M54 is a route that runs between Macquarie Park and Parramatta via Epping, Carlingford and Pennant Hills Road.
2215, a Mercedes O500LE CNG Custom CB60, operated by Ryde depot, running route M54 to Parramatta
It commenced in October 2010 after the 548 was extended from Epping to Macquarie Park.
History
M54 originally started as route 624, operated by Harris Park Transport. After Harris Park Transport decided to cease operations, their northern Sydney operations were passed to Hillsbus on December 2004.[1] After Hillsbus parent company Westbus experienced financial problems, the former Harris Park operations passed to Sydney Buses on 28 January 2005.[2]
After Westbus (including Hillsbus) was acquired by ComfortDelGro Cabcharge, negotiations were reached to transfer some of the former Harris Park routes back to Hillsbus. 624 was one of those that remained with Sydney Buses.[3]
On 4 November 2007, reorganisation of the former Harris Park Transport routes by Sydney Buses has caused renumbering and alteration of the routes. As such, all diversions of 624 ceased and 624 was altered to run by Pennant Parade then Carlingford Road in both directions. The new route was renumbered 548.[4][5]
After the introduction of Metrobuses, the 548 was promoted to Metrobus M54 and extended to Macquarie Park. As a result, eastbound services were amended to run along Midson, Carlingford and Beecroft Roads before continuing to Macquarie Park via Epping Road, Macquarie University, Macquarie Centre and Waterloo Road.
In April 2019, M54 was renumbered as route 550 (a number previously held by a route that was retired in 2018). This was done in order to drop the Metrobus "M" prefix as M54 runs to areas that will host some of 13 new stations on the Sydney Metro Northwest driverless rapid-transit rail network (in M54's case, the route runs near three of the new Sydney Metro station locations; Epping, Macquarie University and Macquarie Park), which uses the M designation on its icons and logo. The only other Metrobus route operated by State Transit, M40 (Bondi Junction to Chatswood) and Transit Systems' M41 (Macquarie Park to Hurstville) were also renumbered in a similar manner due to their route patterns being close to the Sydney Metro Northwest route, with the former going to Chatswood and the latter also going near the two Macquarie stations.
References
- ↑ HILLSBUS TIMETABLES, Westbus, Retrieved 15 October 2014
- ↑ STA OPERATES FORMER HARRIS PARK BUS SERVICES FROM 28 JANUARY 2005, Sydney Buses, Retrieved 14 October 2014
- ↑ Harris Park Services - Changes to Routes 620 - 630, Sydney Buses, Retrieved 14 October 2014
- ↑ Parramatta-Oatlands-North Rocks-Beecroft-Carlingford-Epping, Sydney Buses, Retrieved 14 October 2014
- ↑ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Sydney Buses, Retrieved 14 October 2014