ESR Train Replacement buses

[Noel]

This last weekend (11-12 March) saw a wide variety of buses operating the ESR rail.

Port Stephens Coaches m/o5987 Volvo B7R/MarcoPolo Audace at Kings Cross. , on Flickr

Party Bus Central Coach TV8245 Volvo B10BLE/Custom Coaches 550 at Kings Cross. , on Flickr

Rover Coaches (21) Denning Phoenix Silver at Kings Cross. , on Flickr

Kinetic (6042) MAN 18.320/MCV at Kings Cross. , on Flickr

Rover Coaches (C2) Denning Phoenix Gold at Edgecliff. , on Flickr

Berrima Busline (27) Volvo B8RLE/Bustech VST at Edgecliff. , on Flickr

[Swift]

What an advanced sophisticated metropolis who puts country buses on to substitute rail in the city.

[alleve]

What an advanced sophisticated metropolis who puts country buses on to substitute rail in the city.

Better than the night before when they had nothing to substitute rail into the city.

[LB608]

The most country buses were from the Buslines Group who own Rover Coaches

[Swift]

What an advanced sophisticated metropolis who puts country buses on to substitute rail in the city.

Better than the night before when they had nothing to substitute rail into the city.

True. What happened to the days where the myriad of Sydney charter operators would step in at short notice?

[boronia]

Do we still have that myriad of charter operators? Covid got rid of most of the shonks?

[MotorOmnibus8562]

Aren't low floor buses from charter operators used on rail replacement too?

[Fleet Lists]

Telfords (Kinetic) and North Sydney Bus Charters still have plenty of buses that could have been brought in.

But I believe that Rover Coaches (now part of the the Bus Australia group) now have a contract to cover situations like this where the normal contractor can not do their contracted replacement routes.

Until this happened I had not heard of such a contract.

Once the new contracts come into force for the non ex STA regions, I would suspect that we will see less of the charter operators as I believe the new contracts cover the replacement services.

[Fleet Lists]

Shire Bus Service - a smaller operator - has also been heavily involved in replacement services in recent months and only recently advertised for more drivers to do rail replacement work.

[Fleet Lists]

Aren't low floor buses from charter operators used on rail replacement too?

Low floor is not the only thing which would stop private operators from operating on rail replacement services as TfNSW is also planning for Opal fares to be collected on replacement services, except possibly on longer distance services where coaches are generally used.

[hornetfig]

But I believe that Rover Coaches (now part of the the Bus Australia group) now have a contract to cover situations like this where the normal contractor can not do their contracted replacement routes.

It's so murky though - why could the regular contractor no do their contracted replacements? And, if they were properly contracted in the normal way, why weren't they advise of such early enough that the Emergency Busing Contract could have been activated on the Friday?

[Swift]

Why grant a contract to another city 2 hours away?

[The Inspector]

Nice shots Noel, good locations.