Inside the yard where Sydney’s bendy buses are being put back together again

A fleet of 83 bendy buses found to have cracks will have their rear doors shifted as part of critical repairs to get them back on the road and ease chronic delays for commuters on Sydney’s northern beaches and north shore.

The removal of bendy buses in October slashed capacity on routes by up to 30 per cent, resulting in packed buses and long queues at stops during peak periods. Three-quarters of the buses pulled from service due to chassis cracks are dedicated to the northern beaches and lower north shore.

Worker Isra Nand carries out repairs to a bendy bus at a maintenance facility at Smithfield in Sydney’s west.Credit: Steven Siewert

The emergency repairs involve relocating the rear door by almost a metre, installing a new floor in an area where cracks were found and reinforcing part of the vehicles’ structures. The first of six buses that have been test cases for repairs to the rest of the fleet will enter service within the next fortnight.

Transport for NSW acting coordinator-general Barbara Wise said shifting the rear doors would reduce pressure from passengers getting off the buses on a key joint where cracks were discovered.

“We had to basically break the buses to identify where the real cause of this was,” she said.

Cracks were found along the support beam connecting the articulated buses’ front and back, and in some framing. Apart from the key joint, location of the rear door and compromised strength of the chassis were contributing factors that led to the damage.

Wise said about 50 of the bendy buses were expected back in service by October and the remainder by the end of the year. A bendy bus can carry more than 100 passengers – about 25 per cent more than a standard bus.

Transport for NSW acting coordinator-general Barbara Wise inspects bendy buses under repair at Smithfield in Sydney’s west.Credit: Steven Siewert

“On some of our busier routes, like the 165X and the route 100, which are lower northern beaches and around Mosman, it’s meant that capacity is reduced by around 20 per cent and in some cases up to 30 per cent,” she said.

Transport Minister John Graham acknowledged that removal of bendy buses had caused headaches for passengers in areas such as the northern beaches. “Seeing the first buses ready to hit the road again is a welcome start,” he said.

Transport for NSW is in the final stages of a tender for repairs to the rest of the buses, most of which are being stored at a large yard at Smeaton Grange near Campbelltown. The repairs will extend the buses’ working lives by seven years, ensuring they reach their intended 25 years of service.

The first of the 83 bendy buses withdrawn due to chassis cracks will be back on the road within the next fortnight.Credit: Steven Siewert

The government has yet to determine the cost of the repairs.

While the progressive return of bendy buses will ease disruptions, Wise said the recent purchase of an extra 25 electric buses had improved capacity across the network, including the northern beaches.

The government is also buying 50 new diesel-powered bendy buses and 10 B-line double-deck buses in a bid to end the long queues at stops on the northern beaches and north shore. The first of those is expected to enter service towards the end of the year.

The 83 buses pulled from service were built by Swedish manufacturer Volvo between 2005 and 2006.

A batch of 50 specially manufactured chassis is being shipped, or air freighted from Sweden, and an order has been placed for more.

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