Better bus services for Armidale

Yes, there will be 23 extra bus services every week in North Hill and South Hill.
Services in North Hill and South Hill have increased by approximately 37%.

For the first time, bus services will operate on Sundays and public holidays in Armidale and Uralla.

North Hill and South Hill will now have better connections onto Route 481 services to access Armidale Hospital and the University of New England (UNE).

Key destinations such as Armidale Hospital, Armidale Station and Armidale Airport will receive more services.

• Route 481 becomes the bus route for all public bus services to UNE.
• Route 481 will operate in both directions along Rusden Street.
• Passengers who previously caught Route 482 on Donnelly Street and Markham Street may board Route 481 from Niagara Street.
• Improved Route 484 services also take in some of this area previously serviced by Route 482.
• Most Route 484 North Hill services continue as Route 481 UNE services at Beardy Central Mall, Faulkner Street.
• Local buses will no longer service Handel Street and Meredith Street at UNE Colleges, and instead will service UNE Colleges at Elm Avenue.
• Passengers who previously caught Route 485 at UNE Colleges are advised to board Route 481 services from Elm Avenue.
• At UNE Campus, Route 481 will operate counter clockwise around Clarks Road, Union Road and Trevenna Road.
• Stops on the southern side of Trevenna Road will no longer be serviced by local buses.
• UNE will retain connection to Armidale Station, with new connection to Armidale Station available on weekends and public holidays.
• Passengers who previously caught Route 485 to and from Armidale Station are advised to board Route 481 services to and from Armidale Station.
• Passengers who previously caught buses to Armidale Teachers College and New England Conservatorium of Music can catch improved Route 483 services.
• Most Route 483 services continue as Route 481 services at Beardy Central Mall, Faulkner Street.
• Morning services from North Hill and South Hill have been simplified, replacing the combined AM service.
• UNE students in North Hill and South Hill can take Route 483 / Route 484 to Beardy Central Mall, Faulkner Street and most buses will continue to UNE on the same bus.

Check the timetable for further information.

Refer to the bus operator’s websites for timetable information.

www.edwardscoaches.com.au

Edwards Coaches
2 Drew Street Armidale NSW 2350
Telephone: 02 6772 3116
Fax: 02 6771 1023
General enquiries to: admin@edwardscoaches.com.au

Timetables can be viewed and downloaded from transportnsw.info/routes.

Timetable information can also be found using an app on your smart device.

Refer to transportnsw.info/apps for apps that can be used to plan journeys.

Paper timetables can be collected from Edwards Coaches depot.

The list below contains all the bus routes operating within Armidale and Uralla:

• Bus Route 480 – Armidale to Uralla (and return) via Hospital and Airport
• Bus Route 481 – Armidale to UNE (and return) via Hospital
• Bus Route 483 – Armidale to South Hill (Loop)
• Bus Route 484 – Armidale to South Hill (Loop)

Routes 480, 481, 483 and 484 are operated by Edward Coaches on behalf of Transport for NSW.

There will be minimal changes to some dedicated school services operated by Edward Coaches to enable broader improvements to regular route services. The changes were made in alignment with Transport for NSW Service Planning Guidelines.

Dedicated school services will remain compliant with Transport for NSW policy on seatbelts.

Please contact Edward Coaches for further details about school services.

All bus routes connect to Beardy Central Mall, Faulkner Street and there are a range of bus stops available to use within Armidale CBD. Refer to network map, timetable and Transport for NSW Trip Planner for further information.

Routes 480 and 481 provide direct service to Armidale Hospital with bus stops on Rusden Street.

Most Route 483 and Route 484 services from North Hill and South Hill continue as Route 481 services to Armidale Hospital in the same bus, avoiding the need for interchange.

Refer to the timetable for all available connections.

To better service UNE, Routes 482 and 485 will be withdrawn and replaced with improved Route 481 services.

A single bus route for UNE services responds to key stakeholder and community feedback, especially to provide simpler and easier-to-understand bus services for passengers.

Yes, improved Route 480 will provide daily services to Armidale Regional Airport in both directions – connecting Armidale Airport to Armidale and Uralla.

There are some existing bus stops within Armidale that will no longer be serviced by the new bus network. Some of these stops have been relocated. At other stops, wayfinding signage has been installed to show the location of the closest new bus stop, which will be in operation on and after 11 December. From 27 November 2023, refer to the bus route lookup or Edwards Coaches for timetable details.

The changes to routing may require some passengers to walk further distances to the nearest bus stop on the new route. Passengers will generally be within 800m walk to their nearest bus stop, consistent with service planning guidelines for rural and regional areas.

The revised local Armidale routes were co-designed with and supported by operator Edwards Coaches and Armidale Regional Council, as well as informed by extensive stakeholder and community consultation.

The changes to routing will provide for a simpler, easier-to-understand bus network for the Armidale urban area and Uralla. This addressed feedback received by Transport for NSW during customer and community consultation – including that bus service travel times were too long, and bus routes were too circuitous and difficult to understand.

Yes. Fare-paying passengers may board school services if there is capacity on the bus. Passengers are advised to contact Edward Coaches to discuss travel options during school peaks.

Passengers can use cash to purchase a bus ticket on board the bus from the driver on any regular route service.

Edwards Coaches offers cashless travel using a recharge or discount card. The card allows you to purchase bus travel up front reducing the need for you to have the right change and making travel less intrusive. There are 3 options for cashless travel:

• The Armidale Discount Card
• The Uralla Discount Card
• The Recharge Card

Further information on recharge and discount cards, terms and conditions can be found at www.edwardscoaches.com.au/discount

Passengers can plan a trip by:

• Using the Trip Planner or other digital tools.
• Choosing from a range of third-party transport apps available.

Armidale bus passengers can plan bus trips and make better-informed travel decisions using digital timetable information and real-time updates.

Passengers can receive real-time information including bus location, estimated arrival time at a stop and occupancy status giving an indication of how many people are already on board the bus, thanks to state-of-the-art automatic passenger counting and vehicle tracking technology.

The technology shares information on how full services are, and about any delays or planned service changes in real-time. Customers can see how far away a bus is before they start their trip, and parents will be able to check the progress of their child's school bus.

No. For safety reasons, and the mobility of passengers with accessibility requirements, bicycles are not permitted on board a bus.