Transdev NSW

Transdev NSW is an Australian bus operator in the northern, southern and western suburbs of Sydney on behalf of Transport for NSW. It is a subsidiary of Transdev Australasia.

Transdev NSW
Transdev NSW Volvo B7RLE
ParentTransdev Australasia
Commenced operationFebruary 1935
HeadquartersBankstown Airport
Service areaNorth Shore, South & Western Sydney
Service typeBus services
Routes86
DepotsBankstown
Kingsgrove
Menai
Mount Kuring-gai
Revesby
South Granville
Taren Point
Fleet473 (December 2020)
Websitewww.transdevnsw.com.au

History

The origins of the company that is now Transdev NSW can be traced back to February 1935 when GH Ramsay commenced a bus service between Sutherland station and Woronora River. It was sold to Mayman Brothers in 1948 and Doug and Barry Smith in 1966 trading as Woronora Bus Company. Following the opening of the Alfords Point Bridge in September 1973 the service was extended to Padstow station. The operation was renamed Menai Bus Service.[1]

In August 1988, Menai Bus Service was purchased by Ron Deane who at the time operated Deanes Coaches on the North Shore. In March 1989 the Hurstville to Bankstown and Lugarno services of Peakhurst Coaches were purchased, although the latter was sold in August 1989 to Punchbowl Bus Company.[2][3] In July 1989, the business of Hadfields Bus Lines, Engadine was purchased and at this point, all the operations were rebranded as Southtrans.[1][4] In October 1990, three routes were transferred from South Western Coach Lines,[5] followed in December 1990 by two routes from Sutherland Bus Service.[6]

Other bus companies subsequently acquired were:[1]

Crowthers remained as charter operator as of January 2016. Caringbah Bus Service also remained as a charter operator under their previous charter operation name Tiger Tours until May 2015, when the business was purchased by Dunn Motor Traction and merged into its Telford's Bus & Coach operations.[15][16]

In September 1999, Southtrans was sold to French transport company Connex (a subsidiary of the then Vivendi Environnement, now Veolia Environnement) and became Connex Southtrans.[1][17] It was renamed to Connex NSW in 2002.[18] In January 2005, the Granville and Bankstown routes of Baxter's Bus Lines were transferred to Connex and Transit First and became part of Region 13.[19]

In April 2006, the company was renamed Veolia Transport NSW as part of a global re-branding exercise of the company.[20] Soon after, Veolia undertook a re-organisation and simplification of its route services across Region 13 in September 2006 and Region 10 in November 2007. However, many of the altered Region 10 bus routes were later restored to their original state due to a severe decline in passenger numbers and high levels of passenger complaints. The idea to make bus services "straighter" did not have a welcome reception with passengers who preferred convenience as opposed to speed for the sake of it on shorter routes.

In February 2007, Veolia bought out its Region 13 partner Transit First which included the transfer of 86 buses, 15 routes and the lease on the current Bankstown Airport depot.[11][12] This purchase also saw Veolia move their head office from Taren Point to Bankstown Airport. In January 2009, Region 11 operator Crowthers was purchased[13] followed in October 2011 by fellow Region 11 operator Caringbah Bus Service.[14]

In March 2011, Veolia Transport worldwide merged with French-German company Transdev, to form Veolia Transdev. As a result, in July 2013, Veolia Transport NSW was renamed Transdev NSW.[21] Later that year, fellow Transdev Australasia subsidiary Transdev Shorelink, was also absorbed into the Transdev NSW business. Rebranding of all Transdev NSW buses to the new Transdev logo took place in mid 2014. A new website for all Transdev NSW public bus operations was opened on 8 September 2014.

Operations

Transdev bus depot in Taren Point

Transdev NSW operates the Region 10, 12 and 13 commuter bus services under contract to Transport for NSW.[22][23][24] Regions 10 services were operated by the company (then Connex) since the early 2000s. Region 11 and 13 services became fully operated by the company after the acquisition of other bus companies such as Transit First in the late 2000s and early 2010s. As a result, the smaller Region 11 was merged into the larger neighbouring Region 10. Transdev NSW also took responsibility for Transdev Shorelink routes in Region 12 in 2014, resulting in Transdev NSW operating in both northern and southern Sydney.

In November 2012, Transdev Shorelink retained the contract to operate Region 12,[25][26] and this contract was passed on to Transdev NSW in 2014. Also in January 2013, Veolia were granted seven year extensions to their Region 10 and 13 contracts.[27]

Transdev NSW operates bus routes from depots at Bankstown Airport, Kingsgrove, Menai, Mount Kuring-gai, Revesby, South Granville and Taren Point. Transdev operates three of Sydney's Metrobus routes: M90 between Liverpool and Burwood, M91 between Hurstville and Parramatta and M92 between Sutherland and Parramatta. Transdev also operates one bus route to the Sydney CBD: 594 from North Turramurra.

Transdev jointly operated the temporary North West Night Bus (NW1 & NW2) with Hillsbus from May 2019 until November.[28][29] The bus service stopped at stations along the Metro North West Line on Sunday to Wednesday nights. Transdev also used to operate the Station Link services (SLx series) between September 2018 and May 2019, while the Epping to Chatswood rail link was closed for upgrading and conversion to Sydney Metro Northwest.[30] The Station Link stopped at Epping, Chatswood,Macquarie Park, Eastwood, Macquarie University, Beecroft and St Leonards stations. Like the North West Night Bus, it was jointly operated with Hillsbus.[31]

Fleet

As of December 2020, the fleet consists of 473 buses.[32] Most of the buses have white liveries. The fronts of the older white buses were originally yellow and were repainted when the company was rebranded as Veolia in April 2006. Buses dedicated to the Metrobus operation (64 as of December 2020) have a red livery applied, there was also dedicated free shuttle bus liveries though this was later removed. Since 2010 the Transport for NSW white and blue livery progressively began to be applied to the bus fleet.

References

  1. History of Our Bus Services Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Veolia Transport
  2. "Menai Bus Service" Australian Bus Panorama 4/6 May 1989 page 45
  3. "Menai Bus Service" Australian Bus Panorama 5/1 July 1989 page 48
  4. "South Trans" Australian Bus Panorama 5/3 November 1989 page 52
  5. "Services" Fleetline issue 185 December 1990 page 194
  6. Harris Park Transport Operator Information, Australian Bus Fleet Lists, Retrieved 18 August 2014
  7. "Ownership changes" Fleetline March 1994 page 56
  8. "Ownership changes" Fleetline September 1994 page 175
  9. Kogarah-Carss Park Bus Service Operator Information, Australian Bus Fleet Lists, Retrieved 17 August 2014
  10. "Private operators" Fleetline March 2001 pages 42
  11. "Veolia to expand Sydney bus services". Sydney Morning Herald. 9 January 2007.
  12. Westway / Transit First Australian Bus Fleet Lists
  13. Crowther's Coaches Australian Bus Fleet Lists
  14. Caringbah Bus Service Australian Bus Fleet Lists
  15. Tiger Tours Australian Bus Fleet Lists
  16. "Tiger Tours" Australian Bus Panorama issue 31/1 July 2015 page 53
  17. "Connex Southtrans" Fleetline March 2001 page 62
  18. Transdev NSW Australian Bus Fleetlists
  19. Baxter's Bus Lines February 2005 Home Page
  20. "Veolia Transport NSW". Veolia Transport. Retrieved 25 August 2006.
  21. "Veolia Transdev rebranded and repositioned". Australasian Bus & Coach. 3 July 2013.
  22. Region 10 Archived 25 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Transport NSW
  23. Region 12 Archived 25 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Transport NSW
  24. Region 13 Archived 25 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Transport NSW
  25. Cut costs or bus contracts will go to private sector, minister tells drivers Sydney Morning Herald 7 November 2012
  26. "New bus contracts benefit customers and taxpayers". Transport for NSW. 7 November 2012. Archived from the original on 20 September 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  27. "Veolia Transdev secures bus contracts". Veolia Transdev. 16 January 2013.
  28. "NW1 Timetable - May 2019" (PDF). Transport Info NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  29. "NW2 Timetable - May 2019" (PDF). Transport Info NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  30. Section, Transport for NSW, Customer Experience Division, Customer Service Branch, Customer Information Services. "Station Link". transportnsw.info. Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  31. "Upgrade of the Epping to Chatswood line - Station Link bus services" (PDF). MySydney - NSW Government. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 June 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  32. Transdev NSW, Australian Bus Fleet Lists
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