The Liverpool–Parramatta T-way is a continuous series of bus-only lanes and bus roadways between
Parramatta and
Liverpool in
Western Sydney. Completed in February 2003, the T-way was the first
bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
infrastructure to be built in Sydney.
[Transit Systems secures Region 6 Bus Contract (Final Paragraph)]
Transit Systems
Design and construction
A project of the then
New South Wales Ministry of Transport and the
Roads & Traffic Authority, the T-way cost $346 million to build.
[Auditor General's Report Liverpool to Parramatta Bus Transitway]
Auditor General of NSW December 2005
The route runs through the central business district of
Parramatta, before heading onto the
Great Western Highway to
South Wentworthville, after which it heads onto its own alignment next to the
Sydney Water pipeline that runs from
Prospect Reservoir. It then proceeds on its own alignment in an old freeway reservation through to
Hoxton Park. At Brickmakers' Creek in
Liverpool, it heads onto its own alignment to the centre of
Liverpool and
Liverpool railway station bus interchange. The system includes active traffic signal priority to give buses preference where the route crosses other roadways.
Stations
The Liverpool–Parramatta T-way has 35 stations, spaced approximately every 800 metres. These stations are more substantial than conventional bus stops, which has led to criticism that the system is overly costly and vulnerable to vandalism. Stations feature
closed circuit television
Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly t ...
, real-time information screens, emergency help points, audio announcements and extensive landscaping.
One station,
Parramatta Station, also forms part of the
North-West T-way. The other stations are, from Parramatta:
Originally there were 36 T-Way stops, however one T-Way stop closed pretty soon after the T-Way opened. Argyle T-Way was on Argyle Street, Parramatta allowing for passengers to alight for Westfield Parramatta.
Services
There are a number of services using portions of the T-way. The only service to have the prefix T is T80, which runs along the whole stretch of the T-way. In the financial year ended June 2012, 2.77 million passengers used the T-way services.
[State Transit Authority Annual Report]
State Transport Authority 30 June 2012
Provision of the service T80 was put out to tender and an eight-year contract awarded to
Western Sydney Buses.
[ Services were initially provided by 17 natural-gas Mercedes-Benz O405NH buses in blue and yellow T-way livery. These were replaced in 2004 by diesel Volvo B12BLEs.
Since October 2013, services have been operated by Transit Systems Sydney as part of its Sydney Bus Region 3 contract.][ All State Transit bus fleet used for the T-way were transferred to Transit Systems Sydney. The liveries of these buses still show the colours of State Transit, blue and white, with some now in the Transport NSW livery. Buses inherited from State Transit had on-board audio announcements and green automatic validating machines which have since been replaced by Opal validators like other buses.
T80 was the first Rapid bus route in Sydney.][
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liverpool-Parramatta T-way
Bus transport in Sydney
Bus rapid transit in Australia
Busways
2003 establishments in Australia
Transport infrastructure in Parramatta
Liverpool, New South Wales