Dublin & Ireland

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Sorry I have not posted in a while. Mix of trips to a number of locations and work! Plenty happening though. Bus Éireann have started a new batch of VDL double deckers - LF200 class, new bus station has opened in Limerick and plenty of new electric EWs about, though apparently they are putting a strain on the electric system! No pictures of these so far this month.

LF449 Amiens St 2 February 2024

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Some pictures from the weekend:

WS1 Dundrum Luas 9 February 2024 - one of two that operate the 44B service.


SG326 Crofton Road, Dun Laoghaire 9 February 2024 - L25 started in November and operates between Dun Laoghaire and Dundrum every 15 minutes, seems to be doing well.


151KY2119 Dublin Airport 10 February 2024 - Part of the Kerry Coaches operation, this route started in 2023.


12130 North St, Swords 10 February 2024 - GAI operated service between Swords and Portrane in north County Dublin.


12119 North St, Swords 10 February 2024 - GAI operate this between North Dublin and Swords. The 33A is full of complications. Technically it provides a combined 30 minute frequency between Skerries and Swords with Dublin Bus Route 33. The 33 operates between the City Centre and Skerries with most services extended further north to Balbriggan. To make it more complicated, 33As from Skerries run to the operate, but those that run from Balbriggan only go to Swords. Why? The NTA consider that running to Balbriggan from the Airport would extract business from the 101. The 101 is operated by Bus Éireann between the City, Airport to Balbriggan and on to Drogheda every 20 minutes with a very different level of comfort. The 101 operates through the night on an hourly frequency. And is very busy at nearly all times, so extraction of business for the joy of travelling on a streetlite for a journey of 45 minutes plus may be a good thing.


LF812 Dublin Airport 10 February 2024 - The standard offering on the 101...

https://transportsceneireland.smugmug.co...ruary-2024

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Problems persist with the new EW electrics, insufficient charging infrastructure but also leaks in the cab and poor quality cameras. In defence of Wrights, DB drivers are a very fussy lot. Limerick have started to put theirs into service and the entire city fleet there is due to go electric over the next few months. The issue is there are dozens of these and EA single deckers in store whilst the Dublin City fleet continues to operate very depreciated buses. Interesting times as usual!


AX624 Tara St 2 March 2024 - Possibly withdrawn in the last week.


EW42 Galtymore Road 6 March 2024


12120 Adamstown 6 March 2024


LF206 Georges Quay 9 March 2024 - These continue to be delivered. Speculation is that LF201 to 210 will be Broadstone - Dublin based. the next batch will be in Limerick and perhaps Cork after that.


161D58282 Georges Quay 9 March 2024 - Dublin Express are due to start a new half hourly service between Dublin Airport and Terenure to the south of the city. Meanwhile Aircoach are to cancel their Galway service. First don't really know what to do with Aircoach and have left it run down over the last few years. Poor quality coaches and no expansion.


EW40 Pearse St 9 March 2024


ZV 12589 St Stephens Green 9 March 2024 - Expensive tea on a Routemaster.

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Travelled on a VDL Futura on the 343 route recently. I liked that it had a stop button above every seat, rather than having them on random poles throughout the vehicle. Also impressed with the Scanias that are used on the 51 Expressway route. Less impressed with the vehicles used on the single deckers used on the 300 Dublin Coach service, they didn't sound well maintained, despite the fare being quite pricey.

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
I try to avoid Dublin Coach, maintenance is an aspiration with them. The VDL Futura double decks (LF class) are very comfortable to travel on. There is currently 25 to 30 of these on delivery.

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
A number of the AX class have been withdrawn with all apparently gone from Summerhill Garage. Summerhill managed to have the last of the RV and D class buses in service and it was expected that it would see out the last of the 648 AV and AX class.

VG21 Custom House Quay 3 April 2024 - Evening peak hour service 33D to Donabate, not the busiest of the peak extras.


AX621 & AX589 Custom House 3 April 2024 - Long run ahead on the 33X and a shorter spin for the 41X


EW35 Pearse St 3 April 2024 - one of the newer arrivals into Summerhill.


SG253 & EV43 Shaw St 3 April 2024 - The EV is a former Summerhill bus and still appears on their routes, first time I have seen it on the 1. This is the City terminus of the 1, the SG is heading back north to Shanard Road.

More here:
https://transportsceneireland.smugmug.co...April-2024

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Hello, no major updates from Dublin but the new electric fleet for Limerick was launched during the week. Seems it will be next year before they are all in service. The main issue seems to be a lack of charging infrastructure, plenty of buses have been delivered and remain in store.

AX589 & EW16, AX509 behind. Abbey St 17 April 2024 Common scene of buses that should be gone a few years operating with their eventual replacements.


12138 Adamstown Station 17 April 2024 - Go Ahead are increasing services on a number of the Southern Orbitals over the next few weeks.


WH1 Adamstown Station 17 April 2024


EW61 Adamstown Station 17 April 2024


EV30 Shanard Road 17 April 2024 - Strange allocation on the 1 this week was probably topped by this. You can hear it a mile off.

https://transportsceneireland.smugmug.co...April-2024

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Hello. I have uploaded a collection of photos taken primarily in Limerick and Galway last month. The new Electroliners are currently taking over from the PAD, and VWD double deckers and probably the VWL single deckers. Galway is domninated by the PADs, but this city is due to go electric soon. The new bus station is open in Limerick whilst work has commenced on Galway station, which is fairly grim.


Limerick Station bus stands 28 March 2024 - 20 bays are provided.


EWD116 Sarsfield St 28 March 2024


PAD116 & PAD117 Feeney Way, UL 28 March 2024


09KE1548 Feeney Way, UL 28 March 2024


VWD427 Parnell St 28 March 2024 - These are to be replaced and will probably migrate to Cork.


VWL325 Parnell St 28 March 2024


EWD110 Ballinacurra Road 28 March 2024


12G7674 & PAD95 Eyre Square 28 March 2024


PAD90 Eyre Square 28 March 2024


11G6194 Eyre Square 28 March 2024


162G1966 Eyre Square 28 March 2024


SP115 Galway Station 28 March 2024


EA2 Athlone Station 28 March 2024

More here:
https://transportsceneireland.smugmug.co...March-2024

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Just some pictures from this evening, nothing very exciting!

31302 Georges Quay 8 May 2024 - One of the ex BÉ LF class with Go Ahead, the others have returned to BÉ, though not back in service, and this is the only one still in service. I think it only operates peaks/ spare duties. As I mentioned before, the replacement coaches are designated LFs same as BÉ and this one has not returned to its former identity either.


VT65 Georges Quay 8 May 2024 - The punters will be happy that a VT has arrived to take them home on the very busy route 39A.


LX12 turns onto the Talbot Memorial Bridge 8 May 2024 - I will finish with this, no reason just another tri-axle!
https://transportsceneireland.smugmug.co...I-May-2024

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Continuing the theme of three/ trees!

SG393, VB514 & 12113 Bray Station 15 May 2024 - A sunny evening in Bray. Three buses wait their next runs. The SG is operated by Dublin Bus and will be operating a 155 to Ikea, a long journey in the evening taking nearly two hours, going from Bray in north Co Wicklow to Ikea, near Dublin Airport and outside of the Dublin City area. The VB is operated by Bus Éireann and will operate a 131 service to Wickow, this service only started last year and forms part of the complicated 101/ 131/ 133 contract operated by VB500s or LF800s, though the LF would rarely appear on this. The last bus is operated by Go-Ahead and will operate one of the 18x services in the Bray area.


SG471 Ballymun Road 15 May 2024 - Nice evening and nice trees. This SG is unique in having a white LED display, all other SGs have orange displays, though subsequent PAs and EWs are fitted with white displays.


GT136 Collins Avenue 15 May 2024 - The N4 uses a mix of GT and SG class buses operating every 12 minutes from early to late and every half hour throughout the night.