How much difference can 54 extra bus trips make for Clovelly? Riders on the 339X express are about to find out.
What Changes for Clovelly Riders
More trips at busy times, spread over a longer part of the day. That is how Transport for NSW describes the 339X upgrade in its Eastern Suburbs fact sheet. The NSW Government counts 54 additional weekly trips on the express, which runs between Clovelly and City Museum.
The fact sheet says morning and afternoon operating hours will be extended, but it does not publish the new first and last departure times. Those sit in the 339X timetable valid from 15 November on the Transport for NSW website. The announcement also does not say how the 54 trips divide between weekdays and weekends.
When It Starts
Nothing has changed on the road yet. The new 339X timetable begins on Sunday 15 November, as part of Eastern Suburbs changes that Transport for NSW has set for that date. The wider statewide package rolls out in stages from 15 and 22 November, and the 22 November changes include Western Sydney routes. Transport for NSW says passengers can already plan trips for the 15 November changes in its Trip Planner.
How the 339X Differs From the 339 and 360
Three route numbers matter here. The 339X is the express to City Museum. The 360 runs between Clovelly and Bondi Junction. Transport for NSW lists the regular 339 and the 360 among the routes with timetable changes from 15 November, so riders who normally use those services should check them too. City Museum is the only city destination confirmed for the express. Passengers heading further into the city should use Trip Planner to find the best connection.
What Residents Have Said Before
Clovelly’s bus links have drawn complaints in the past. In February 2022, a resident whose name was withheld wrote to a NSW parliamentary inquiry into the privatisation of bus services. The submission said changes to the 339 had ended the route at Central, forcing a transfer to reach the city. It said trips that once took about 30 minutes now took at least 50.
The writer said the change was hard on older people and people with disability, and that an express to Taylor Square and Martin Place had been removed. It is one person’s account, not a survey, and it describes older services. Neither the government announcement nor the fact sheet mentions accessibility, so they do not show whether the new 339X changes address those concerns.
The Wider Package and the Driver Dispute
Clovelly’s change is one piece of a larger plan. The government says it will add 3,000 weekly bus services across the state, bringing the total added since it took office to 9,000. In the Eastern Suburbs, routes 343 and 370 will run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and route 373 from Coogee will extend to Circular Quay. A new route 378 will link Bronte directly with the CBD. Transport Minister John Graham has said the changes aim to deliver more frequent buses in growing areas, better links with other public transport and more overnight services.
Separately, bus drivers on Eastern Suburbs, Northern Beaches, lower North Shore and inner north-west routes began work bans on 4 November, with further bans on buses leaving depots from 5 November. Transport for NSW expects buses to keep running but says some services may be delayed or cancelled. Its notice lists the Eastern Suburbs among the affected areas but does not name individual routes in its text. According to news reports, drivers represented by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union are in a pay dispute with operators Keolis, Transdev John Holland and Busways. The new services do not settle that dispute. The government has also set aside $200 million for driver pay, tied to a deal between unions and operators.
Planning Your Trip
The 339X changes start on Sunday 15 November. Check departure times for your stop in Trip Planner at transportnsw.info or in the Opal Travel app, and look at live alerts before you leave, given the industrial action. Printed timetables are on the Transport for NSW website. For help, call 131 500.
Published Date 06-November-2026
