Source: Mental Health Australia
NSW TrainLink is introducing changes to the timetable for its temporary premium Sydney to Grafton and return coach service to improve run times, reliability and overall passenger experience.
Since late April this year, two premium coach services have temporarily run in place of trains in both directions between Sydney and Grafton, freeing up trains to undergo maintenance as part of the XPT life extension project.
Following the first few months of operations, NSW TrainLink is making improvements to the timetable to address on time running issues.
Changes to the coach timetable will take effect from Sunday 7 September.
Changes include route adjustments, as well as removal of stops at Hornsby and Eungai to avoid areas of traffic congestion.
There will also be changes to timetabled arrival and departure times at some locations and passengers are advised to take note of the new timings which may differ by as little as five minutes or up to 55 minutes.
At Coffs Harbour and Nambucca Heads, the stops will be relocated from the train station to existing coach stops used by private coach operators, specifically designed for coach arrivals and departures.
Newcastle Interchange and Broadmeadow stops have also been changed to pick up only northbound and drop off only southbound.
The new timetable for the premium Grafton coach service will have no impact on NSW TrainLink’s other north coast services including the Sydney to Brisbane and Sydney to Casino daily return train services.
Acting Chief Executive of NSW TrainLink Robert Macey said the new timetable from 7 September will enhance the end to end journey experience for passengers.
“We have heard and have responded to our passengers on our Sydney to Grafton premium coach services, who want a more reliable service, which we’ve worked hard to improve in recent months,” Mr Macey said.
“Better aligning routes and making changes to the stopping patterns will give passengers a more reliable service offering,” he said.
“I encourage passengers to familiarise themselves with the changes and thank them for their patience as we continue our commitment to providing safe and reliable public transport to and from the north coast of NSW.”
Passengers can now go online to plan journeys beyond 7 September using the new Grafton coach service timetable via Trip Planner at www.transportnsw.info/trip and a range of transport apps.