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North-West T-way facts for kids

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North-West T-way
Tway logo.png
Overview
Operator Busways
Hillsbus
Began service 10 March 2007 (2007-03-10)
Route
Start Blacktown station
Rouse Hill station
Via Norwest Business Park
Westmead Hospital
End Parramatta station
Length 24 km

The North-West T-way is a continuous series of bus-only lanes and bus roadways between Parramatta, Blacktown and Rouse Hill in Western Sydney. Opened in stages between March and November 2007, the 24 km (14.9 mi) T-way was the second bus rapid transit route to be built in Sydney after the Liverpool-Parramatta T-way.

Design and construction

AbbottTwaystation1
Abbott T-Way Station in Seven Hills

The T-way was a joint venture between the NSW Ministry of Transport and the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority. The A$330 million contract to design, built and maintain until 2017 was awarded to Leighton Contractors in 2005.

The project was approved in February 2004 and construction began in mid-2005. Construction was expected to take just over two years and cost $524 million. According to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald, many of the costly design mistakes made in the development of the Liverpool-Parramatta T-way have been avoided on the North-West T-way.

The 24-kilometre-long (15 mi) T-way includes:

  • 21 kilometres (13 mi) of bus-only roads connecting to 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) of bus lanes on existing roads
  • 30 bus stations
  • 10 new bridges
  • 2 new underpass
  • 20 kilometres (12 mi) of off-road cycleway

Criticisms

The T-way and its operations has come under criticism in several areas. Even before its opening, the Roads and Traffic Authority was criticised for its lack of planning and broken promises on the T-way's construction. Parramatta Council complained during construction that noise walls had not been built next to the homes of residents who lived along the T-way route, causing them distress. The planned cycleway alongside the T-way was not built in its entire length, and included a large deviation which Council complained would erode the cycleway's effectiveness. After the opening of the first stage of the T-way, a local cycle advocacy group identified a large gap in the cycleway, potentially compromising cyclists' safety. Some local residents had their backyards destroyed.

On the opening of the initial route several other problems were raised. Comments were made concerning the initial patronage of the T-way. While the New South Wales State Government refused to say how many people used the T-way in its first week, a local newspaper discovered that the commuter carpark attracted as few as ten cars a day in the first week of operation. Another local newspaper reported a traffic barrier separating vehicles from the busway at Westmead railway station was causing accidents.

On 12 April 2007, the Roads and Traffic Authority quietly scrapped the bus priority system that would have given buses priority at all at-grade intersections. The decision was criticised as eliminating the main advantage of the T-way and not entice commuters back to public transport. Bus operators expected better patronage once the toll on the Lane Cove Tunnel came into effect.

There have also been many complaints regarding city bus travellers from Rouse Hill and Kellyville Ridge as their trips were taking 1.5 hours and were overcrowded. Hillsbus had seen increased patronage on city services with the new timetable and is not able to cope with the demand.

Services

Private bus operators Busways and Hillsbus operate North-West T-way services. There are many services which traverse the T-Way, either in its entirety or a section of it. The route numbering follows the Sydney Metropolitan Bus Route Numbering System.

The following services use the Parramatta - Rouse Hill T-Way

North-West T-way Con Hill T65
T65 Hillsbus
  • T60 Parramatta - Castle Hill via Crestwood
  • T61 Parramatta - Blacktown via Kings Langley
  • T62 Parramatta - Castle Hill via Bella Vista and Tuckwell Road
  • T63 Parramatta - Rouse Hill Town Centre via Glenwood and Stanhope Gardens
  • T64 Parramatta - Rouse Hill Town Centre via Norwest Business Park and Kellyville
  • T65 Parramatta - Rouse Hill Town Centre
  • T66 Parramatta - Rouse Hill via Rouse Hill Town Centre
  • T71 Blacktown - Castle Hill via Stanhope Gardens, Rouse Hill Town Centre and Kellyville
  • T75 Blacktown - Riverstone via Rouse Hill
  • 602X North Sydney - Rouse Hill Town Centre via M2 Motorway
  • 607X City - Rouse Hill Town Centre via M2 Motorway
  • 617X City - Rouse Hill via M2 Motorway and Beaumont Hills
  • 619 Macquarie Park - Rouse Hill via M2 Busway, Castle Hill and Kellyville
  • 705 Parramatta - Blacktown via Wentworthville, Pendle Hill, Toongabbie, Seven Hills, Kings Langley and Lalor Park
  • 706 Parramatta - Blacktown via Winston Hills and Kings Langley
  • 708 Parramatta - Constitution Hill via Wentworthville, Pendle Hill and Old Toongabbie
  • 711 Parramatta - Blacktown via Wentworthville, Constitution Hill, Toongabbie, Seven Hills and Lalor Park
  • 740 Macquarie Park - Plumpton via M2 Motorway, Glenwood and Stanhope Gardens
  • S8 Constitution Hill - Wentworthville
  • 5B Rouse Hill Town Centre - Sydney Olympic Park (major event service only)

The following services use the Blacktown - Parklea T-Way

  • T61 Blacktown - Parramatta via Kings Langley
  • T70 Blacktown - Castle Hill via Glenwood and Norwest Business Park
  • T71 Blacktown - Castle Hill via Stanhope Gardens, Rouse Hill Town Centre and Kellyville
  • T72 Blacktown - Quakers Hill via Pye Road
  • T74 Blacktown - Riverstone via Stanhope Gardens and The Ponds
  • T75 Blacktown - Riverstone via Rouse Hill
  • 705 Blacktown - Parramatta via Lalor Park, Kings Langley, Seven Hills, Toongabbie, Pendle Hill and Wentworthville
  • 706 Blacktown - Parramatta via Kings Langley and Winston Hills
  • 711 Blacktown - Parramatta via Lalor Park, Seven Hills, Toongabbie, Constitution Hill and Wentworthville

Parramatta - Rouse Hill Stations

Name of station
(Major stations in italics)
Stopping Patterns Suburbs Served Connections
T60 T61 T62 T63 T64 T65 T66 T71 T75 602X 607X 617X 619 705 706 708 711 740 S8 5B
Parramatta Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Parramatta ]] Cumberland Line, ]] Western Line, Blue Mountains Line (Sydney Trains/NSW Trainlink); Bus routes at Parramatta Interchange
Westmead Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Westmead ]] Cumberland Line, ]] Western Line, Blue Mountains Line (Sydney Trains/NSW Trainlink)
Hospital Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Westmead Bus route 818
Mons Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Westmead, Northmead
Briens Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Northmead
Constitution Hill Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Constitution Hill Bus routes 606, 708
Fitzwilliam Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Constitution Hill, Old Toongabbie, Winston Hills
Johnstons Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Toongabbie, Winston Hills
Powers Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Seven Hills, Winston Hills Bus route 630
Abbott Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Baulkham Hills, Seven Hills, Winston Hills Bus routes 611, 613X
Joseph Banks Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Baulkham Hills, Bella Vista, Kings Langley Bus routes 714, 715
Troubadour Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bella Vista, Kings Langley
Norbrik Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Glenwood, Norwest Business Park Bus routes 616X, 715
Meurants Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Glenwood, Norwest Business Park Bus routes 616X, T70, 745
Celebration Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bella Vista, Glenwood, Norwest Business Park Bus routes 613X, 618, 628
Balmoral Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Kellyville, Glenwood
Burns Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Kellyville Park and Ride
Riley Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Kellyville, Stanhope Gardens Bus route 612X; Park and Ride
Merriville Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Kellyville Ridge
Sanctuary Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Beaumont Hills, Kellyville Ridge, Rouse Hill
Rouse Hill Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Rouse Hill, Schofields Bus routes 601, 608, 610, 641

Blacktown - Parklea Stations

Name of station
(Major stations in italics)
Stopping Patterns Suburbs Served Connections
T61 T70 T71 T72 T74 T75 705 706 711
Blacktown Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Blacktown ]] Cumberland Line, ]] Western Line, Blue Mountains Line (Sydney Trains/NSW Trainlink); Bus routes from Blacktown Interchange
Devitt Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Blacktown
Sackville Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Blacktown
Bessemer Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Blacktown
Turner Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Blacktown
Vardys Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Marayong
James Cook Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Kings Langley
Wilson Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Acacia Gardens, Glenwood
Sorrento Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Glenwood, Parklea Bus routes T63, 616X, 740, 745
Stanhope Bullet-red.png Bullet-red.png Parklea, Stanhope Gardens
Burns Bullet-red.png Kellyville Bus routes T65, T66, 602X, 607X, 617X, 619, 5B; Park and Ride


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