Route 601
Overview
OperatorCDC Melbourne
DepotOakleigh
VehicleVolgren bodied Volvo BZL
Peak vehicle requirement7
Began service18 July 2011
Route
StartHuntingdale station
ViaNorth Road
Wellington Road
EndMonash University
Length2.5 kilometres
Service
LevelWeekdays
Frequency3-8 minutes
Journey time5-7 minutes
Zone(s)Myki Zone 1
TimetablePTV

Melbourne bus route 601 is operated by CDC Melbourne between Huntingdale station and Monash University, Clayton campus in Melbourne, Australia.

History

Prior to opening the route, there were numerous complaints about the inadequacy of the public transport service from Huntingdale station to the Monash University Clayton campus, because route 630 and SmartBus route 900 failed to provide a service that met demand.[1]

Eastrans began operating route 601 on 18 July 2011, allowing students and staff at Monash University to travel to the campus more quickly and efficiently. Initially, the route was launched as a trial run for one year.[2]

The service immediately became very successful and doubled patronage on the corridor. Its success ensure that that the route would become permanent.[3]

By 2014, the route was Melbourne's busiest, with an average weekly patronage of 22,000.[4] If the Suburban Rail Loop is constructed, route 601 will likely be connected with the rail line at Monash University via Monash station.[5] In 2022, route 601 was chosen by CDC Melbourne to operate trial runs for its new electric buses.[6]

Route

Route 601 operates from Huntingdale station to Monash University via North and Wellington Roads. The journey time for the 2.5-kilometre trip is five minutes on average.[7] It is one of the most heavily patronised bus routes in Melbourne, with buses running every few minutes, and usually being crowded even during peak frequencies.[1][8]

Vehicles

Route 601 was initially operated by a dedicated fleet of three Volgren-bodied Volvo B7RLEs, painted in a white and orange livery. More recently, it has been operated by buses in standard Public Transport Victoria orange livery. In December 2022, Volgren-bodied Volvo BZL electric buses were introduced, and Australia’s first off-site bus charging station was installed at Monash University.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 Huntingdale chaos brings renewed call for Monash/Rowville Public Transport Users Association 18 April 2010
  2. ↑ Shuttle bus shows urgent need for rail Public Transport Users Association 25 May 2011
  3. ↑ Uni bus turns one Australasian Bus & Coach 19 July 2012
  4. ↑ Rabar, Julia (3 February 2014). "Huntingdale bus Link to Monash University let down by poor signage". Waverley Leader. Archived from the original on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  5. ↑ Suburban Rail Loop Stage One: Monash Victoria’s Big Build 12 April 2021
  6. ↑ CDC making the electric transition Australasian Bus & Coach 10 June 2022
  7. ↑ Route 601 timetable Archived 22 February 2023 at the Wayback Machine Public Transport Victoria
  8. ↑ Creating connections to Clayton Mirage News 29 December 2021
  9. ↑ "ComfortDelGro Australia Begins Electric Bus Trial in Melbourne". CDC Victoria. 16 December 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
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