Melbourne's bus system is getting new routes, more connections, extended timetables and updated frequencies.
Melbourne bus routes are being overhauled and the only thing that won’t – and will never – change is the look and, perhaps, the smell.
The Victorian government has been experimenting with public transport schedules due to reduced demand in Melbourne lockdowns.
The government has trialled ‘rapid running’ buses thT don’t wait to meet the timetable if they are running ahead of schedule. The trial on the high frequency Route 246 from Clifton Hill to Elsternwick has so far shaved up to 15 minutes off the journey over the length of the route. The Government is now investigating other routes to expand rapid running services in the coming months.
They’ve also expanded the night bus network from 21 to 34 routes to compliment the (currently suspended) 24-hour Melbourne trains on weekends. However today’s changes reflect updated routes across the northern and eastern suburbs.
What you need to know
- Melbourne is getting new bus routes and a swathe of more frequent connections
- The bulk of the changes occur between Parkville and the northern suburbs
- It’s bloody riveting news
Stay up to date with what’s happening in Melbourne here.
From 28 November, a new bus route 816 will run from Keysborough South to Noble Park Station to provide additional public transport to the growing area south of Keysborough connecting residents to local shops and schools.
The service will operate seven days a week, running every 30 minutes during the weekday peak and every 60 minutes off peak. On weekends, services will run every 60 minutes.
Travelling to and from work and education in Parkville will be quicker thanks to a new limited-stop bus connecting Victoria Park Station to the University of Melbourne.
Starting 20 September, the new route 202 bus service will run every 10 minutes between Yarra Bend to the university and Parkville’s medical and research precinct, allowing people to board from Victoria Park Station.
The high-frequency shuttle bus will also pick up passengers from stops connecting with the 11, 86 and 96 tram routes, providing a more efficient and comfortable way for students and workers to reach the precinct.
It will also eliminate the need for people commuting from Melbourne’s northern and north-eastern suburbs to travel into the CBD to get to the university or Parkville-bound services.
In further improvements to bus travel, timetables for 19 bus routes will be updated to better align to passenger demand. Changes across the routes from 19 September include increased frequency at popular travel times and some services starting earlier or finishing later, particularly on weekends.
Nine bus routes will also have their off-peak services increased.
The upgraded services will connect passengers to education and healthcare facilities including the Box Hill Hospital, employment, and local shopping precincts including Highpoint Shopping Centre, Queen Victoria Market, Doncaster Shopping Centre, and the Melbourne CBD.
Commuters will also benefit from improved co-ordination with train timetables, providing a more reliable connection between buses and trains.
There will be additional weekend services to the Melbourne CBD and St Vincent’s Hospital on routes 905 and 907, part of the Doncaster Area Rapid Transit (DART) SmartBus service, including services extended to midnight on Sunday nights.
Check out Transport Victoria for the full list of changes and updates.
