Transport for NSW's Chief Customer Officer Barbara Wise said the routes were operating between the new Maitland Hospital, Victoria Street Station and Stockland Green Hills at East Maitland to offer direct access for employees and visitors to the hospital.

"Additional service changes will link the new Maitland Hospital with the growing residential areas of Thornton and Chisholm," Ms Wise said.

"These new bus services began on Monday 10 January ahead of the official opening of the new Maitland Hospital."

In other news:

The new 188 service travels between Stockland Green Hills at East Maitland and Woodlands Drive at Thornton, providing better access to Victoria Street Station and the new Maitland Hospital for residents in East Maitland, Metford and Thornton.

Buses on the 188 service run about every 60 minutes from 5am to 9pm, seven days a week, providing additional weekend and early morning services in the area.

Bus services have been designed to align with hospital shift times and the train timetable to enable workers and visitors to easily travel by public transport.

The existing 189 service is making an additional stop at the new Maitland Hospital in Metford, linking the hospital to Stockland Green Hills and providing access to Thornton Station.

The existing 179 service has been extended to Triton Boulevard, Bendeich Drive and McGann Drive at North Rothbury, providing public transport connections to the growing residential area.

The existing 187 service has changed and includes a shorter route between Wilton Drive at East Maitland and Stockland Green Hills.

For more information, visit the Hunter Valley Buses website at www.cdcbus.com.au/hunter-valley-timetables-and-maps

To plan your trip using the new services visit www.transportnsw.info

Do you know you can subscribe to get full access to all Maitland Mercury stories? Subscribing supports us in our local news coverage. To subscribe, click here.