Top Table Talk – Greyhound Coach Services
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AUSTRALASIAN TIMETABLE NEWS No. 277, September 2015 ISSN 1038-3697 RRP $4.95 Published by the Australian Timetable Association www.austta.org.au TOP TABLE TALK – GREYHOUND COACH SERVICES by Steven Haby This article provides a ‘snapshot’ of Greyhound services Brisbane – Cairns across Australia as at 30 June 2015. What is interesting to note is the reduction of services particularly in Victoria and This busy corridor has a mix of through and short workings the West. It is now no longer possible to travel to Adelaide along its length. Northbound there are five departures from from Melbourne (in fact the only service into Victoria from Brisbane at 0745 (GX401); 0800 (GX440); 1015 (GX441); Adelaide is a day return service to Mildura). Sydney-bound 1200 (GX402) and 1515 (GX443). Services GX401, 402 and passengers from Melbourne now have to travel via Canberra 443 all head to Cairns; GX440 to Agnes Waters and GX441 and change to connecting services. to Hervey Bay. There are two other northbound services with GX512 departing Australia Zoo at 0935 for Rainbow Beach For some years Greyhound has stopped publishing a book and GX409 departing Mackay at 1830 for an overnight run to of their services, and timetables are available now either as Cairns arriving 0545. All services are daily. PDF files from their website or through a ‘journey finder’ Southbound services comprise departures from Cairns at page. Timetables can be sourced direct from their website at 0025 (GX410); 0745 (GX411); 1300 (GX412) and 1900 www.greyhound.com.au . (GX419 to Townsville only). Other southbound workings are at 1130 (GX416) ex Townsville for Mackay; 0630 (GX446) Adelaide – Alice Springs ex Agnes Waters for Brisbane; 0900 (GX445) ex Hervey Bay Daily, with the departure ex Adelaide at 1800 (GX580) for Brisbane and 1435 (GX519) ex Rainbow Beach for arriving Alice Springs at 1430 next day. Departure from Alice Noosa Junction. Timetable is effective 12 May 2015. Springs is at 1030 (GX850) arriving in Adelaide at 0625 next morning. There is a connection to Darwin with GX800 which Brisbane – Gold Coast Shuttle departs at 1915. Timetable is effective 5 April 2015. Daily with two departures ex Brisbane at 0745 (GX450) and 1130 (GX451) arriving at Surfers Paradise at 0900 and 1250 Adelaide – Mildura respectively. Return trips depart Surfers Paradise at 0915 The only service from South Australia to Victoria now, this (GX460) and 1300 (GX459). All services are run by a run operates daily, with the departure ex Adelaide at 0900 minibus according to a note on the timetable which is (GX522) arriving Mildura at 1430. The Adelaide bound effective 5 April 2015. It is interesting to note that during the service departs at 1515 (GX252) arriving Adelaide at 2000. late 1980s and until the extension of the railway line from Timetable is effective 5 April 2015. Beenleigh to the Gold Coast this corridor was one of the Alice Springs – Darwin busiest for express coach working. Daily, with departure ex Alice Springs at 1915 (GX880) Brisbane – Roma arriving 1720 the next day. Southbound departure from Daily with Roma bound trips departing Brisbane at 0605 Darwin is at 1200 (GX882) arriving at 0915 the next day. A (GX485) and 1300 (GX487) arriving 1405 and 2010 connection to Adelaide is provided with GX850 which respectively in Roma. Brisbane bound trips depart Roma at departs at 1030. Timetable is effective 1 June 2015. 0145 (GX486) and 0730 (GX488) arriving at 0955 and 1540 Alice Springs – Townsville (“The Red Centre Express”) respectively. Timetable is dated 5 April 2015. A throwback to the days when certain coach services were Brisbane – Sunshine Coast given ‘names’, The Red Centre Express to Townsville Services run daily with trips ex Brisbane at 0700 (GX501) to service operates Tuesdays and Fridays only (GX 849) with Noosa Junction and 1705 (GX505) to Noosaville. The route departure ex Alice Springs at 0900 arriving Townsville 1115 is supplemented by services to Cairns (GX443), Rainbow the next day. The Alice Springs service operates Beach (GX512); Agnes Waters (GX440) and Hervey Bay Wednesdays and Sundays only (GX489) departing at 1900 (GX441) providing for six services overall each day. arriving Alice Springs at 2030 the next day. Timetable is Brisbane bound services depart at 0745 (GX513) from effective 15 May 2015 (Townsville service) and 5 April 2015 Noosaville for Australia Zoo; 1105 (GX511) from Noosa (Alice Springs service) Junction; 1240 (GX411) from Noosa Junction ex Cairns; Brisbane – Byron Bay 1505 (GX446) from Tewantin ex Agnes Waters; and 1800 There are five daily services to Byron Bay with departures ex (GX461) from Noosaville. Timetable is dated 13 April 2015. Brisbane at 0700 (GX421); 0930 (GX428); 1315 (GX429), Brisbane – Toowoomba – Sydney via New England 1600 (GX422) and 1930 (GX423). Services GX421, 422 and Highway 423 all continue to Sydney with GX423 not operating A service runs daily with departure ex Brisbane at 1700 between 22 June and 14 September 2015. Brisbane bound (GX424) arriving at 0930 next day at Sydney Airport. The services depart Byron Bay at 0650 (GX243 ex Sydney); Brisbane bound service departs at 1730 (GX242). Timetable 1025 (GX244 ex Sydney); 1330 (GX248); 1700 (GX249) and is dated 5 April 2015. 2100 (GX241 ex Sydney). Timetable is effective 5 April 2015 (Byron Bay services) and 2 June 2015 (Brisbane services). (GX320), 1200 (GX321) and 2200 (GX322) with an extra Brisbane – Sydney via Pacific Highway service from Wagga Wagga at 2100 (GX224). Connections Daily with three services ex Brisbane at 0700 (GX421); 1600 to Sydney are GX903 from GX322 and GX909 from GX320 (GX422) and 1730 (GX423) the latter not operating from 15 and GX321. June to 14 September 2015. There are two additional short workings to Byron Bay from Brisbane being GX428 and Melbourne bound services depart Canberra at 0900 GX429 departing at 0930 and 1315 respectively. Brisbane (GX231), 1400 (GX230), 1730 (GX223 to Wagga Wagga bound services depart Sydney at 0700 (GX241); 1800 only) and 2300 (GX233). Timetable is effective 5 April 2015 (GX243) and 2200 (GX244) with short workings from Byron (Canberra-Melbourne) and 11 May 2015 (Melbourne- Bay at 1330 (GX248) and 1700 (GX249). Timetable is Canberra). effective 15 June 2015. Rockhampton – Emerald / Longreach Brisbane – Toowoomba These routes are subsidised by the Queensland government This is Greyhound’s busiest trunk route with 11 services as part of that government’s support to regional and remote daily, with an additional service on Fridays. Some trips start transport services and the timetables have the Queensland and finish at Brisbane Airport with three services continuing government’s state seal printed on them. Rockhampton- to Roma (GX485 and GX487) and Sydney (GX424) from bound services depart Emerald at 0900 (GX477/478) daily Toowoomba. Not all services are run with standard coaches, except Wednesday and Saturday and Longreach at 0800 with two trips operating using minibuses which are indicated (GX470/2) on Wednesdays and Sundays. Services from in the timetable. Departures from Brisbane (Roma Street) Rockhampton to Emerald depart at 1810 (GX475) each day are at 0605 (GX485); 0730 (GX951 minibus); 0830 (GX952 except Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 1750 (GX476) express); 1000 (GX950); 1100 (GX 958); 1200 (GX957 on Fridays. The Longreach service runs on Tuesdays and minibus); 1300 (GX487 to Roma). 1400 (GX955 Fridays Saturdays departing at 0800 (GX471). Timetable is effective only); 1500 (GX953); 1600 (GX954); 1700 (GX424) and 5 October 2014 (Longreach – Rockhampton) and 5 April 1800 (GX956). 2015 (Rockhampton – Longreach). Brisbane services from Toowoomba commence at 0530 Sydney – Canberra (GX150); then 0600 (GX157); 0720 (GX486 ex Roma); 0800 This is another busy trunk route for Greyhound with nine (GX242 ex Sydney); 1000 (GX151); 1100 (GX152); 1200 southbound services with an additional short working from (GX158); 1305 (GX488 ex Roma); 1400 (GX153); 1600 Goulburn with all running daily. Services from Sydney depart (GX154) and 1800 (GX155). Timetable is effective 12 June at 0700 (GX200); 0800 (GX273); 0930 (GX902); 1030 2015. (GX912); 1230 (GX904); 1330 (GX906); 1530 (GX914); 1800 (GX908) and 1830 (GX910). GX200 extends to Darwin – Broome Thredbo from 25 June to 7 October 2015. Services to Darwin bound services operate Mondays-Saturdays Sydney depart Canberra at 0350 (GX901); 0630 (GX913); departing Broome at 1800 (GX680) arriving Darwin 2130 the 0730 (GX903); 0930 (GX905); 1230 (GX284); 1430 next day. The Broome service operates Sundays to Fridays (GX907); 1700 (GX911); 1800 (GX909) and 2005 (GX203). departing at 0725 (GX860) arriving in Broome at 0640 the A Goulburn short working departs from the Big Merino at next day. The Broome service is the only Greyhound service 0700 and returns departing Canberra at 1730 (GX991) into Western Australia now. Timetable is effective 5 April arriving Goulburn at 1845. Timetable is effective 15 June 2015. 2015. Darwin – Jabiru Sydney – Thredbo This service operates Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at This daily return service runs during the snow season with 0830 (GX816) ex Darwin arriving Jabiru at 1230. The return the departure from Sydney at 0700 arriving at Thredbo at service departs at 1330 (GX817) arriving in Darwin at 1655. 1445. The return service departs at 1630 (GX203) arriving Timetable is effective 5 April 2015. back in Sydney at 2335. This service is essentially an Melbourne – Canberra extension of existing services GX200 and GX203. Timetable Canberra is as far north as Greyhound now runs from is effective 15 June 2015. Melbourne and those wishing to travel onwards to Sydney A future article in the Times will look at the changes to need to change at Canberra. In fact the Canberra service is express coach operations across Australia since the 1970s. the only Greyhound service operating out of Melbourne now. Canberra bound services depart Melbourne at 0800 RAIL AND TRAM NEWS Great Southern Rail: Drastic Cutbacks to see it continue," he said.