The New South Wales government has announced that the Balmain peninsula will soon have 24 hour public transport with buses to run the length of Darling Street at least every hour on Friday and Saturday nights.
The introduction of 24 hour public transport to the peninsula supports the Inner West Council’s recent announcement of Balmain’s Darling Street becoming a special entertainment precinct.
The new 24 hour routes include the 433 from Balmain Gladstone Park, which travels to Central via North Annandale, Forest Lodge and Glebe, and route 422 that connects Balmain East Wharf to the QVB.
These services will be upgraded to run every 10 minutes or better between 6.30am and 830pm on weekdays and every 20 minutes or better between 5.30am and 6.30am, as well as between 8.30pm and 12.30am.
“From December 8, Inner Westies will have another transport option to get home after a night out, with overnight services running on Friday and Saturday,” NSW transport minister Jo Haylen says.
“Sydney has a comprehensive 24 hour public transport network, with a variety of services continuing throughout the night, every night.
“Adding these two extra overnight services means there will be 36 bus routes operating on Friday and Saturday nights across Sydney.
“We are always looking at ways to improve frequency and reliability of our bus network, which means providing more services on some of our popular routes and reducing them were the demand isn’t there.
“These timetable changes will help passengers take advantage of the new City Metro line and support Southwest Link operations during the final Metro conversion of the Bankstown Line.”
- Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to receive the latest news and classifieds from Australasia’s bus and coach industry
- Don’t miss a second and subscribe to our monthly ABC magazine
The 442 and 433 join 34 other buses that operate a 24 hour service on Friday and Saturday nights that ensure Sydney has a comprehensive public transport network all night long.
The changes have been introduced as part of a broader timetable shakeup which will see improved frequency and new overnight services across the Region six bus network in the Inner West.
Route 423 from Kingsgrove Depot to Martin Place via Earlwood and King St Newtown will see additional services across the week, with services operating at least every 10 minutes on weekdays.
Additional services will operate on route 418 Burwood to Sydenham and will support Southwest Link services connecting Marrickville, Dulwich Hill and Hurlstone Park passengers with Metro services at Sydenham and Sydney Trains services at Ashfield and Burwood.
The expanded services on route 418 will increase service frequency across the week and replace the 425 service which duplicates a small section of the route between Dulwich Hill and Sydenham.
Additional morning and evening services on the 420 service will provide additional public transport connections to Sydney Airport for travellers and workers.
Timetable adjustments will also be introduced on routes 426, 428 and 430 operating towards the city along the King Street Newtown corridor.
Route 526 will be upgraded to operate every 10 minutes or better seven days a week, supporting demand for travel between Rhodes, Sydney Olympic Park and Strathfield.
There will also be changes on some Victoria Road services operating to Drummoyne, Chiswick and Five Dock, with more services operating on route 504 Chiswick to City and adjustments to route 502 Cabarita Wharf to City.
The additional services on route 504 will replace existing route 503 which covers the same route from the City but terminates earlier in Drummoyne. These changes will better reflect demand and reduce service duplication.
Transport for NSW is working with schools, community and business groups to ensure people have the information they need to plan their trips. Further timetable adjustments are planned for early 2025 in Blacktown, Hills District, South East Sydney and the Northern Beaches.
“24 hour buses to Balmain could the shot in the arm needed to bring our famous pub culture back to life,” Mayor of the Inner West Darcy Byrne says.
“With the White Bay Power Station pumping, new 24 hour buses and the Darling Street special entertainment precinct opening in 2025, this could be the renaissance of Australia’s oldest and best pub culture.”
Read more:
- Kelsian Group CEO and managing director to step down
- GoZero Group appoints CEO of manufacturing
- Should there be free buses in Melbourne?
- Kinetic shuts down Sydney commercial charter operations
- Brisbane Metro begins service