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]
