Sydney bus route 144

Bus route in Sydney, Australia

144

State Transit Orana bodied Volvo B10BLE at Neutral Bay in December 2020

Overview
Operator| Keolis Downer Northern Beaches
Depot| Brookvale
North Sydney
Former operator(s)| State Transit
Urban Transit Authority
Public Transport Commission
Department of Government Transport
Route
Start| Manly wharf
Via| The Spit
Neutral Bay
Crows Nest
St Leonards
End| Chatswood station
Length| 16 kilometres
Timetable| Transport for NSW

Sydney bus route 144 is operated by Keolis Downer Northern Beaches between Manly wharf and Chatswood station. It was Sydney's first government operated bus route.

## History

[edit]

In the late 1920s, White Transit Company commenced operating route 144 between Manly wharf and Cremorne Junction where it connected with tram services. It ceased on 31 October 1931, when White Transit Company were forced out of business by the Transport (Co-ordination) Act 1931 with its services deemed to be in competition with tram services, which the act prohibited.[1]

On 25 December 1932, the service was recommenced by the Government of New South Wales, with buses initially hired from White Transit Company. The service was an instant success with over 2,000 passengers carried on the first day alone.[1][2][3]

Route 144 has been extended multiple times from its original terminus at Cremorne Junction. On 1 April 1933, route 144 was extended to St Leonards, on 15 April 1965 to Royal North Shore Hospital.[2] and on 11 September 1988 to Chatswood station.[4] From 20 December 2020, route 144 ceased to divert via Royal North Shore Hospital. At the same time overnight services commenced as route 144N, but only between Manly Wharf and North Sydney.[5][6]

In October 2021 it was included in the takeover of region 8 by Keolis Downer Northern Beaches.[7]

In January 2025, the overnight service 144N will cease and will be replaced by additional overnight services daily on route 144. The latter will become a 24-hour service which will operate the full journey between Manly and Chatswood.[8]

## Current route

[edit]

Route 144 operates via these primary locations:[9]

* Manly wharf
* Balgowlah
* The Spit
* Cremorne
* Neutral Bay
* Crows Nest
* St Leonards station
* Gore Hill
* Artarmon
* Chatswood station

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Operators of Renown…White Transit Co Ltd Australian Bus issue 52 July 2012 pages 10-15
2. ^ a b Travers, Greg (1982). From City to Suburb...a fifty year journey. Historic Commercial Vehicle Association. pp. 7, 209, 216. ISBN 0959601627.
3. ^ Travers, G. The NSW Government Bus - a 75th Anniversary. The Sydney Bus and Truck Museum, 2007.
4. ^ Henderson, Robert. "Archived copy" (PDF). Sydney Bus Routes. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
5. ^ Northern Beaches and Lower North Shore bus service improvements Transport for NSW 9 October 2020
6. ^ "Keolis Downer route 144N". Transport for NSW.
7. ^ New Bus Operator to Electrify Fleet Transport for NSW 28 May 2021
8. ^ "Bus changes in December and January". Transport Info NSW. 6 January 2025. Archived from the original on 6 January 2025. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
9. ^ "Keolis Downer route 144". Transport for NSW.

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