Dublin & Ireland

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Was down in the very south west during the week in Killarney, not the busiest part of the network, but plenty of new buses for me to see.


SE56, SC330, VB452, VB478, VB464, & VB466 Killarney Bus Station 6 July 2022


SC323 Killarney Bus Station 6 July 2022


VB452 Killarney Bus Station 6 July 2022


SE57 Killarney Airport 6 July 2022


04KY10259 Mission Road, Killarney 6 July 2022

https://transportsceneireland.smugmug.co...July-2022/

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Dublin Bus in common with other operators often store buses for the summer due to reduced demand. Surprisingly three of the EV class (EV1 to 3) came out of strategic store and appeared on a number of services last week. These have been in store for a while. No idea why they were required now.

EV1 St Stephen's Green 15 July 2022 - one of three EVs restored to service.


06D30477 Donnybrook 20 July 2022 - Executive Express have been operating a shuttle service from Sandyford/ Leopardstown for a number of years and ex DB AVs/ AXs have appeared. These may be replaced with something very different in the near future.


ZV40150 RDS 20 July 2022 - Spotted through a gate at the RDS (Royal Dublin Showgrounds). This bus is indicated as having an unknown status on the opentopbus.net site. I can't find their email to inform them of this, but if someone wishes to inform them, it is still alive, though I am not sure what it does.

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Hi, a couple of bits of news. Bus Connects is running late due to a driver shortage. Go-Ahead seem particularly badly affected with driver shortages, but when the Dublin Bus unions vote for a 10 to 15 % pay rise, it is no surprise that drivers are hard to keep. Anyway the next phase to go ahead will be the G Corridor, details here:
https://www.transportforireland.ie/getti...s/g-spine/

The NTA put out the 101/ 133 Bus Éireann routes out to tender and surprisingly they re-won the tender. The revisions are relatively minor, but I will wait until the final timetables are issued. Rumour is that there are a rake of coaches in store for this, so there should be signficant changes to Drogheda based buses in particular. The 101 currently operates with a mix of LCs/ SCs (coaches) and a mix of VWD double deckers. Famously, three brand new double deckers for Limerick (registered for Limerick and all) were diverted to Drogheda and have operated the 101 ever since. Possibley the most interesting Bus Éireann route for the variety possible. Details of the new tender here:
https://www.nationaltransport.ie/bus-eir...1-and-133/

Some pictures:

SG358 Ringsend Road 17 August 2022


VT40 Burlington Road 17 August 2022 - the poor VTs are often afflicted with these + shaped ads, blocking half the windows...


SG299 Baggot St 17 August 2022


VWD423 Busáras 13 August 2022 - one of the three Limerick reg buses on the 101 - VWD423 to 425.

https://transportsceneireland.smugmug.co...gust-2022/

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Was in a few different places over the weekend, starting off in Dundalk on Friday. Seems to be where Bus Éireann buses go to when no-one else wants them!


VWD2 Dundalk Bus Station 2 September 2022


LC23 Dundalk Bus Station 2 September 2022 - this was in store and came back into use early summer. The 160 is not an Expressway service!


VWL309 Dundalk Bus Station 2 September 2022 - In better condtion and previously part of the Cork City fleet.

Taken today in Dundrum:

11571 Main St, Dundrum 4 September 2022 - This livery is rapidly vanishing.

https://transportsceneireland.smugmug.co...mber-2022/

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Evening,
Apparently Dublin Bus are transferring 20+ buses to Go Ahead. The new G corridor will start next month and bus musical chairs have been a feature of the new corridors. 24 or so PA / E400ERs are due soon, so that may explain the swap. A new garage has been granted planning permission in North Dublin. This will be the home for the electric fleet of Wright Electroliners, whenever they arrive. I note that the similar ones for the 111 in London have only started to arrive, not in time for the operator swap earlier in the year. Some pictures.

LF421 St Stephens Green 16 September 2022 - the 103X and 105X get a mix of buses including the three hydrogen buses and whatever else is about. The LF to Navan would be preferable to a hydroliner.


221WX2464 Dublin Airport 16 September 2022 - First time I have seen one of these with Wexford Bus, a reputable operator.


VWD16 Dublin Airport 16 September 2022 - Due to be replaced on the 101 early in 2023 with new LF coaches and VB coach/ buses.


1127 Dublin Airport 16 September 2022 - Dublin Airport is only 90 minutes or so from Belfast on the M1/A1. Goldliner compete with Aircoach on this run, but the service provision is very poor from the pre-covid times when Bus Éireann provided services on this run. At one time this was a 24 hour service with extras at peak times. Now it is a 6 am to midnight service, even though demand is back to 80 to 90% of the summer of 2019.

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Evening. Some pictures of the back of buses!

SG166 Dame St 8 October 2022 - fitted with a revised engine cover, to stop the bewildered from hitching free lifts, it does happen!


GT130 North Wall Avenue 8 October 2022 - Advertising the fact that there are now 8 all night routes operating (every half hour), this ad campaign only started last week.


SG427 Cork Hill 8 October 2022 - new G Corridor starts next week, the G1/ G2 replace the southern sections of the route 40 and the 79/A. Route 60 replaces part of the 79/A. The 60 is a reuse of an old number of a route that served the Boot Inn at the rear of the airport, a very different type of route. The G1/ G2 will operate each every hour throughout the night, kind of rendering the other campaign out of date after three weeks.


PA243 Pearse St 8 October 2022 - Recently introduced to service and the last of 280 of these to enter service in a year. 24 more are due off a second batch.


AX625 Pearse St 8 October 2022 - Still going strong, even on a Saturday.

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
The 79/A finish today to be replaced with the new route 60. The 40 is shortened from Charlestown to run only to the city centre and new routes G1/2 will replace the southside section. I intended to get some photos of the last day of these routes, only to get soaked by some severe rain.


EV55 Wood Quay 15 October 2022


PA220 Wood Quay 15 October 2022


SG515 College Green 15 October 2022 - The 40 no longer goes to Liffey Valley SC from this evening.


LD301 Wood Quay 15 October 2022 - PSO route 245X to Cork.


VT39 Wood Quay 15 October 2022 - VT39 on the 39.
https://transportsceneireland.smugmug.co...ober-2022/

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Quick trip into the city centre this evening to record some of the latest changes. Failed to photograph the route 60, but maybe next time!

SG450 Burgh Quay 17 October 2022


SG349 Burgh Quay 17 October 2022

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RE: Dublin & Ireland

VT42 on an evening 39A - Dawson St 2 November 2022


AX455 Dawson St 2 November 2022 - I think this is the oldest bus in normal service at present.

News wise: One of the Electroliners has headed to Cork on test after a short visit to Dublin. One of the new EA single deckers has appeared at Bus Expo 2022 in Birmingham.

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Some pictures from Athlone today. The town service is operated by the WM class (medium sized streetlites) which are due to be replaced shortly with new Enviro200s full electrics, 11 are due apparently. The WMs are kept in very good condition. In addition, route 190 has been extended and now operates from Drogheda to Athlone, thereby creating a very long cross country route. Interestingly BÉ no longer operate any services between Athlone and Dublin/ Galway but you can go to Drogheda, Waterford, Limerick and Westport. Some pictures:


SC303 at Athlone station 5 November 2022 - Drogheda based bus


VB446 Athlone station 5 November 2022 - Athlone based bus. As far as I know, there are no VBs in Drogheda. That is due to change soon though.


WM417 Southern Station Road, Athlone 5 November 2022


WM416 John Broderick St, Athlone 5 November 2022


08G18063 Golden Island, Athlone 5 November 2022 - Flagline have operated a serivce to Willow Park for years, basically every 30 minutes. I don't see any ticket machines and it is a bit of an odd service, though does appear to be popular.


VB404 Southern Station Road, Athlone 5 November 2022

More here:
https://transportsceneireland.smugmug.co...mber-2022/