Melbourne bus route 601
Melbourne bus route 601 is a bus route in the Melbourne network. It shuttles passengers between Huntingdale train station and the Clayton campus of Monash University. The 2.8 kilometre route launched in July 2011, and is operated by CDC Melbourne. According to Monash, it is the busiest bus route in Victoria, transporting up to 38,000 passengers per week during university semesters.
| 601 | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Operator | CDC Melbourne |
| Began service | July 2011 |
| Route | |
| Start | Huntingdale railway station |
| End | Monash University, Clayton campus |
| Length | 2.8 kilometres (1.7 mi) |
| Other routes | 630, 900 978 (Night Network) |
| Service | |
| Frequency | Every 4 to 8 minutes |
| Journey time | 5 to 7 minutes |
| Operates | Monday to Friday |
| Zone(s) | 1+2 |
| Ridership | 7,600 daily (as of 2016) |
| Timetable | Route 601 timetable |
| Map | Route 601 map |
History
Huntingdale train station is the main railway connection for students and staff taking public transport to the Monash University Clayton campus. The frequency of the existing 630 and 900 bus routes struggled to keep up with passenger demand, leading to long queues at Huntingdale for students waiting to take a bus to campus.[1] Increased frequencies on route 630 failed to alleviate the situation, and on 15 March 2010, Monash University announced that they would fund and run a shuttle service themselves. This shuttle service ran for 2 hours in the morning from Monday to Thursday every week.[1]
Monash continuously provided data to Public Transport Victoria about the number of passengers taking the shuttle service, to advocate for a high-frequency direct route from Huntingdale to Monash. In July 2011, PTV finally launched the 601 bus route, running express from Huntingdale Station to Monash University, five days a week.[2]
In 2014, the service carried about 22,000 passengers per week during university semesters.[3] A Monash University survey of students in 2015 found that about 6000 passengers used the service every day.[2] This grew to 7600 daily passengers in 2016, making it the most used bus route in Victoria.[4]
In February 2018, the Huntingdale stop for route 601 was moved from Huntingdale Road into the new bus loop constructed next to the train station.[5][6]
Signage issues
Despite being launched in 2011, the 601 bus service remained missing from signage at Huntingdale station for over two years. Former president of the Public Transport Users Association, Daniel Bowen, first wrote about the missing signage in January 2014,[7] and it was also reported by local newspaper Waverley Leader in February.[3] By 20 February 2014, the list of bus routes on the signage at Huntingdale station had been modified to include the 601 service.[7]
Route and timetable
Route 601 is operated by CDC Melbourne during university semesters. Services depart from Huntingdale station and run express along North Road, terminating at the other end inside the bus loop at Monash University's Clayton campus. They then return express to Huntingdale station.[8] The timetable allocates 7 minutes for buses to travel from Huntingdale to Monash,[9] and 5 minutes to return in the other direction.[10]
The first services for the day depart from Huntingdale station at 6.58am, and at 7.02am from Monash University. The route operates at a high frequency, with buses departing every 4 minutes from the first service until approximately 7pm, then every 8 minutes until the last service. The final services depart Huntingdale at 9.32pm, and from Monash University at 9.41pm.[9][10] The 601 does not operate on weekends.[7] In holiday periods between semesters, the route operates at a reduced 8 minute frequency from first to last service.[10]
On public holidays, public transport in Melbourne normally operates to a Saturday timetable. However, on holidays that Monash University does not observe, such as Labour Day, route 601 operates on a standard weekday schedule.[6]
References
- "Huntingdale chaos brings renewed call for Monash/Rowville rail". Public Transport Users Association. 18 April 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- "601 shuttle bus". Monash University. 18 July 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- Rabar, Julia (3 February 2014). "Huntingdale bus Link to Monash University let down by poor signage". Waverley Leader. Herald Sun. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- "The 601 Bus Service Remains Popular". Monash University. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- "Huntingdale Station Precinct Upgrade". Public Transport Victoria. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018.
- Bowen, Daniel (14 March 2018). "Three bus stops outside Huntingdale, Victoria". danielbowen.com. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
- Bowen, Daniel (26 January 2014). "The 601 is the most important train-bus connection at Huntingdale. Why is it missing from the signs?". danielbowen.com. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- "601 Huntingdale - Monash University (Clayton)". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- "Huntingdale Station/Haughton Rd timetable". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- "Monash University timetable". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 21 June 2019.