NightRider

NightRider

Overview
Owner	Public Transport Victoria
Locale	Melbourne
Transit type	Bus
Number of lines	13
Website	www.ptv.vic.gov.au/route/nightrider
Operation
Began operation	May 1993
Ended operation	27 December 2015
Operator(s)	Dyson's Bus Services McKenzie's Tourist Services Ventura Bus Lines
Headway	30 minutes
System map NightRider

The NightRider was a network of bus services in Melbourne, Australia. It operated on weekends and for special events from the Melbourne City Centre to the outer suburbs on 13 routes, with over 300 stops between 01:30 (00:00 on the Doncaster route) and 04:30 on Saturdays and 05:30 on Sundays. NightRider ceased operation on 27 December 2015, being replaced by Night Network's Night Bus services which commenced operation in 2016.^[1]

History

The NightRider network was launched in May 1993 with nine routes all originating in Swanston Street.^[2]

In November 2008, the NightRider network was overhauled. The logo and branding were replaced, and operators of several routes changed. New routes commenced to Doncaster, Healesville and Cranbourne. Frequencies were increased from 60 to 30 minutes. Due to Metro Trains Melbourne now running until 01:00, the first services were revised to depart at 01:30 instead of 00:30 on most services.

Route numbers were issued by Metlink for the first time (previously some operators did display them on buses) and are all in the 900 series, with the numbers corresponding to the predominant route number allocations at the outer termini. For example, many buses in the Dandenong area are in the 800s, hence the number 980 and 981 was allocated to them.

Routes

Buses ran half-hourly from 01:30 (00:00 on Doncaster route 961) to 04:30 on Saturdays and 05:30 on Sundays on the following routes:^[3]

Route	From	To	Via	Operator	Notes
942	Swanston Street City	St Albans	Footscray, Sunshine & Deer Park	Dyson's Bus Services	Some services extend to Sunbury
943	Deer Park	Melton	Rockbank	Dyson's Bus Services
944	Swanston Street City	Werribee	Spotswood, Newport & Hoppers Crossing	Dyson's Bus Services
954	Swanston Street City	Craigieburn	Moonee Ponds, Essendon & Broadmeadows	Dyson's Bus Services
956	Swanston Street City	Epping	Brunswick, Coburg & Preston	Dyson's Bus Services
958	Swanston Street City	Eltham	Fitzroy, Northcote & Heidelberg	Dyson's Bus Services
961	Swanston Street City	Doncaster	Bulleen & Templestowe	Dyson's Bus Services	Service commences at 00:00 and runs to 04:30 on Saturdays and 05:30 on Sundays
965	Lilydale	Healesville	Yarra Glen, Woori & Yallock	McKenzie's Tourist Services
966	Swanston Street City	Croydon	Balwyn, Box Hill & Lilydale	Ventura Bus Lines
968	Swanston Street City	Belgrave	South Yarra, Glen Waverley & Westfield Knox	Ventura Bus Lines
970	Swanston Street City	Mornington	St Kilda, Mentone & Frankston	Ventura Bus Lines
980	Swanston Street City	Dandenong	Prahran, Monash University & Springvale	Ventura Bus Lines	Connects with 981 at Dandenong
981	Dandenong	Cranbourne	Narre Warren, Berwick & Hampton Park	Ventura Bus Lines	Connects with 980 at Dandenong

Ticketing Information

Originally fares were set at a flat $5 regardless of distance travelled.^[2] From March 2007 standard Metcard tickets have become accepted on the service.^[4]

Buses are labelled with a large NightRider logo, and text saying "NightRider - The after midnight bus service".

References

1. "Night Bus". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
2. "Night Rider" Australian Bus Panorama issue 8/9 June 1993 page 32
3. "NightRider buses". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
4. Media Release: "Nightrider Now Included in Metcard Fare" Department of Premier & Cabinet 2 March 2007

External links

• NightRider bus timetables at Public Transport Victoria
• NightRider route map at Public Transport Victoria