of multiple operators. For some years I was in continual contact with Transport for NSW when this type of error was happening in their timetables.

[Linto63]

Perhaps the decision to split routes isn't purely driven by ideological boundaries, or the issue of punctuality?

In some cases the splitting appeared to be largely to do with operational convenience, i.e. splitting was purely done to allow for contracting out of State Transit's services. In other cases it was justified, IIRC route 343 Chatswood - Kingsford had much lower loadings on one leg compared to the other. There is no reason that more than one operator could not operate a route, as State Transit did, but the one operator, one route is the model TfNSW has gone for.

[BanksfielderIdiot823]

Transit Systems announced today they have regained region 3 contract plus pick up region 13 .
Seven years contract starting August 2023

Oh, for flipping SAKE!!!

Great… more Gemilangs.

[Merc1107]

The timetables for these four routes are generally a mess as the software which creates the timetables can not handle input from more than one operator very well ... Until this is sorted out multiple operators need to be avoided.

Getting off topic but this has influenced the use of multiple operators. For some years I was in continual contact with Transport for NSW when this type of error was happening in their timetables.

If that is seriously an issue in 2022, that some software used by TfNSW is so limited it cannot generate a timetable where more than one operator is involved, I'm speechless. This is particularly odd when Darwin, which has over 30 public routes had successfully split the work between two operators for many years, until July when CDC began operating services exclusively.

Have noticed that when I've used the CircleRoute (998/999) or 950 in Perth, both of which are operated by multiple operators, that the route number shown in my SmartRider history seems to depend on which contractor operated the service. I can only hypothesise this may have been done to avoid the situation you've described, among other reasons (like identifying which contract area ran a service for statistical reasons).

[Fleet Lists]

Transit Systems announced today they have regained region 3 contract plus pick up region 13 .
Seven years contract starting August 2023

Great… more Gemilangs.

Not necessarily - their next lot is Custom Elements.

And you can take your region 3 wish out of your signature.

[marcnut1996]

Unknown at this stage but one would expect that to be announced any time now.
I would expect those two regions to be combined but that is no certainty as the Transit Systems announcement does not appear to make any mention of 3 and 13 being combined.
It also leaves the question of Metrobus routes M91 and M92 which operate across regions 10 and 13 and up until now have both been operated by Transdev.

Kelsian has confirmed that the two regions will be combined.
https://cdn-api.markitdigital.com/apima ... a206a39ff4

[Fleet Lists]

If that is seriously an issue in 2022, that some software used by TfNSW is so limited it cannot generate a timetable where more than one operator is involved, I'm speechless. This is particularly odd when Darwin, which has over 30 public routes had successfully split the work between two operators for many years, until July when CDC began operating services exclusively.

Have noticed that when I've used the CircleRoute (998/999) or 950 in Perth, both of which are operated by multiple operators, that the route number shown in my SmartRider history seems to depend on which contractor operated the service. I can only hypothesise this may have been done to avoid the situation you've described, among other reasons (like identifying which contract area ran a service for statistical reasons).

The good thing is that in the case of the states you mention, the timetables are developed by the state transport authority which only feed ONE timetable into the timetable software for each route and the operators are then advised of what trips they will operate. However in NSW the timetables are developed by the individual operators where every operator forwards a file with their timetables - part of routes where appropriate - and these then need to be combined by the software for which I believe it was not designed.

As far as I am aware NSW is fairly unique in this situation.

It is a little difference like this which can cause a lot of trouble.

[Fleet Lists]

Apart from route 400 Bondi Junction - Burwood that was briefly operated by State Transit and Transit Systems before being split, not in recent years.

I have just checked back through my notes and during this time the timetables from the two operators for route 400 had to be combined by hand as it would not work automatically. Something Transport for NSW would not want to do for any number of routes.

It should be possible to develop a program which can do it automatically.