UN 252: Latest list of Melbourne bus routes by operator

Back in July 2025 I made a list of bus routes and operators following the commencement of new contracts on many routes. But two things have changed since then. Firstly some new routes have been added (and some deleted) and Kinetic has taken over Dysons routes. 

Route and operator list 

Below is a list of routes and operators for all non-school bus routes in metropolitan Melbourne:  

Route Route name Operator (as of October 25, 2026)

140 Rockbank Station - Tarneit Station Transit Systems

150 Williams Landing Station - Tarneit Station CDC

151 Williams Landing Station - Tarneit Station CDC

152 Tarneit Station - Williams Landing Station CDC

153 Williams Landing Station - Werribee Station CDC

154 Tarneit Station - Laverton Station CDC

160 Tarneit Station - Hoppers Crossing Station CDC

161 Hoppers Crossing Station - Werribee Station CDC

166 Hoppers Crossing Station - Wyndham Vale Station CDC

167 Tarneit Station - Hoppers Crossing Station CDC

170 Tarneit Station - Werribee Station CDC

180 Tarneit Station - Werribee Station CDC

181 Hoppers Crossing Station - Werribee Station CDC

182 Tarneit Station - Werribee Station CDC

186 Tarneit Station - West Tarneit Station CDC

190 Werribee Station - Wyndham Vale Station CDC

191 Werribee Station - Manor Lakes CDC

192 Werribee Station - Wyndham Vale Station CDC

194 Werribee Station - Wyndham Vale Station CDC

200 City (Queen St) - Bulleen Kinetic

201 Deakin University - Box Hill Station Ventura *

207 City (Queen St) - Doncaster SC Kinetic

215 Highpoint SC - Caroline Springs Kinetic

216 City (Queen St) - Sunshine Station Kinetic

220 Sunshine Station - Sunshine Station Kinetic

223 Highpoint SC - Yarraville Kinetic

232 City (Queen Victoria Market) - Altona North Kinetic

234 City (Queen Victoria Market) - Garden City Kinetic

235 City (Southern Cross Station) - Fishermans Bend Kinetic

236 City (Queen Victoria Market) - Garden City Kinetic

237 City (Southern Cross Station) - Fishermans Bend Kinetic *

241 North Melbourne - Yarra Bend Park Transit Systems

246 Clifton Hill - Elsternwick Kinetic

250 City (Queen St) - La Trobe University Kinetic

251 City (Queen St) - Northland SC Kinetic

270 Box Hill - Mitcham Kinetic

271 Box Hill - Ringwood Kinetic

273 Nunawading Station - The Pines SC Kinetic *

279 Box Hill - Doncaster SC/Templestowe Kinetic

280 Manningham loop Kinetic

281 Templestowe - Box Hill Kinetic *

282 Manningham loop Kinetic

284 Box Hill - Doncaster Park & Ride Kinetic

285 Doncaster Park & Ride - Camberwell SC Kinetic

293 Box Hill - Greensborough Kinetic

295 Doncaster SC - The Pines SC Kinetic 

301 La Trobe University - Reservoir Kinetic *

302 City (Lonsdale St) - Box Hill Station Kinetic

303 City (Queen St) - Ringwood North Kinetic *

304 City (Lonsdale St) - Doncaster SC Kinetic

305 City (King/Lonsdale Sts) - The Pines Kinetic

309 City (Queen St) - Donvale Kinetic *

318 City (King/Lonsdale Sts) - Deep Creek Kinetic *

343 Greensborough - Hurstbridge Kinetic *

350 City (Queen St) - La Trobe University Kinetic *

356 Epping Station - Wollert East Kinetic

357 Thomastown Station - Wollert West Kinetic

358 Epping Station - Wollert Kinetic

364 Ringwood Station - Warrandyte Kinetic

370 Mitcham - Ringwood Kinetic

381 Mernda Station - Diamond Creek Station Kinetic

382 Northland SC - Whittlesea Kinetic

383 University Hill - Palisades Kinetic

384 Whittlesea - Kinglake Kinetic

385 Greensborough - Mernda Station/Whittlesea Kinetic

386 Bundoora RMIT - Mernda Station Kinetic

387 Bundoora RMIT - Mernda Station Kinetic

388 Mernda Station Kinetic

389 Mernda Station Kinetic *

390 Craigieburn Station - Mernda Station Kinetic

400 Sunshine Station - Laverton Station Transit Systems / CDC

402 East Melbourne - Footscray Transit Systems

403 Melbourne University - Footscray Station Transit Systems

404 Moonee Ponds - Footscray Station Transit Systems *

405 Deer Park - Brimbank Plaza

406 Footscray - Keilor East CDC

407 Highpoint SC - Avondale Heights CDC *

408 St Albans Station - Highpoint SC CDC

409 Yarraville - Highpoint SC CDC

410 Footscray - Sunshine Station CDC

411 Footscray - Laverton Station CDC

412 Footscray - Laverton Station CDC

414 Footscray - Laverton Station CDC *

415 Williamstown - Laverton Station CDC *

417 Laverton Station - Laverton North CDC *

418 St Albans Station - Caroline Springs CDC

419 St Albans Station - Watergardens Station CDC

420 Sunshine Station - Watergardens Station Transit Systems

421 St Albans Station - Watergardens Station CDC

422 Sunshine Station - Brimbank Central SC Transit Systems

423 St Albans Station - Brimbank Central SC CDC

424 St Albans Station - Brimbank Central SC CDC

425 St Albans Station - Watergardens Station CDC

426 Sunshine Station - Caroline Springs Kinetic

427 Sunshine Station - Sunshine West Transit Systems

428 Sunshine Station - Sunshine West Transit Systems

429 Sunshine Station Kinetic

431 Yarraville - Kingsville Transit Systems *

432 Newport - Yarraville Transit Systems

439 Werribee Station - Werribee South CDC

441 Werribee Station - Westleigh Gardens CDC

443 Werribee Station (clockwise) - Werribee Station (anti-clockwise) CDC

444 Rockbank - Aintree Transit Systems

452 Melton Station - Eynesbury Bacchus Marsh Coaches

453 Melton Station - Melton Transit Systems

454 Melton Station - Cobblebank Station Transit Systems

455 Melton Station - Micasa Rise Transit Systems

456 Melton - Sunshine Station Transit Systems

457 Melton Station - Melton Transit Systems

458 Melton Station - Kurunjang Transit Systems

459 Melton Station - Arnolds Creek Transit Systems

460 Watergardens Railway Station - Caroline Springs Station CDC 

462 Watergardens - Caroline Springs CDC 

463 Watergardens - Caroline Springs CDC 

464 Watergardens Station - Rockbank Transit Systems

465 Essendon Station - Keilor Park CDC 

467 Moonee Ponds Station - Aberfeldie CDC 

468 Essendon - Highpoint SC CDC *

469 Moonee Ponds - Keilor East CDC 

471 Sunshine Station - Williamstown Transit Systems

472 Williamstown - Moonee Ponds Transit Systems

475 Diggers Rest - Sunbury Sunbury Bus Service

476 Moonee Ponds - Watergardens CDC 

477 Moonee Ponds - Broadmeadows Station CDC

478 Airport West SC - Melbourne Airport CDC

479 Airport West SC - Sunbury Station CDC

481 Sunbury - Mount Lion Sunbury Bus Service

482 Airport West SC - Melbourne Airport CDC *

483 Sunbury - Moonee Ponds Sunbury Bus Service *

484 Broadmeadows - Roxburgh Park CDC

485 Sunbury - Wilsons Lane Sunbury Bus Service

486 Sunbury - Rolling Meadows Sunbury Bus Service

487 Sunbury - Killara Heights Sunbury Bus Service

488 Sunbury - Jacksons Hill Sunbury Bus Service

489 Sunbury - Canterbury Hills Sunbury Bus Service

490 Airport West - Gowanbrae CDC *

494 Williams Landing Station - Point Cook South CDC

495 Williams Landing Station - Point Cook South CDC

496 Laverton Station - Sanctuary Lakes CDC

497 Williams Landing Station - Saltwater Coast Estate CDC

498 Laverton Station - Hoppers Crossing Station CDC

501 Craigieburn Station - Donnybrook Station CDC 

503 East Brunswick - Essendon Kinetic *

504 Moonee Ponds - Clifton Hill Kinetic

505 Moonee Ponds - Melbourne University Kinetic 

506 Westgarth - Moonee Ponds Kinetic *

508 Moonee Ponds - Alphington Kinetic 

509 Barkly Square SC - Brunswick West Kinetic *

510 Essendon Station - Ivanhoe Station Kinetic

511 Donnybrook Station - Mandalay CDC

512 Strathmore Station - East Coburg Kinetic *

513 Glenroy - Eltham Kinetic

514 Glenroy - Eltham Kinetic

517 Northland SC - St Helena Kinetic

518 Greensborough - St Helena West Kinetic

524 Donnybrook Station via Olivine & Peppercorn Hill CDC

525 Craigieburn Station - Donnybrook Station CDC

526 Coburg - West Preston Ventura *

527 Northland SC - Gowrie Ventura

528 Craigieburn Station - Craigieburn Central SC CDC 

529 Craigieburn Station - Craigieburn North CDC 

530 Campbellfield - Coburg CDC 

531 Upfield Station - North Coburg CDC *

532 Craigieburn - Broadmeadows CDC 

533 Craigieburn - Craigieburn North CDC 

534 Glenroy - Coburg CDC 

536 Glenroy - Gowrie CDC 

537 Craigieburn Station - Craigieburn West CDC 

538 Somerset Estate - Broadmeadows CDC *

540 Broadmeadows - Upfield  CDC

541 Broadmeadows Station - Craigieburn North (Mt Ridley Rd) CDC 

542 Pascoe Vale - Roxburgh Park CDC

543 Roxburgh Park - Craigieburn Central SC CDC

544 Craigieburn - Roxburgh Park CDC 

546 Heidelberg - Melbourne University Kinetic 

548 La Trobe University - Kew Ventura *

549 Northland SC - Ivanhoe Ventura *

550 La Trobe University - Northland SC Ventura *

551 La Trobe University - Heidelberg Ventura

552 Northcote Plaza - North East Reservoir Kinetic 

553 Preston - West Preston Kinetic 

554 Lalor - Thomastown Loop Kinetic

555 Epping Plaza SC - Northland SC Kinetic

556 Northland SC - Epping Plaza SC Kinetic

557 Lalor - Thomastown loop Kinetic

558 Reservoir - Reservoir Kinetic *

559 Thomastown Station Kinetic *

561 Pascoe Vale - Macleod Kinetic

564 Bundoora RMIT - South Morang Station Kinetic

566 Northland SC - Lalor Kinetic

567 Regent - Northcote Kinetic 

569 South Morang Station - Epping Plaza SC Kinetic

570 Bundoora RMIT - Thomastown Kinetic

577 South Morang Station - Epping Plaza SC Kinetic

578 Warrandyte - Eltham Station Kinetic

579 Warrandyte - Eltham Kinetic

580 Diamond Creek - Eltham Station Kinetic

582 Eltham Station loop Kinetic

600 St Kilda Station - Southland SC Kinetic

601 Monash University (Clayton) - Huntingdale Station CDC *

603 Burnley Station - Brighton Beach Station Kinetic

604 Anzac Station - Elsternwick Kinetic

605 City - Gardenvale CDC

606 Elsternwick Station - Fishermans Bend CDC

609 Fairfield - Kew/Hawthorn Kinetic *

612 Chadstone SC - Box Hill CDC

623 St. Kilda - Glen Waverley CDC

624 Kew - Oakleigh CDC

625 Elsternwick - Chadstone SC CDC

626 Middle Brighton - Chadstone SC CDC

627 Moorabbin - Chadstone SC Ventura

630 Elwood - Monash University CDC

631 Southland SC - Waverley Gardens SC Ventura

663 Lilydale - Belgrave Ventura

664 Knox City SC - Chirnside Park SC Ventura

668 Ringwood Station - Croydon Ventura

669 Ringwood Station - Croydon Ventura

670 Lilydale - Ringwood Ventura

671 Chirnside Park SC - Croydon Ventura *

672 Chirnside Park SC - Croydon Ventura *

675 Mooroolbark - Chirnside Park SC Ventura *

677 Lilydale - Chirnside Park SC Ventura *

679 Ringwood - Chirnside Park SC Ventura

680 Lilydale - Mooroolbark Ventura *

681 Knox City SC - Lysterfield Ventura

682 Knox City SC - Lysterfield Ventura

683 Chirnside Park SC - Warburton Martyrs

684 Eildon - Ringwood McKenzies

685 Healesville - Lilydale McKenzies

688 Croydon - Upper Ferntree Gully Ventura

689 Croydon Station - Montrose Ventura *

690 Boronia - Croydon Ventura

691 Waverley Gardens SC - Boronia Ventura

693 Oakleigh - Belgrave Ventura

694 Belgrave - Mt Dandenong Ventura *

695 Belgrave - Gembrook Ventura

696 Monbulk - Olinda Ventura *

697 Belgrave - Belgrave South Ventura *

699 Belgrave - Upwey Ventura *

701 Oakleigh - Bentleigh Ventura

703 Middle Brighton - Blackburn Ventura

704 Oakleigh - Clayton Ventura

705 Mordialloc - Springvale Ventura *

706 Mordialloc - Chelsea Ventura *

708 Hampton - Carrum Ventura

709 Mordialloc - Waterways Ventura

732 Box Hill - Upper Ferntree Gully Ventura

733 Oakleigh - Box Hill Ventura

734 Glen Iris - Glen Waverley Ventura

735 Box Hill - Nunawading Ventura

736 Mitcham - Blackburn Ventura

737 Croydon - Monash University Ventura

738 Knox City - Mitcham Ventura

740 Vermont East - Mitcham Ventura *

742 Ringwood Station - Chadstone SC Ventura

745 Bayswater - Wantirna /  Boronia Ventura *

753 Glen Waverley - Bayswater Ventura

754 Rowville - Glen Waverley Ventura

755 Bayswater - Knox City SC Ventura

757 Knox City SC - Scoresby Ventura *

758 Knox City SC - Knoxfield Ventura *

760 Seaford - Cranbourne Ventura

765 Mitcham - Box Hill Ventura

766 Burwood - Box Hill Ventura

767 Southland SC - Box Hill Ventura

770 Frankston - Karingal Ventura

771 Frankston - Langwarrin Ventura

772 Frankston - Eliza Heights Ventura *

773 Frankston - Frankston South Ventura *

774 Frankston - Delacombe Park Ventura *

775 Frankston - Lakewood Ventura

776 Frankston - Pearcedale Ventura *

777 Karingal  SC - McClelland Drive Ventura *

778 Kananook Station - Carrum Downs Ventura *

779 Frankston - Belvedere Ventura

780 Frankston - Carrum Ventura

781 Mt Martha - Frankston Station Ventura

782 Frankston - Flinders Ventura

783 Frankston - Hastings Ventura

784 Frankston - Osborne Ventura

785 Frankston - Mornington East Ventura

787 Safety Beach - Safety Beach Ventura *

788 Portsea - Frankston Ventura

789 Frankston Station - Langwarrin Cranbourne Transit

790 Langwarrin - Frankston Station Cranbourne Transit

791 Frankston Station - Cranbourne Station Cranbourne Transit

792 Cranbourne Station - Botanic Ridge and Pearcedale Cranbourne Transit

795 Cranbourne - Warneet Cranbourne Transit *

796 Cranbourne Station - Clyde Cranbourne Transit

798 Cranbourne Park SC - Clyde North Cranbourne Transit

799 Merinda Park Station - The Avenue Village SC Cranbourne Transit

800 Dandenong - Chadstone SC Ventura

802 Dandenong - Chadstone SC Ventura *

804 Dandenong - Chadstone SC Ventura *

811 Dandenong - Brighton Ventura

812 Dandenong - Brighton Ventura

813 Dandenong - Waverley Gardens SC Ventura

814 Dandenong - Springvale South Ventura *

816 Keysborough South - Noble Park Station Ventura

822 Chadstone SC - Sandringham Ventura

823 North Brighton - Southland SC Ventura *

824 Moorabbin - Keysborough Ventura

825 Moorabbin - Southland SC Ventura

828 Hampton - Berwick Ventura

831 Berwick Station - Kingsmere Estate Ventura

832 Frankston - Carrum Downs Ventura

833 Frankston - Carrum Downs Ventura

834 Berwick Station - Narre Warren Ventura

835 Berwick Station - Narre Warren Ventura

836 Berwick Station - Eden Rise SC Ventura

837 Berwick Station - Beaconsfield East Ventura

838 Fountain Gate SC - Emerald Ventura *

839 Berwick Station - North Berwick Ventura

840 Pakenham - Gembrook Ventura *

841 Narre Warren North - Cranbourne Ventura

842 Fountain Gate SC - Endeavour Hills SC Ventura

843 Dandenong Station - Endeavour Hills Ventura

844 Dandenong - Doveton Ventura *

845 Endeavour Hills - Dandenong Ventura

846 Berwick Station - Eden Rise SC Ventura

847 Casey Central SC - Berwick Ventura

848 Dandenong - Brandon Park SC Ventura

850 Dandenong - Glen Waverley Ventura

857 Dandenong - Chelsea Ventura *

858 Edithvale - Aspendale Gardens Ventura

861 Dandenong - Endeavour Hills Ventura

862 Dandenong - Chadstone SC Ventura

863 Endeavour Hills SC - Cranbourne West Ventura

881 Clyde North - Merinda Park Station Cranbourne Transit

885 Glen Waverley - Springvale Ventura

886 Mornington - Hastings Ventura

887 Frankston Station - Mornington Peninsula Ventura

888 Berwick Station - Clyde Ventura

889 Berwick Station - Clyde North Ventura

890 Lynbrook Station - Dandenong Station Cranbourne Transit

891 Fountain Gate SC - Lynbrook Station Cranbourne Transit

892 Dandenong Station - Casey Central SC Cranbourne Transit

893 Dandenong Station - Cranbourne Park SC Cranbourne Transit

894 Hallam  Station - Amberly Park Cranbourne Transit 

895 Fountain Gate SC - Narre Warren South Cranbourne Transit

897 Clyde North - Lynbrook Station Cranbourne Transit

898 Cranbourne Station - Clyde North Cranbourne Transit

899 Berwick Station - The Avenue Village SC Ventura

900 Stud Park SC (Rowville) - Caulfield Ventura/CDC

901 Melbourne Airport - Frankston Kinetic

902 Airport West - Chelsea Kinetic

903 Altona - Mordialloc Kinetic

905 City (King/Lonsdale Sts) - The Pines SC Kinetic

906 City (King/Lonsdale Sts) - Warrandyte Kinetic

907 City (King/Lonsdale Sts) - Mitcham Kinetic

908 City (King/Lonsdale Sts) - The Pines SC Kinetic

922 St Kilda Station - Southland SC Kinetic

923 St Kilda Station - Southland SC Kinetic

925 Pakenham Station - Officer South Ventura

926 Fountain Gate SC - Pakenham Station Ventura

927 Pakenham Station - Pakenham North Ventura

928 Pakenham Station - Cardinia Road Station Ventura

929 Pakenham Station - Pakenham North (Army Rd) Ventura


941 Night Network Sunshine - Watergardens Transit Systems * 

943 Night Network Watergardens - Melton Transit Systems * 

947 Night Network Footscray - Newport Transit Systems * 

949 Night Network Williams Landing - Altona Meadows loop Transit Systems * 

951 Night Network Brunswick - Glenroy Ventura *

953 Night Network Broadmeadows - Craigieburn Ventura *

959 Night Network City - Broadmeadows Ventura *

965 Night Network Lilydale - Healesville loop McKenzies * 

967 Night Network Glen Waverley - Croydon Ventura * 

978 Night Network Clayton - Dandenong Ventura * 

979 Night Network Clayton - Dandenong Ventura * 

981 Night Network Dandenong - Cranbourne Ventura * 

982 Night Network Dandenong - Cranbourne Ventura * 


FlexiRide Croydon Ventura * 

FlexiRide Lilydale Ventura * 

FlexiRide Melton Transit Systems

FlexiRide Mooroolbark Ventura * 

FlexiRide Rosebud Ventura * 

FlexiRide Rowville Ventura * 

FlexiRide Tarneit North CDC * 

Routes in bold run every 20 min or better during the day 7 days - See frequency map
(*) Does not run 7 days. Dedicated Night Network routes run early hours of Saturday and Sunday. 

Metropolitan Zero Emission Bus Franchise 2 coming up

What's the next change going to be? 

There are hardly any small operators left to swallow up.

But contractual changes are coming to about 40% of Melbourne's bus routes. Metropolitan Zero Emission Bus Franchise 2 (MZF2) has just opened for pre-qualification from interested operators. These will start in 2028. You can download details if you have a Tenders Victoria log in.

An index to all Useful Network items is here

TT 245: Every 10 versus every 15 minutes - How frequent should future Metro train services run?

After a slow decade where Melbourne hardly improved its off-peak Metro train frequencies, the last year has seen some significant action. The February 2026 Metro Tunnel timetable cut maximum waits on the Sunbury - Pakenham/Cranbourne corridor while the August 2026 timetable cut maximum waits on the Craigieburn, Upfield, Mernda, Hurstbridge and Sandringham lines. 

The infamous Sunday morning 40 minute gaps are now gone and many more lines have 20 rather than 30 minute evening service. Sunbury, Craigieburn, Upfield and Sandringham were the big winners - their maximum waits fell from 40 to 20 minutes. Pakenham and Cranbourne had maximum waits fall from 30 to 20 minutes. 

30 minute gaps remain to Mernda, Eltham, Ringwood, Belgrave, Lilydale, Alamein and Glen Waverley. Some (Clifton Hill group weekend evenings and Burnley group weeknights) will be closed to 20 minutes after all the 2026 budget funded upgrades are implemented. This is likely next year.

After then the remaining unfunded 30 minute gaps include weeknights on the Clifton Hill group, weekend evenings and Sunday mornings on the Burnley group, and midday weekday for the outer part of Belgrave and Lilydale. Outer Hurstbridge will remain every 40 to 60 minutes.

Still we seem to be on a good trajectory where 20 minute maximum waits at all but a handful of stations on the network will be the rule rather than the exception. 

Every 20 minutes and then what? 

Every 20 minutes is a middling frequency for urban transit. It's not a super long wait but neither is it turn up and go. Passengers still need to use timetables and plan trips, especially if making connections. A cancelled train can mean 40 minutes between services. 

Cities such as Sydney and Perth do much better than Melbourne with a 15 minute base frequency the rule. Whereas Melbourne's trains run to a complex mix of 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 minute frequencies. 

At the start of the 1990s the typical Melbourne train line ran every 20 min off-peak, 30 min evening and 40 min on Sunday. The Burnley group (the busiest and most established part of the network) was an exception with Glen Waverley and Ringwood having 15 minute midday weekday frequencies. This was joined by Sandringham in the early 1990s and Dandenong and Frankston in 1996. 1999 saw network wide train and tram upgrades after about 10am on Sundays to match Saturday times. 

In the early 2000s, around the time of the Melbourne 2030 plan and public transport '20% of trips by 2020' target, there was interest in the bureaucracy to get the rail network to a Perth-style 15 minute all day frequency. Nothing came of it - government rail priorities were then more regionally based and picking up the pieces from the National Express walk-out. SmartBuses were being implemented with a weekday 15 minute headway but these then only served lines in the east and south-east that were already operating at matching frequencies. 

The Bracks/Brumby government's reduced interest in suburban rail came back to bite it as patronage surged and reliability plummeted. Political interest and investment revived but the benefits came too late to save that government from defeat in 2010. Still for a while there was a bipartisan consensus in favour of timetable reform and improved rail service levels. Some got done, notably on the Frankston and Pakenham/Cranbourne lines in the south-east. 

A product of this era was the Network Development Plan (Metropolitan Rail) of 2012. This proposed an ambitious service upgrade program, including new timetables that would deliver off-peak services every 10 minutes on main lines and 20 minutes on branch lines. This was meant to be in stages with key lines running every 10 min by 2016 and more by 2022. However interest slowed in favour of Big Build projects from 2015 and by 2026 not even all of the 2016 upgrades had been implemented. 

This leaves us to where we are now. The Big Build does not have the social licence and political commitment it did in its peak around 2018. Its higher than expected costs have led to high interest bills and constrained budgets for service delivery. However political will to deliver improved train frequencies is higher than it has been for a decade, with the 2025 and 2026 state budgets demonstrating this.  

And we are in an election campaign so there will be various promises (including hopefully on public transport service) made. Even though the spirit of the times favours maintenance and smaller projects rather than megaprojects. 'Cheap and cheerful' might be the new catch cry. 

Considerations when choosing a base frequency for rail

To me the core decision when reforming a rail timetable beyond the widespread 20 minute off-peak frequency on many lines (particularly in the north and west) is whether to go for a 10 or 15 minute base frequency.

There are connectivity benefits in having a single harmonised frequency 'family' for the whole network but above a certain point it becomes less important as a higher proportion of passengers treat it as turn up and go.

Especially if groups are operated independently with no interaction there may be no technical reason why some can't be (say) every 7.5 minutes and others every 10 minutes. The length, run times and infrastructure constraints of each group may point to a particular solution. There may also be trade-offs for instance short-workings to allow higher frequencies at busier closer in stations. And/or all day express running - something that Melbourne generally doesn't currently do - may on some lines be better accommodated with a 15 rather than a 10 minute frequency.

Outer suburban residents may actually prefer a 15 minute service that has express running versus a slow 10 minute that does not. But when service levels are lower, eg every 30 minutes, then frequency might assume higher importance. Also inner suburban locations with short trips and high transfer rates might prefer a 5 or 7.5 minute frequency to the 10 minute service that currently operates on the (in my view underserved) Metro Tunnel core. 

Another factor is multimodal coordination. Trams are a mix of 6-8, 10 and 12 minutes. Buses are a mix of 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 and 60 minute frequencies, though some routes have oddities like 22-24 minutes. A rail network with a 10 minute base permits a hierarchy of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 minute frequencies as opposed to a base 15 minute network that offers a somewhat reduced choice of 15, 30, 45 or 60 minute headway for buses. A large (and increasing) number of bus routes are every 20 minutes, especially on weekdays. What would happen to those if intersecting trains were to go to every 15 min? 

Public presentation and passenger information is important. A major part of marketing the network is to highlight which parts of it have frequent service. A 20 minute frequency is substantially less marketable than a 10 or even 15 minute frequency. Cities that have marketed the multimodal frequent parts of their network typically choose a 15 minute or (less commonly) 10 minute cut off. Every 20 minutes doesn't really qualify for frequent, especially in a big city where many trips would involve connections. These customer-facing considerations should be a part of the decision mix just as rail engineering considerations are. 

Finally there is driver hours and costs.  This is substantial given (a) the length of time it takes to train a train driver and (b) cost, especially where there are budget constraints. 

Below is a table showing the number of trains per hour added (or subtracted) when adjusting service levels. 

The X axis is existing frequency and the Y axis is proposed frequency. As an example, moving from a 20 to a 10 minute service requires an extra 3 trains per hour. Whereas moving from every 20 to every 15 minutes adds just 1 train per hour. 

In other words assuming equal line lengths you can improve service on three times as many lines by going to every 15 minutes than going to every 10 minutes. Provided the infrastructure allows a reliable timetable, there may be cases that going to every 15 minutes may be a reasonable decision now, even if the ultimate goal remains a 10 minute headway. 

Or in tighter times there may be opportunities when budget is available to upgrade one line to a 15 minute service but none to a 10 minute service. Should perfect be the enemy of the good in this case? I would suggest 'get what you can when you can'. 

Any costing needs to factor in return trips and the hours per week that increased frequency is desirable. Some examples are in the table below. 

It can be seen that even if there is not yet the capacity to provide frequent service between 6am to midnight there are instances where adding a small number of extra services can make a big difference. Particular examples include early evenings and Sunday mornings.

Careful service additions to create a frequent network over consistent hours all week (eg 7am - 9pm 7 days) can assist passenger legibility and messaging in ways that the current mess, with widely varying frequencies by hour and day type cannot. 

No answers, just many questions and trade-offs 

(click for better view)

Conclusion 

The first priority should be to get Melbourne's trains up to 20 minute maximum waits from first to last at all but perhaps the last few Hurstbridge line stations.

But we shouldn't stop there. 20 minutes is too low a frequency to be considered turn up and go.

Something like every 10 or 15 minutes should be considered for suburbia with 5 or 7.5 minute frequencies more suited for dense core areas. This would bring our service levels up to what other cities like Sydney and Perth run on their systems. 

However deciding between the two, as well as other considerations like suburban expresses and inner short-workings, have trade-offs, only some of which I've covered.

Once settled service considerations should drive infrastructure priorities, and not the reverse as was common during the big spending Big Build era (which often resulted in achievable service upgrades not happening or at best being scaled back or deferred). 

What do you think is the most suitable frequency and operating patterns for each group of lines? And how important is it that it be the same base frequency network-wide?

Your comments would be welcome and can be left below. 

See Timetable Tuesday items here

UN 251: Progress on 2022 Liberal bus promises

The Victorian Liberals did not win the 2022 Victorian State election. Indeed, especially in terms of seats, they were trounced by Labor. But they did present a substantial, though underpromoted, bus service upgrade agenda (largely developed by BusVic).

To refresh your memory, Labor promised ambitious bus network reviews for Melbourne's north, north-east and Mildura, only to ditch that after the election before funding some more modest bus improvements in 2025 and 2026.  

Meanwhile the Victorian Greens wanted to buy a stack of zero emissions buses for use on frequent routes but didn't tell anyone where the would go. So their policy, like Labor's, had no specific "what's in it for me" value.  

While more grab-bag than strategic, the Coalition's 2022 bus policies were at least specific. Which means we can look to see if any got implemented by their opponents.

Which is not as silly as it might seem as good policy, regardless of its origin, has some universal truths that governments, even from different political hues, would do well to accept. 

So here is a look, nearly four years on, at whether any of the 2022 Coalition metropolitan bus policies got implemented. My comments four years ago are in red. My comments today are in green. 

1. Sunday service on Route 414 Laverton - Footscray. Welcome service upgrade in poorly serviced parts of Kingsville and Laverton. Not implemented.  

2. Sunday service on Route 415 Laverton - Williamstown. Also welcome, providing 7 day service to isolated parts of Altona and adding all-week direct connection to Williamstown. Not implemented.  

3. Sunday service on Route 479 Airport West - Melbourne Airport - Sunbury. Not sure what is meant here as there is already 7 day service on this route. However weekend service is very token, with just 2 trips per day. However if Route 479 was boosted to run hourly on weekends then it could improve 7 day connectivity between the 59 tram and Melbourne Airport in conjunction with the hourly Route 478 if it was scheduled to provide a combined half-hourly service (as runs on weekdays). Not implemented.  

4. Deliver a FlexiRide service for Sunbury. This could remove some coverage gaps in a growing area. To the Coalition's credit the FlexiRide proposed will run 7 days. However the Labor government has recently announced a new Diggers Rest - Sunbury Route 475 which should provide some new coverage in the area. Not implemented.  

5. Review bus routes in the Melton area with a view to increasing routes and services in the Eynesbury and Thornhill Park areas. Melton certainly needs a bus network review as, unlike Wyndham and Cranbourne, it hasn't had one for many years. Consequently I'd prefer that its scope includes established as well as growth areas with the aim being to provide service levels in Melton that more comparable with those currently running in Cranbourne and Wyndham. Ideas here.   Partly implemented with new routes.  

6. Extend Route 463 down Aspire Bvd. This is a route from Watergardens that provides coverage in the rapidly-growing Fraser Rise area. An extension is much needed and would improve local bus coverage. Implemented with extension to Caroline Springs.  

7. Greater frequency on Route 461 from Caroline Springs to Watergardens. A significant route in the Caroline Springs area serving areas where bus routes are quite widely spaced. A 7 day frequency upgrade here would be most welcome, especially if it was every 20 min to mesh well with trains. Implemented through 463/464 upgrade.   

8. Increase Route 512's span of hours and introduce Sunday service. This is a fairly quiet route in the Coburg area. Not my first choice for 7 day service in the north (I'd boost 503 and/or 506 first) but a 7 day upgrade will still be beneficial. The state government's just-started northern bus reform review will cover the 512's neighbourhood. Not implemented.  

9. Review all bus services in the Wyndham municipality to accommodate demand due to population growth. Thanks to new networks in 2013 and 2015 the 'bones' of this network are better than those in many other parts of Melbourne. However growth means there's scope for extra residential area coverage and direct connections to key employment areas like Laverton North. Plus the high boardings / km productivity of existing routes mean that many deserve 20 rather than 40 min off-peak and weekend frequency. There is also scope for longer operating hours with no reason why key routes cannot operate as SmartBus style services such as run in many eastern suburbs. A review of the Wyndham network against these points it thus highly desirable (provided that there are resources to implement its recommendations). More discussion on this here. Part implemented.      

10. Route 624 frequency upgrade on weekends and weekdays. Highly desirable - in parts. An upgrade of the Kew - Caulfield portion would fill in a major north-south missing link in the transit network. However other parts of the 624 route need reform or even deletion as it is so complex and confusing. The best value for money in the area is likely to come from a Caulfield reform package comprising upgrading the Kew - Caulfield portion of the 624, extending the 734 to Caulfield and merging the Caulfield - Chadstone part of the 624 with a reformed and upgraded Route 623.  Not implemented.    

11. New Sunday service on Route 407. Route 407 is not the most productive bus route without Sunday service but its upgrade is still beneficial, improving access to the popular Highpoint Shopping Centre. Not implemented.  

    

12. Increase frequency of Route 841 to every 20 min. This is a main road route serving popular transport hubs and destinations in the south-east including Cranbourne, Narre Warren and Fountain Gate. A welcome upgrade in a poorly served area, especially if the 20 minute service applies 7 days.  Not implemented.  

  

13. Extend routes 791, 795, 796, 798 to new residential estates in the Clyde area. Not sure about this one. The current Labor government has recently extended some routes in this area. Personal view is that 791, at least, should be left as is. Due to high growth area needs a review of buses as there are many routes that are either infrequent, overlap one another or finish at inconvenient dead-end locations. Implemented.  

14. Extend Route 898 to link Casey Fields with Cranbourne.  Yes, there should probably be a bus connection here but I'm not sure if Route 898 is the best route to accomplish this. I'd leave this to a local bus review rather than being too prescriptive here. Implemented.  

15. New express bus between Box Hill and Glen Waverley via Deakin University. Previously announced. There may be some overlaps with other routes but these are major destinations so it should get reasonable to high usage. Three destinations mentioned will be linked by the proposed Suburban Rail Loop so this route is arguably a form of 'SRL SmartBus' that I've written about previously.  Not implemented.  

16. Increase service on Route 800 to 7 days per week until 9pm with increased frequency on weekends. Route 800 is the most used and most important bus route in Melbourne without 7 day service. It serves major destinations and transport hubs including Chadstone, Oakleigh, the Monash precinct and Dandenong. There are also many low income residents in areas like Noble Park North and Dandenong who would benefit from a boost to this route. These reasons (and more) make the 800 a top priority for upgrade. The Coalition has taken the lead here on boosting this route that runs right past the premier's electorate office. Labor has no excuse not to at least match this given the case for upgrading is so strong.  Implemented.  

17. More buses between Wonga Park and Croydon particularly around school times. Not implemented. 

18. Expanded bus routes through Wonga Park with specific destinations mentioned including Doncaster, Warrandyte and Ringwood. Not sure what is in mind here. The bus network certainly needs a wider review with some basics like 7 day service needed. However existing patronage, demographics and population growth makes the area a lower priority to put large amounts of bus resources in than service-starved districts such as Greater Dandenong, Knox and some growth areas.   Not implemented. 

19. Inclusion of Ringwood Station and Doncaster Park & Ride in any expanded routes. Again not sure of proposals here. However there is certainly a need for improved bus coverage near Ringwood along corridors such as Eastfield Rd. Maroondah Hospital also needs simpler routes and better connections, as previously described here. Not implemented. 

20. Upgrade service on Route 542 and extend service to Pascoe Vale on Sundays. A welcome upgrade. 542 is an oddity in that only half the route runs 7 days. It's one of the many things that makes buses in Melbourne so complex to explain and catch. Like many bus initiatives fixing it is more about working the existing bus fleet harder rather than having to buy new buses. Thus it's low cost but there has been scant interest by recent governments to fix even issues like this. Funded in 2026 State budget. 

21. Upgrade frequency and bus priority on bus routes 525 and 541. These well-chosen upgrades would deliver major connectivity benefits in northern suburbs including Meadow Heights, Roxburgh Park, Craigieburn, Mickleham and Donnybrook. The extra service should get good use as Craigieburn is a growth area with dense housing and high bus usage. Not implemented.       

22. Upgrade span of hours on weekends for routes 536 and 538 in line with other routes. So good that the Coalition are now seeing the social and transport needs around areas like Hadfield and residential Campbellfield in a way that Labor has neglected to do so over many years. Route 536 is up there with the 800 (also proposed for upgrade) as being one of the busiest bus routes without 7 day service. Thus it is an extremely worthy inclusion for upgrade. Route 538 is somewhat quieter but its upgrade would bring much overdue 7 day service to isolated and low-income residential Campbellfield. These areas have historically been safe Labor seats but the relationship has all been one-way, especially with regards to bus services. If Labor wishes to consider itself a contributor rather than a safe-seat exploiter then it will need to match if not exceed the Coalition promises in seats like Broadmeadows and Dandenong with respect to essential local services such as buses. Part implemented with 536 upgrade.   

    

23. Extend Route 561 to major hub / interchange Watsonia/Greensborough to boost patronage. A good idea as the 561 currently has a weak terminus at Macleod. An extension would improve access to La Trobe University and provide an east-west route between key destinations. It runs every 20 minutes on weekdays but ideally its weekend service should be boosted from 40 to 20 minutes to make it more useful 7 days. Not implemented but a 561 upgrade is funded in the 2026 State budget.    

24. Upgrade frequency on routes 517, 555, 556, 566 and 567 to match the train timetable. Another good (and overdue) initiative that hits Labor in an area where its past performance has been poor. Right now these routes run every 22 - 25 minutes off-peak with timetables that are neither easy to remember nor harmonise with trains every 20 min. Boosting to every 20 minutes would make these services more serviceable and better connected. To be fair the Labor government has started a bus network reform review for the northern suburbs which should also address these issues. Thus there now appears to be welcome bipartisan support to fix problems that should have been resolved years ago.  Part implemented (517 upgraded). 

25. Night services on Routes 356, 381, 388 and 564 to connect with trains at Epping, South Morang and Mernda. Not clear whether this is additional services or a retimetabling of existing services. There are cases where it is difficult to schedule buses to connect well with trains at multiple stations in both directions. In some cases bus timetables can be optimised but improved train frequency is the best bet of improvement with other side benefits as well. Mernda trains run every 30 minutes at night versus every 10 minutes (weeknights) for Dandenong trains and 20 min for Frankston and Werribee trains. Not implemented. 

26. High frequency service connecting Epping North and Wollert with Mernda train line at Lalor Station with bus priority on Edgars Rd. Expectations about a train line to Wollert have been raised but never delivered. A fast and frequent bus could be the next best thing. Wollert is a growth area that needs better transport services so the Coalition's promise to do something here is welcome. I discussed Wollert bus rapid transit in my item on bus wormholes.  Wollert bus upgrade funded in 2025 state budget. 

27. Introduce a bus in Wollert East along Salt Lake Bvd. A bus here could be a welcome coverage gain for a growth area. Wollert bus upgrade funded in 2025 state budget. 
  

28. Introduce bus services in new estates in Wollert.  Also good. Wollert bus upgrade funded in 2025 state budget. 

  

29. Upgrade bus routes 781 and 785 to better service several retirement villages in Mornington East area. Not sure about this specific proposal but the Frankston South/Mt Eliza/Mornington area has significant bus coverage issues and a network review is desirable. Such a review should be considered in the context of a cross-peninsula bus (30). Implemented. 

30. Introduce a new express bus route between Hastings and Mornington. There has long been advocacy for a cross-peninsula bus. The Hastings/Mornington area also has issues with bus network coverage generally. It may be easier to address these coverage problems at lower cost if any cross-peninsula route was not express. Serving more stops would also make the cross-peninsula route useful for those making local trips to Hastings and Mornington, and thus assist the route's viability (as past limited service cross-peninsula routes had failed due to low usage). Implemented. 

31. Introduce additional evening and weekend service from Lilydale to Healesville on Route 685. A good idea as weekend service (especially) is so limited. The government is currently working on Healesville area plans to deliver Route 685 improvements along these lines. Implemented. 

32. Introduce new peak services in the Kilsyth area to serve the industrial area and provide direct linkages to railway stations. Better connections to jobs definitely desirable. However I'd be looking at this in the context of a wider bus network review rather than as a stand-alone initiative. This may allow more useful all-day rather than peak-only service to be provided. Not implemented. 

33. Undertake a whole of network review for the Lilydale area with longer hours and 30 minute minimum weekday frequency. A good idea for an area in which bus services have been largely stagnant for many years. This is best done in conjunction with rail timetable reforms that deliver maximum 20 min waits for Belgrave and Lilydale trains. That could allow key bus routes to run every 20 minutes over a more extensive network than now. The service backlog in the outer-east justifies a wide review area, including the triangle between Ringwood, Lilydale and Belgrave, extending south to the Knox area. Not implemented.    

34. Introduce a new direct peak service between Healesville, Yarra Glen and Warburton with Lilydale Station. Presumably two routes. Personally I'd look at boosting frequency as a higher priority than express services. The government is currently doing a review on Healesville area buses. Not implemented. 

Summary

For an opposition party, the proportion of policies that got at least partly implemented (or funded) by the Labor government was surprisingly high. Close to 50% in fact. Here's the breakdown. 

Implemented or funded 12

Part implemented 4
Not implemented 18

Some of those not implemented I wouldn't have done as I think alternatives would have been better. For example I prefer the implemented 475 fixed route to the FlexiRide proposal in the Sunbury area. Ditto for what was done in the Healesville area. 

On the other hand other unimplemented measures would have made a big difference. Notably the 624 upgrade to provide a major north-south route in the inner eastern suburbs, something which does not currently exist, despite numerous trips that would benefit. The same goes for a more comprehensive network revamps in Melton, Lilydale and many northern suburbs.  . 

An index to all Useful Network items is here