Northern Beaches residents, we’ve got good news. After months of commuting chaos, sweet relief is on its way in the form of 60 new buses, which will help solve the transport deficit that’s been plaguing the beaches to city commute.
Over the past few months, residents of Sydney’s Northern Beaches have been facing major delays (up to forty minutes at peak times, with queues stretching for hundreds of metres), as a limited supply of buses have struggled to meet demand. The bus shortage began in October 2024, when several of the 83 Volvo articulated buses operating in the Northern Beaches were removed from service due to safety concerns. With limited replacement buses on standby, the Northern Beaches region was instead faced with reduced and delayed services, resulting in a lot of unhappy commuters.
This week, Transport for NSW has confirmed that they’ll be addressing the issue with a new supply of high-capacity buses, promising to buy 50 new articulated buses as well as 10 double decker buses to supplement the B-Line fleet.
“We know it’s been a difficult couple of months for bus passengers on the Northern Beaches who’ve been dealing with the shortage of articulated buses. Our drivers have been doing their best, but the fleet shortage has meant many services haven’t been up to scratch. That’s why we’re bringing in more high-capacity buses,” explained Minister for Transport John Graham.
The additional high-capacity buses will improve reliability and efficiency of the B-Line (the Wynyard to Mona Vale bus route) as well as other routes in the area, with a focus on key locations including Wynyard and Dee Why. Transport for NSW is also focusing on fixing the faulty buses, with the six existing articulated buses currently being repaired.
Relief won’t arrive immediately, with the six faulty buses forecast to return to service from April 2025 once repairs are complete, and the new buses expected to enter service towards the end of 2025.
In the meantime, you can plan your journey over here.