NightRide

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 The NightRide network was established in mid-1989 as low-patronage late-night train services were progressively withdrawn.[1][2] Services follow major roads, and some stops are some distance from the railway stations they replace.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 railway lines. In the city, most services depart from George Street, above Town Hall station.

This article is about the late-night train replacement bus services in Sydney. For the late-night bus services in Melbourne previously known as NightRider, see Night Network (Melbourne).

NightRide
Overview
OwnerTransport for NSW
LocaleSydney, Australia
Transit typeBus
Number of lines14
Number of stations120
Operation
Began operation18 June 1989 (1989-06-18)
Operator(s)

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

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

As from 24 January 2021 the network consists of[3]

RouteOrigin/destinationReplacesOperatorIntroduced
N10Town Hall to SutherlandT4 Illawarra LineState Transit Authority1989
N11Town Hall to CronullaT4 Illawarra LineState Transit Authority1989
N20Town Hall to RiverwoodT8 Airport LinePunchbowl Bus Company1989
N30Town Hall to MacarthurT8 Airport, T3 Bankstown linesTransdev NSW1989
N31Liverpool to LeppingtonT2 Leppington, T5 Cumberland linesHillsbus2020
N40Town Hall to East HillsT8 Airport, T3 Bankstown linesTransdev NSW1989
N50Town Hall to LiverpoolT2 Inner West, T3 Bankstown lineHillsbus1989
N60Town Hall to FairfieldT8 South LineHillsbus1989
N61Town Hall to CarlingfordT6 Carlingford LineHillsbus2011
N70Town Hall to PenrithT1 Western LineHillsbus1989
N71Town Hall to RichmondT1 Western LineHillsbus2011
N80Town Hall to Hornsby (via Strathfield)T9 Northern LineState Transit Authority1989
N81Town Hall to Parramatta (via Olympic Park)T1 Western LineState Transit Authority2018
N90Town Hall to Hornsby (via Chatswood)T1 North Shore LineState Transit Authority1989
N91Bondi Junction to Macquarie ParkT4 Eastern Suburbs Line, T1 North Shore LineState Transit Authority2018
N92Town Hall to TallawongM1 Metro North WestHillsbus2020

References
  1. "Nightride services" Fleetline August 1989 page 120
  2. Late night travellers vote with their feet to dump NightRide Sydney Morning Herald 10 March 2014
  3. Late Night services Transport for NSW Info
  4. "Nightride Bus Service Starts" Railway Digest August 1989 page 271
  5. "Changes to NightRide Buses: 1 November 2002", Action for Public Transport (NSW), retrieved 28 March 2006
  6. NightRide bus changes Transport for NSW Info 26 February 2018
  7. Bus service changes in August Transport for NSW 9 August 2020
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