NightRide

NightRide

Overview
Owner	Transport for NSW
Locale	Sydney, Australia
Transit type	Bus
Number of lines	13
Number of stations	120
Operation
Began operation	18 June 1989 (1989-06-18)
Operator(s)	Hillsbus Punchbowl Bus Company Transdev State Transit Authority

NightRide, also Nightride, is a network of bus routes in operation between midnight and 4.30am in Sydney, Australia. The thirteen routes are run by bus operators as listed below and allow for a nightly shutdown of the Sydney Trains commuter 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 The NightRide network was established in mid-1989 as low-patronage late-night train services were progressively withdrawn.^[1][2] Services follow major roads, and some stops are some distance from the railway stations they replace.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 train 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.^[4]

History

The first NightRide routes, to Riverwood, Campbelltown and Sutherland, commenced in June 1989. Services to Penrith, Hornsby and Cronulla began two months later.^[5] 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.^[6]

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.^[7]

Network

As from 1 March 2018 the network consists of^[8]

References