Melbourne Airport Smartbus 901: 15 min frequences commences 26 Sep

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dajop

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Just noticed this when looking at bus timetables for Melbourne Airport tonight.

Commencing on 26 Sep 2010, there will new frequent smartbus service 901 that runs from MEL to Frankston via Broadmeadows station, Epping, Greensborough, Doncaster, Blackburn, Ringwood, Knox and Dandenong.

Frequencies vary, weekdays from 6am-9pm runs every 15mins, other times more or less every 30mins. Runs from around 5 am to midnight on weekdays/Sat and 6:30am-9pm on weekends.

Now whilst the whole journey will take between 3.5 and 4 hours, its only 18 mins to Broady station. That would make the trip to Flinders St somewhere between 55 and 75 mins, depending on wait at the station. Skybus still a lot more convenient, but at least now there is a practical public transport alternative, at least during daytime.
 
On weekend, from here in Patterson Lakes, I can leave home at :40 past the hour and walk to a bus stop to catch a 708 bus at :46 to Carrum.

I then catch a 0:01 train to Melbourne Central at 0:50, and catch a Craigiburn train at 0:54. This gets me to Essendon at 0:14 where I catch the 478 bus to the airport at 0:30/:35, arriving at MEL on the hours, some 140 minutes after departure.

Since I have an annual Zone1&2 metcard this costs me nothing except time (~30 minutes).
 
On weekend, from here in Patterson Lakes, I can leave home at :40 past the hour and walk to a bus stop to catch a 708 bus at :46 to Carrum.

I then catch a 0:01 train to Melbourne Central at 0:50, and catch a Craigiburn train at 0:54. This gets me to Essendon at 0:14 where I catch the 478 bus to the airport at 0:30/:35, arriving at MEL on the hours, some 140 minutes after departure.

Since I have an annual Zone1&2 metcard this costs me nothing except time (~30 minutes).

I guess this gives a weekday option as well and 15 min frequency makes it useful for leaving the airport also, as not as long wait if just missing the bus! Given the extra 14 mins from Essendon to Broadmeadows, a max of 15 min wait for 901 bus on weekdays, then 18 to airport thats 49 mins from Essendon to airport (vs 46 in your scenario) so would be almost as good - on weekdays.
 
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