New Nightlink Services Aspley & Browns Plains

[techblitz]

http://translink.com.au/travel-information/service-notices/23691/details

From Friday 17 October, we're adding two new NightLink buses to our late night network:
Route N345 - Fortitude Valley and the City to Aspley Hypermarket
Route N154 - Fortitude Valley and City to Browns Plains (via Griffith University Nathan and Garden City).

At the same time, we're replacing the inbound route N339 with inbound route N345 trips.
Why not plan your journey in advance? Both NightLink services are now available in our journey planner - you'll just need to change the 'travel time and day' to Saturday 18 October and after midnight.

N345 - City and Fortitude Valley to Aspley

New route N345 will service the normal NightLink stops in Fortitude Valley and the City, before continuing to Aspley Hypermarket.
The N345 will drop you off anywhere along the route after Normanby station - provided it's safe for the driver to stop.

N154 - City and Fortitude Valley to Browns Plains

New route N154 will run from the City and Fortitude Valley to Browns Plains, via Griffith University (Nathan campus) and Garden City.
The N154 will drop you off anywhere along the route after Woolloongabba - provided it's safe for the driver to stop.

N339 - inbound trips to be replaced

From Friday 17 October, inbound route N339 services (running from Normanby to Fortitude Valley) will be replaced by the new N345 trips.
There'll be no changes to outbound N339 services, so you'll still be able to catch your Bracken Ridge-bound NightLink bus home.

[SurfRail]

In other parts of the country like Adelaide and Melbourne, they have connections at outer suburban hubs rather than running heaps of empty late night buses along the same overserviced corridor. 

Waiting for the N140 to appear now.  Sigh.

[Otto]

Waiting for the N140 to appear now.  Sigh.

N222 anyone ?   

[James]

In other parts of the country like Adelaide and Melbourne, they have connections at outer suburban hubs rather than running heaps of empty late night buses along the same overserviced corridor. 

Waiting for the N140 to appear now.  Sigh.

I'm not that fussed, I think the NightLink network is mostly unduplicated aside from the ridiculous situation with the N111/N555. Sure, there's duplication in the inner section, but getting people in Brisbane to transfer sober is hard enough as it is, getting them to transfer drunk will probably require electrified cattle prods.

Having interchange in the suburbs would also likely require security guards to be stationed at the busway stations (likely Garden City) for safety/security reasons. Assuming cost of 1 bus driver = cost of 1 security guard, forcing transfer at Garden City and truncating N130/N154 there (saving 1 driver each), the saving would be negated by the cost of security. I can also imagine there would be opposition from locals who don't want drunks roaming around their bus interchange late at night.

In terms of what I'd like to see happen to the NightLink network, I'd like to see (in order of preference):
- N464 go on urban safari in Jindalee/Mt Ommaney in order to service the people out there
- Additional rail NightLink service on Ips/Cab/Beenleigh lines at around 2am (one service at 3:50am is pretty ordinary)
- N175 - Garden City via Logan Road
- N412 to loop back around and service Hawken Dr/Gailey Rd on the way back to Toowong
- N385 via Waterworks Rd
- N300 - Toombul via Hamilton
If you did all that, you'd have a mostly complete NightLink network.

[Otto]

I'm not that fussed, I think the NightLink network is mostly unduplicated aside from the ridiculous situation with the N111/N555. Sure, there's duplication in the inner section, but getting people in Brisbane to transfer sober is hard enough as it is, getting them to transfer drunk will probably require electrified cattle prods.

Is it really necessary to have a N111 at all ? Doesn't the N555 cover all the stops of the N111 ? What are the loadings like on each route ?

[SurfRail]

They seem to trust us enough down here to transfer to drunk buses at night.  Want to get from Surfers to Robina or Palm Beach at 2am on Saturday?  Tram to BBS N750 to Robina or 700 to Palm Beach

[SteelPan]

Nightlink ferries
and more Nightlink train services.....this second one in particular, will be a big jump for people and organisations having to finally bin their 1979 calendars...but who knows....