Transport NSW Blog, Bankstown (2026)

I have a particular interest in aviation, buses, network planning and scheduling. On this blog I talk about major events occurring in transport across NSW.

25/09/2026

10/03/93 - 25/09/26 RIP ORANA

After over 33 years on Sydney’s roads, tonight the final bell rung on Orana bodied buses in route service in Sydney. The final trip was operated by 3841, a Scania L113CRL, on the 17:17 492 ex Rockdale Station to Kingsgrove Depot, arriving after the short trip at 17:37 to close a chapter of history.

Over 450 Orana bodied buses operated in Sydney, most of them with a Scania L113 chassis, although there were also Volvo B10, Mercedes O405 and MAN 11.220 examples.

3411, a Scania L113TRBL, was the first Orana bodied bus to enter service on the 10th of March 1993. It was delivered new to State Transit Port Botany in a special handover ceremony on the 28th of January 1993 before driving training took place on this new model of bus ahead of its entry to service.

Built originally by Ansair, various corporate happenstance saw examples built by Austral Pacific, the Clifford Corporation and then later Phoenix Bus. The final example was delivered in 2000.

The Orana brought many firsts to Sydney’s roads. Full air conditioning, low entry, wheelchair access and electronic destination displays to name a few features to debut on the Orana. They were ahead of their time and that has allowed them to stay current on our roads for so long.

Whilst the Oranas in Sydney were all originally delivered to State Transit, they passed into private hands as State Transit was gradually broken up. This allowed Transit Systems, Busways and Keolis to also operate Oranas in Sydney.

Thanks to the slow rollout of electric buses, Oranas spent longer on the road than any other model of bus in Sydney history with over 33 years from first delivery to last withdrawal. Some individual Oranas, including 3693 and 3794, made it to 28 years and 10 months on the road before being withdrawn.

Oranas once dominated Sydney’s streets. Growing up, these are the buses I fell in love with and continue to love to this day. Every ex State Transit depot once had Orana bodied buses operating from it. It will be very strange to no longer see them on our roads.

30/06/2026

1997-2026. RIP VOLVO B10BLE ORANA

On the 19th of September 1997, an Orana was delivered to Brookvale depot. Unlike most of the Orana bodied buses delivered over the previous four years across the rest of Sydney, this bus did not feature a Scania L113 chassis. Instead, this was the first of 125 built on a new floor floor Volvo B10BLE chassis.

Over the next 29 years, these Volvo B10BLEs Oranas formed the frontline working fleet at Brookvale and Burwood depots. A smaller number were delivered to Mona Vale as well, and these buses were once as synonymous with buses on the Northern Beaches as the L90 artics and now the B-Line.

Later in their life, some examples got to explore new territory. A number were transferred up to Newcastle in the 2010s and come 2020, 31 were transferred to Waverley in the Eastern Suburbs. Some of these Waverley buses later ended up all the way out west at Penrith and Glendenning depots between 2022 and 2024! All were withdrawn from all four of these depots by the end of 2024, leaving Burwood and Brookvale as the sole operators on Volvo B10BLE Oranas once again, as at the beginning in 1997.

After AM peak on the 30th of December 2025, the last dozen or so at Brookvale were all stopped and withdrawn, ending just over 28 years of service for Volvo B10BLE Oranas on the Northern Beaches. 6 months later, on the 30th of June 2026, the last two remaining Volvo B10BLE Oranas were withdrawn from Burwood depot. 3964 operated the last trip, the 16:44 461X from The Domain to Burwood Station.

Pictured is 3964 at the end of that last trip - 30/06/26

26/03/2026

First day in service

Wednesday 25 March 2026 marked the entry into service of the first new Scania K360CA Volgren Optimus bendy bus at Busways Ryde. This was the first new bendy bus to enter service in Sydney in nearly 14 years, and is the first of 50 on order.

Seen here on just its second trip, 1547 is operating a 500X to West Ryde. 13 of the 50 will be dedicated to the 500X, whilst the other 37 will be based at Transdev John Holland Waverley for 333 duties

22/05/2025

I’VE BEEN EVERYWHERE MAN

Buses have been conscripted from all across Sydney to assist with Southwest Link, the rail replacement bus network replacing the Bankstown Line as it’s converted to Metro standards.

Seen here is Volvo B12BLE Custom Coaches CB60 1579, operating with U-Go Mobility (Marrickville). Originally delivered to State Transit (Port Botany), prior to being wrapped pink, it was with Transit Systems (Tempe).

In a sign of the fast moving pace of fleet changes in 2025, this bus is now part of the regular route service fleet at U-Go Mobility (Kingsgrove), having been replaced on Southwest Link duties by newer electric buses in April 2025.

27/11/2024

Oldest in the fleet!

At 28 years and 9 months old, 3693 is the oldest bus in service in Sydney and one of the oldest buses to ever operate regular route service in Sydney. The Scania L113CRL Ansair Oranas have been allowed to remain in service well beyond their usual retirement dates due to delays in the rollout of electric buses.

Model - Scania L113CRL Ansair Orana
Fleet No. - 3693
Operator - Busways (Willoughby)
Route - 209 to East Lindfield
Location - Blue Street, North Sydney

Address

Bankstown, NSW

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