OPERATIONS
‘Embracing the future of mobility’: A multimodal network for Newcastle Springboarding off the success of light rail, Keolis Downer is enhancing Newcastle’s multimodal transport network with a bigger On Demand service, driverless shuttles, and Park and Ride.
K BELOW: A rigorous safety testing program is in place for the driverless shuttle before it is ready for commercial use.
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EOLIS DOWNER HAS A 10-YEAR contract to design and run Newcastle Transport, the integrated transport system in the Newcastle area, incorporating buses, ferries, and light rail. The integration of the city’s transport network was part of the NSW Government’s Revitalising Newcastle plan, which featured the light rail line as its centrepiece. The line, which opened in February 2019, runs from Newcastle Interchange in Wickham to Newcastle Beach at the east end of the city, and features six stops. Just months after it opened, the light rail line was managing more than 4,000 passenger trips a day, over double the
ISSUE 6 2019 | RAIL EXPRESS
patronage estimated by the state government in 2013. As part of the Newcastle Transport overhaul, in January 2018 a new bus network was launched, providing better and faster connectivity to key areas and the introduction of real-time On Demand bus services. The On Demand services was a success: patronage on the service grew 12 per cent monthto-month on average, with more than 3,000 On Demand trips taken in May. 68 per cent of On Demand customer trips would not have been possible via a regular public transport route. “These flexible, non-regular routes encourage the use of public transport by providing mobility options for all, in areas where daily demand is variable,” Keolis Downer CEO David Franks said. “Most customers have less than 150 metres to walk to reach the pick-up point for their personalised bus service and customers are able to travel to areas when they want, thanks to this new flexible service.” The system was successful enough that Keolis Downer in July 2019 decided to expand its reach from 25 square kilometres to 56 square kilometres, allowing access for another 27,000 residents in the Lake Macquarie area. “We are delighted by the success of Newcastle Transport On Demand and are thrilled to see the service expand,” Via CEO Daniel Ramot said. Via, a New York-based tech company, is partnered with Keolis Downer on the project. “Australia is one of the world’s leaders in transforming public mobility from rigid fixedroute schedules into a fully flexible On Demand network,” he said. “This service in Newcastle is a great example of a city embracing the future of mobility.”
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