Starting today, major routes connecting areas including Tallawong, Rouse Hill, Riverstone, Box Hill, Bella Vista and North Kellyville will see more services, longer operating hours, and increased frequency for some routes, especially at peak times.
106 new services each week will link commuters to North West metro stations. They join 144 services each week that started moving commuters to Metro Stations on Sydney’s North Shore in August. These changes mean more commuters can leave the car at home and enjoy a combination of frequent and reliable metro and bus services.
Bus routes that link commuters in the north west to Rouse Hill Metro station will see extra services, including the 601, 605, 643, 740, 742, 746, 747 and the 748.
In Riverstone and Tallawong, services on route 742 between Riverstone and Rouse Hill will run more frequently across the week – every 30 minutes during morning and afternoon peak periods, weeknights, and on weekends between 8am and 6pm. Buses will also run until later in the night on all days of the week.
One of the major changes is to route 748, which will now extend to the growing community of Melonba and operate via Jerralong Drive in Schofields to give growing suburbs better access to bus services. The 748 will then connect with train and metro services at Schofields and Tallawong.
Bus services in the growing Gables and Box Hill area are also improving, with the 643 route frequency increasing to ever 15 minutes in the morning and afternoon peak, and services starting earlier on weekdays.
On route 740 from Gables to Rouse Hill, buses will run more frequently during morning and afternoon peaks and later into the evening. The service will also make the most of a $1.75 million investment to extend the southbound bus only lane on Windsor Road through the Mile End Road intersection at Rouse Hill to reduce delays and improve travel times for passengers. The 643 will also make the most of this new infrastructure.
Route 746 from Riverstone to Rouse Hill will have earlier and later operating hours on weekdays, and additional service arriving at Rouse Hill after the busy morning peak.
Similarly, 747 passengers between Marsden Park and Rouse Hill via Riverstone will see additional services. Between Riverstone and Tallawong, buses will run more frequently during morning and afternoon peak periods. Services will also start earlier and finish later across the week. Route 732 will also run earlier on weekdays and more frequently during weeknights between Quakers Hill, Tallawong and Rouse Hill.
Meanwhile, extra services will be added to route 745 from St Marys to Norwest Private Hospital via Bella Vista Station, extending its operating hours later on weeknights.
In other service enhancements, route 601 from Rouse Hill to Parramatta via Baulkham Hills will have an extra service in the morning peak, providing commuters with additional travel options, while weekday morning peak frequency will be improved to 10 minutes on route 605 from North Kellyville to Rouse Hill.
These timetable changes follow a $139.5 million investment announced in the 2024-25 budget to improve buses across Western Sydney.
Changes outside the North West
Services across the Northern Beaches and lower North Shore will have their timetables tweaked to improve on-time running and reflect changing traffic patterns.
Minor timetable changes will also be made to services in the Eastern Suburbs, largely around the Randwick area, with a key change being the 339 service from Central to Clovelly no longer including a loop around Belmore Park and Eddy Avenue, with Foveaux Street becoming the key stop for passengers heading to or from Central Station.
Minor adjustments to improve capacity and reliability will also be introduced to timetables on other routes, including additional capacity for some routes servicing Green Square and the University of NSW.
Passengers can plan their new bus journeys online by visiting Transport’s Trip Planner at transportnsw.info/trip
Deputy Premier, Minister for Western Sydney and Member for Londonderry Prue Car said:
“People living in our fast-growing suburbs need better access to reliable public transport options.
“The new and expanded bus services we are delivering will improve connections to the North West Metro for our growing suburbs.
“The Minns Labor Government is delivering the infrastructure Sydney’s North West needs.”
Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:
“When buses are frequent, reliable and accessible, people leave their cars at home and love their buses.
“We’re fulfilling our commitment to invest in North-West bus services, to connect people to Metro stations, schools, shops and work.
We’ll be increasing services on popular routes, running some later into the night or starting some earlier in the morning.
Member for Riverstone Warren Kirby said:
“Providing more public transport services will take pressure off our busy roads and carpark.”
“I’m particularly excited to see the extension of the of the 748 down Jerralong Drive and Hambledon Road, which will mean 5,500 people will be able to travel to Tallawong Metro Station without needing to find a park.”
Peter Primrose MLC said:
“There are significant changes to bus services in Box Hill, which will connect these growing communities to Sydney’s world class Metro. We will keep listening to local residents and improving bus services.”
New public schools for thousands of students in Sydney’s growing North-West
13 December 2024
The Minns Labor Government is delivering for families in Sydney’s rapidly growing North-West as construction begins on the new Tallawong Public School.
The new Tallawong Public School will feature 24 modern classrooms with additional multipurpose rooms, three support learning classrooms, a multipurpose hall and covered outdoor learning area (COLA), a modern library, canteen, a new sports court and designated play areas, space for parking, and landscaped grounds.
With construction underway, Tallawong Public School’s permanent facilities will open in 2026, catering for up to 600 students. The school is currently operating in purpose-built temporary facilities at Riverstone Public School, after opening in Term 1, 2024.
Sydney’s growing North-West is also set to gain two new public schools, with a new primary school fast-tracked and delivered ahead of schedule by the Minns Labor Government.
Accelerated construction progress means the permanent Melonba Public School will open six months ahead of schedule, on Day 1, Term 1, 2025. The new public school had previously been due to open in temporary facilities, with the transition to permanent facilities to take place in Term 3.
Melonba Public School will cater for up to 1,000 students with 44 classrooms, three specialist support classrooms, a new library, canteen, administration facilities, and a multipurpose hall. There will also be covered outdoor learning areas (COLA) and outdoor play areas, including sports courts and outdoor learning areas.
Also opening on Day 1, Term 1, 2025 is the new Melonba High School, where students will be moving to permanent facilities, after the school opened in temporary buildings in Term 1, 2024.
Melonba High School will cater for up to 2,000 students, with 97 classrooms, including specialist classrooms for science, wood and metal workshops, performing arts, textile, hospitality and kitchen spaces, multi-media and visual arts classrooms and three specialist support classrooms.
It will also feature a new library, canteen, administration facilities, multipurpose hall, outdoor activity areas and on-site parking for staff.
Delivery of these three new public schools will provide new school places for up to 3,600 students in Sydney’s growing North-West, which is the number one area for student enrolment growth in the state, according to recent Enrolment Growth Audit. The overall population in the area also tripled between 2016 and 2021.
Providing new schools for Sydney’s growing North-West is part of the Minns Labor Government’s plan to rebuild public education, with the 2024-25 Budget delivering record education funding including $3.6 billion for new and upgraded schools in Western Sydney.
Minister for Education and Early Learning, Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:
“Delivering these schools is part of our long-term plan to repair the state’s public education system and provide world class learning facilities for our growing families.
“The Minns Labor Government is building the much-needed new primary school for the Tallawong community, where the population has grown significantly in recent years.
“It is also fantastic news that Melonba Public School and Melonba High School will open in permanent facilities from Day 1, Term 1, next year.
“For too long, families in Sydney’s North-West had their educational needs ignored by the Liberals and Nationals. We are now working harder than ever to rebuild world-class public education in Western Sydney.”
Member for Riverstone Warren Kirby said:
“The communities here in Sydney’s north-west are growing at a rapid rate. As the area continues to expand, it is essential that school infrastructure is delivered at the same rate.
“The new permanent Tallawong Public School and new permanent primary and high schools in Melonba will help meet the demand for the area and I am beyond proud to be part of a government that is delivering for these growing families.
“I know I speak for our North-West families when I say we cannot wait to see the new Tallawong primary school take shape and to see students learning from the two new permanent facilities at Melonba in only a few weeks’ time.”
Tallawong Public School Principal Julie Grennard said:
“I am thrilled to see this milestone achieved and to know that our Tallawong Public School students and staff will soon benefit from these wonderful new permanent facilities.
“To be a part of building this school from the ground up has been a great privilege and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the Tallawong school community to bring this new school to life.
“The coming months will be an exciting time as we see progress made on our new permanent school and I can’t wait to see it take shape.”
Melonba Public School Principal Larissa Maraga said:
“Our Melonba Public School community is so impressed that we’ll be opening on Day 1 2025 from our permanent site.
“To have these new state-of-the-art facilities ready earlier than expected for our students to start the year in is simply incredible and I’m so grateful to everyone involved for their dedication and commitment which helped make this a reality.
“I can’t wait to welcome our students and families to the permanent site on Day 1 next year and I am really looking forward to providing opportunities for every student to learn, grow and belong at Melonba Public School.”
Melonba High School Principal Leon Weatherstone said:
“I am delighted that our growing community will soon be settling in to our new, permanent school buildings.
“This is an exciting time for our school, and our teachers, students and families have been amazed watching our new school take shape.
“The new, permanent Melonba High School offers the best in contemporary learning, and is setting this community up for the best in academic success.”
