NightRide

This article is about the late-night train replacement bus services in Sydney. For the late-night bus services in Melbourne, see NightRider.

NightRide

Overview
Owner	Transport for NSW
Locale	Sydney, Australia
Transit type	Bus
Number of lines	13
Number of stations	120
Operation
Began operation	18 June 1989 (1989-06-18)
Operator(s)	Hillsbus Punchbowl Bus Company Transdev

NightRide is a network of bus routes in operation between midnight and 4.30am in Sydney, Australia. The thirteen routes are run by private bus operators and allow for a nightly shutdown of the Sydney Trains commuter rail network. The NightRide network was established in mid-1989 as low-patronage late-night train services were progressively withdrawn. Services follow major roads, and some stops are some distance from the railway stations they replace. In addition, some routes serve stations on multiple train lines. In the City, most services depart from George Street, above Town Hall station.

Currently, normal bus fares apply to NightRide journeys.

The suspension of train services overnight allows for maintenance to occur on tracks. Passengers reportedly feel safer on buses than mostly-empty trains late at night. However, in 2014, it was reported that patronage on most NightRide routes was falling. The Tourism and Transport Forum has called for 24-hour train operations to resume.

History

The first NightRide routes, to Riverwood, Campbelltown and Sutherland, commenced in June 1989. Services to Penrith, Hornsby and Cronulla began two months later. New services were introduced to Bondi Junction in 2009; and Carlingford and Richmond in 2011.

A city loop route, called N1, was established in 2000 and cancelled two years later.

Network

Route	Origin/destination	Replaces	Operator	Introduced
N10	Town Hall to Sutherland	T4 Illawarra Line	Punchbowl Bus Company	1989
N11	Town Hall to Cronulla	T4 Illawarra Line	Punchbowl Bus Company	1989
N20	Rockdale to Riverwood	T2 Airport Line	Punchbowl Bus Company	1989
N30	Town Hall to Macarthur	T2 Airport, T3 Bankstown lines	Transdev NSW	1989
N40	Town Hall to East Hills	T2 Airport, T3 Bankstown lines	Transdev NSW	1989
N50	Town Hall to Liverpool	T2 Inner West, T3 Bankstown lines	Transdev NSW	1989
N60	Town Hall to Fairfield	T2 South Line	Hillsbus	1989
N61	Town Hall to Carlingford	T6 Carlingford Line	Hillsbus	2011
N70	Town Hall to Penrith	T1 Western Line	Hillsbus	1989
N71	Town Hall to Richmond	T1 Western Line	Hillsbus	2011
N80	Town Hall to Hornsby (via Strathfield)	T1 Northern Line	Transdev NSW	1989
N90	Town Hall to Hornsby (via Chatswood)	T1 North Shore Line	Transdev NSW	1989
N100	Railway Square to Bondi Junction	T4 Eastern Suburbs Line	Transdev NSW	2009