New Sydney and Outer Metro bus contracts (as from 2020)

[Fleet Lists]

Can only find them in the trip finder at this stage.

For the timetables there are U-GO links but they show timetable not available.

[Fleet Lists]

U-go uploaded trip data for 452,453,953,954 from 19 Nov onwards.
Do they have enough drivers for those routes?

Still no news as to what is happening.
New timetable links are available for routes 452, 453 and 954 but not 953. But the new links seem to show that they start on 19th or 20th November in the case of route 453 which does not operate on Sunday.

During the past few days Tripview has been a real mess for these routes as some days it already showed 452 and 453 being operated by U-GO Mobility but that seems to have been sorted out. I have not looked at routes 953 and 954 for this.

Anytrip shows two links for these route but I am not sure what differences there are between them, if any

[thunderbird]

U-go still don’t seem to have enough drivers to complete the full timetable on some routes. These temporary timetables are dragging on.

The 2 hour gap between services in the afternoon peak on 969 for 4 months now is becoming annoying.

U-go have stopped responding to my feedback forms.

[Aurora]

I notice they are taking on weekend rail bus work so they can’t be as hamstrung by shortages as they were earlier.

[Merc1107]

I notice they are taking on weekend rail bus work so they can’t be as hamstrung by shortages as they were earlier.

Desperately trying to get extra work to cross-subsidise their floundering contract I reckon...

[alleve]

U-go still don’t seem to have enough drivers to complete the full timetable on some routes. These temporary timetables are dragging on.

The 2 hour gap between services in the afternoon peak on 969 for 4 months now is becoming annoying.

U-go have stopped responding to my feedback forms.

Might help if TfNSW modified some of the routes. Removing the Dolls Point - Kogarah section of the 947 for example would free up a bus, and wouldn't negatively affect customers as it's sandwiched between the 303, 476 and 478.

If course, would also help if TSA continued running the routes it took over

[Fleet Lists]

Unlike route M92, modifying such routes as 947would have insignificant impact on the number of drivers required.

I agree TSA should continue with the four routes and the school routes until further notice. It appears that this is going to cease as from this weekend at least for the four routes but there has been no notification of this looking at the trip finder and the Tripview ap - the data on the latter is very confusing as some previously operated trips are already shown as having been operated by U-GO Mobility.

I believe the first priority should be to return all routes to their full timetables possibly on a progressive basis ane forget about them operating rail replacement services..

[alleve]

Unlike route M92, modifying such routes as 947would have insignificant impact on the number of drivers required.

Not really. Just one bus taken from the 947 would allow the 969's two hour gap become a one hour gap.

Minor changes to a bunch of different routes would allow for gaps in service to reduced across the U Go network.

[thunderbird]

Agreed.

The number of 961/962 travelling empty between Miranda and Sutherland empty or nearly empty drives me nuts, knowing other routes are running still on temporary timetables.

Now that we have opal, transfer benefits, i would have thought a scale back of 961/962 between Sutherland and Miranda would have been smart given the railway duplicates it and intermediate stops along the Kingsway are serviced by several other routes.

Not even a withdrawal, but there are 4 buses an hour paralleling the railway, a scale back temporarily (in my opinion permanently) and reallocate to other routes would have been appropriate as opposed to temporary timetables on other routes.

[Fleet Lists]

U-go uploaded trip data for 452,453,953,954 from 19 Nov onwards.
Do they have enough drivers for those routes?

Still no news as to what is happening.
New timetable links are available for routes 452, 453 and 954 but not 953. But the new links seem to show that they start on 19th or 20th November in the case of route 453 which does not operate on Sunday.

During the past few days Tripview has been a real mess for these routes as some days it already showed 452 and 453 being operated by U-GO Mobility but that seems to have been sorted out. I have not looked at routes 953 and 954 for this.

Anytrip shows two links for these route but I am not sure what differences there are between them, if any

\
Some things are happening:
Two of the Volvo B12's 1570 and 1580m which were 2 of the 10 or so buses which went to TSA from U-GO, show as going back to U-GO in the fleet lists this morning.
According to the tracking, the four routes which went to TSA (except 453 which does not operate today, are today being operated by real region 6 buses, instead of the VOLVO B12's which have been operating on these routes.

[Fleet Lists]

Finally new timetables by U-GO Mobility for routes 452, 453 and 954 as from tomorrow but not 953. Also no closing dates yet on the Transit Systems timetables for these routes,
And no news about these changes.

[Merc1107]

Perhaps they want a quiet transition and will announce a "successful handover to U-Go" if all goes to plan?

[Fleet Lists]

I have found the 953 u-GO timetable for tomorrow https://transportnsw.info/documents/tim ... 231119.pdf but the page linking to it, is missing.

[alleve]

U-Go is operating the 452 and 954 (and presumably 953 although I didn't see it on tracking) using Taren Point buses today

[Linto63]

An ex Punchbowl bus, which per the fleet list ae all Kingsgrove based, was sighted operating a 452 service.

[Fleet Lists]

That was 9029 based at Kingsgrove which was earlier also tracked doing trips on both 953 and 954.

Ex Punchbowl 8748 is at Menai according to the fleet lists.

[alleve]

The buses I saw were Taren Point, B7RLE CR228L and a O500LE VST. Also saw a Taren Point O500LE VST on the 947. Are these routes not normally Kingsgrove run?

[Linto63]

Was Scania 6996, Rockdale bound on Forest Road at about 1400.

[Fleet Lists]

The buses I saw were Taren Point, B7RLE CR228L and a O500LE VST. Also saw a Taren Point O500LE VST on the 947. Are these routes not normally Kingsgrove run?

Prior to September they were Kingsgrove run. While these routes were with TSA, U-GO reorganised their depots with Kingsgrove nearly fully utilised so that with the return of these routes, Taren Point needs to operate some shifts on these routes.
It will be interesting to see what happens today.

[Fleet Lists]

I notice they are taking on weekend rail bus work so they can’t be as hamstrung by shortages as they were earlier.

Yes route 32T8 - they even created a timetable which showed them as operator and should be trackable.. It is quite a heavy route on both days this weekend.

[Bus 400]

Agreed.

The number of 961/962 travelling empty between Miranda and Sutherland empty or nearly empty drives me nuts, knowing other routes are running still on temporary timetables.

The whole region needs a network review/redesign. But that takes staff away from the main job of trying to run a bus service.

Hopefully, these merged regions provide a better chance for expanded & rerouted buses.

Sent from my SM-S911B using Tapatalk

[Glen]

Prior to September they were Kingsgrove run. While these routes were with TSA, U-GO reorganised their depots with Kingsgrove nearly fully utilised so that with the return of these routes, Taren Point needs to operate some shifts on these routes.

Back to the future, that's where Transdev had them after they bought Pioneer.

[Campbelltown busboy]

Prior to September they were Kingsgrove run. While these routes were with TSA, U-GO reorganised their depots with Kingsgrove nearly fully utilised so that with the return of these routes, Taren Point needs to operate some shifts on these routes.

Back to the future, that's where Transdev had them after they bought Pioneer.

Weren't they still known as CGEA back then or had they adopted the Connex trading name by the time the Pioneer takeover happened in 2001

[Fleet Lists]

I notice they are taking on weekend rail bus work so they can’t be as hamstrung by shortages as they were earlier.

Yes route 32T8 - they even created a timetable which showed them as operator and should be trackable.. It is quite a heavy route on both days this weekend.

It is being tracked in AnyTrips but not Tripview which makes it harder to see what percentage of trips are being tracked. I guess Kinetic is likely to be operating their fair share of the trips,

[Gusbus]

Yes route 32T8 - they even created a timetable which showed them as operator and should be trackable.. It is quite a heavy route on both days this weekend.

It is being tracked in AnyTrips but not Tripview which makes it harder to see what percentage of trips are being tracked. I guess Kinetic is likely to be operating their fair share of the trips,

U-Go Mobility covered all trips themselves. Kinetic buses were not involved.