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

[Fleet Lists]

Confirmed - that has been reported a couple of weeks ago and some are being reregd to 3 digit plates which Punchbowl would want to keep. Newer buses m/o 525 and m/o 526 have been reregd to four digit plates and the plates are also expected to go onto older buses which are to be kept.
See their fleet list https://fleetlists.busaustralia.com/nsw.php?search=PUN

[MotorOmnibus8562]

Only the buses built before 2005 will remain with the operator (I'm saying this as the buses from Transdev built with a 2005 build date onwards were transferred to CDC) which the Scania L113s and older L94s will no doubt stay with PBC:
https://fleetlists.busaustralia.com/cdc ... hes%20CB60

The L94 CB60s that should be going to U-go are:
m/o 4653 Body date: 4/06
m/o 5004 Body date: 4/06
m/o 7925 Body date: 2/06
m/o 8747 Body date: 11/05
m/o 8748 Body date: 5/06
m/o 8749 Body date: 1/06

[Campbelltown busboy]

Only the buses built before 2005 will remain with the operator (I'm saying this as the buses from Transdev built with a 2005 build date onwards were transferred to CDC) which the Scania L113s and older L94s will no doubt stay with PBC:
https://fleetlists.busaustralia.com/cdc ... hes%20CB60

The L94 CB60s that should be going to U-go are:
m/o 4653 Body date: 4/06
m/o 5004 Body date: 4/06
m/o 7925 Body date: 2/06
m/o 8747 Body date: 11/05
m/o 8748 Body date: 5/06
m/o 8749 Body date: 1/06

It won't be a surprise if this would be the reason behind why Transdev are slowly transferring the ex Transit First Volgren bodied O500LEs back to Bankstown after 15 or so years

[Fleet Lists]

It won't be a surprise if this would be the reason behind why Transdev are slowly transferring the ex Transit First Volgren bodied O500LEs back to Bankstown after 15 or so years

What has that got to do with it? Transdev has transferred some 60 buses over the past two months. So far I have not been able to pick any pattern as to why most are being transferred. https://fleetlists.busaustralia.com/com ... atereq=tdv The others in the list are the buses going from Transdev to CDC.
Not all the O500LE's have gone to Bankstown with some going to South Granville.

[MotorOmnibus8562]

I'm fairly sure the pre-2005 rule where buses stay with the operator does not apply to regions 10 and 13. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Fleet Lists]

I believe that is correct.

[Linto63]

I'm fairly sure the pre-2005 rule where buses stay with the operator does not apply to regions 10 and 13. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Correct, Special treatment for Sydney Contracts

[MotorOmnibus8562]

Probably a silly question. but will Transdev keep its charter fleet or are those buses going to the new operators too.

MO8562

[Fleet Lists]

One would not expect the charter buses to go to the new operators unless the new operators agree to take them over. There would seem little purpose in Transdev retaining them as I would think unlike Punchbowl Bus Co, they would not be interested in staying on as a charter operator.
So what happens to those buses - only time will tell.
Keep in mind that the Mount Kuring-gai charter buses were put in storage with one then going to Kingsgrove. So storage is another option until sold or scrapped.

[Stu]

I'm fairly sure the pre-2005 rule where buses stay with the operator does not apply to regions 10 and 13. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Correct, Special treatment for Sydney Contracts

Will this definitely happen?

[idontknow556]

Where will PBCs dopot be when they become a charter operator or are they retaining one of their existing depots?

[Linto63]

Will this definitely happen?

Nothing is ever certain, but there is no reason to suggest it won't.

Where will PBCs dopot be when they become a charter operator or are they retaining one of their existing depots?

Depends on whether it agrees a deal with U-Go Mobility to lease one or both of its depots. In previous contracts, Baxters and Metro-link leased depots to Westbus and Transit Systems and moved their remaining operations to other premises, returning once the new operators had established their own facilities.

[Fleet Lists]

Where will PBCs depot be when they become a charter operator or are they retaining one of their existing depots?

I spoke to a PBC driver a couple of weeks ago - he was still making up his mind which way to go but he told me that PBC would retain their Hannans Road depot as a charter operator. And a recent ad by U-Go mentioned four depots Revesby, Menai, Taren Point and Kingsgrove with the last as head office. No mention where their ex Punchbowl buses would be kept. There was some discussion on this earlier in this thread.

[Campbelltown busboy]

Would the U-GO region 10 contract be the next contract to start as both Transit Systems contracts start in August or September (region 3) and October 8th (region 2) then the Busways region 1 contract starts in December

[Fleet Lists]

Yes one would think so - only a month or so away now. And the Transdev Transfers would have to stop by then.

[Fleet Lists]

U-Go Mobility is supposed to start operating with 225 buses.

Looking at the fleet lists:-

Kingsgrove has 36 vehicles less 4 on TV plates = 32
Menai has 53 vehicles less 2 on TV plates = 51
Revesby has 32 vehicles less 2 on TV plates = 30
Taren Point has 59 vehicles less 5 not on m/o plates = 54
Total = Transdev 167
Punchbowl has 74 vehicles less 3 repainted into white =71
Total 238

Punchbowl possibly another 16 pre 2007 leaving 55 to be transferred.
To be transferred Transdev 267 plus Punchbowl 55 = 222 so only 3 of the Punchbowl pre 2007 would be required or they could be obtained elsewhere.

It is now 3 and a half months ago since I wrote that.
Since then Revesby still has 30 buses on m/o plates, Menai has gone up from 51 to 53, Taren Point from 54 to 55 and Kingsgrove from 32 to 37 so now a total of 175 buses available for the hand over which would leave 50 Punchbowl buses required to make up the required total of 225 so as it stands there would be no extra buses required from elsewhere.
But things will keep changing during the next month as I suspect there will be more transfers between regions 10 and 13,

[Campbelltown busboy]

I’ve got a rough number on how many buses would be be heading to this region 2 contract 118 contracted buses from Interline and all buses contracted to region 15 that are currently at Busabout

[Fleet Lists]

Would the U-GO region 10 contract be the next contract to start as both Transit Systems contracts start in August or September (region 3) and October 8th (region 2) then the Busways region 1 contract starts in December

It looks as though 1 July may be the date for the new region 10.
https://transportnsw.info/routes/detail ... /943/31943 Lugarno to Hurstville - Post 1 Jul 23 This is a link page for a new ex Region 5 route 943 timetable but no timetable is available as yet to see wht the timetable looks like. This has a new region code 31 instead of either 24 or 32.
https://transportnsw.info/routes/detail ... /971/31971 similar for ex region 10 route 971 again with new 31 region code. Again timetable not available yet.
M92 is also included so it looks as though it will go to region 10 but not M90 or M91. https://transportnsw.info/routes/detail ... /m92/31M92

[Campbelltown busboy]

Would they have to change the region code for current region 15 routes from current region code 40 to region 2 region code 21 when the new region 2 contract starts

[Fleet Lists]

No they will allocate a new region code which will cover the combined region 2.

[Randomness]

If this is true:
- Suprised the M92 wasn't split up again.
- Will it lose the deckers? What will TSA do with them?
- More early/late services? (There are currently services that start and end at Lidcombe station to return to South Granville. It'll be a waste to stick with the current timetable and run them empty across the long distance to a Region 10 depot)

Guess we'll have to wait and see.

[Fleet Lists]

I had also thought that M92 was a candidate for splitting. That may still be a later job when they get rid of the M route numbers as they have done with all the non Transdev Metrobus routes. This would also address the last issue and possibly the deckers.
The deckers could be last minute transfers to the new operator.

[Campbelltown busboy]

I've seen a rumour on Facebook on the status of the Interline depot at Macquarie Fields saying that Joe Oliveri could be talking to a realestate agent about putting the depot up for sale so that might rule Macquarie Fields out when it comes to Transit Systems region 2 contract depot negations

[Glen]

If this is true:
- Suprised the M92 wasn't split up again.

M92 was never split up in the first place, it was a brand new route when introduced.

[Aurora]

If this is true:
- Suprised the M92 wasn't split up again.
- Will it lose the deckers? What will TSA do with them?
- More early/late services? (There are currently services that start and end at Lidcombe station to return to South Granville. It'll be a waste to stick with the current timetable and run them empty across the long distance to a Region 10 depot)

Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Wait until there is a network review. It will have to happen at some stage, and there I think we will definitely see some changes to bring dead running back under control. It is amazing Metrobus has now outlived the Lib government. We will see what the new government wants to do with bus services over the next 12-24 months.