Thursday Trip

Took a ramble around some of the network yesterday. Here are the details and some photos of the journey...

Started with AV255 on the 77, got off at The Square. The 11am 49 was operated by RV534.

Took the 11.30 75 to Dun Laoghaire operated by RV582. Arrived into Dun Laoghaire at 12.40.
Photo taken as the bus rested before operating the 11.30 departure.

In Dun Laoghaire, VL3was on the 111 & WV14 on the 59.

Got the 12.50 45A to Bray Station via Shanganagh Cliffs Estate, AV148, got off in Bray Stn. at 13.40. AV134 & AV138 also on the 45A. Nice to see the customer information on full display using advertising boards at Bray Station.
AV350 on the 13.45 185 to Shop River, took this to Enniskerry arriving at 14.05.
And then got the 14.13 44 to the city centre operated by RV496.
As can be seen in the two photos above, the Enniskerry terminus is now kessel kerbed and low floor friendly. Until recently this wasn't the case and the bus stop was regularly illegally parked in, its good to see progress being made and that the bus is viewed important in the village of Enniskerry.

Little bus, long route...

The 16 & 16A services are long cross city routes from Santry & Dublin Airport to Ballinteer & Nutgrove operated by Summerhill Garage. The main allocation of these routes is of RV's, AV's & AX's, however, during the busy peak period its all hands on deck at Summerhill.

The 123 route has 19 WV's allocated to Summerhill, but 3 double decks are put on the route to assist the busy rush, therefore some WV's in Summerhill are used on other routes to supplement the regular allocation.

WV32 is seen here at the Santry terminus of the 16

airlink - Thank You

I travelled by Dublin Bus airlink service to Dublin Airport last week. All Summerhill airlink AV's now have interior screens to show route maps, advertise tour services and announce next stops...

and also this nice little touch...

Its polite to say thank you, so...

Thank you for reading the irishdecker.com blog (and make sure you have all your belongings with you as you leave)

Cultur bus goes double deck...

After stating out with a Wright single decker and a Merc minibus, the new Cultur bus service is getting bigger...

Dualway allocated their closed top East Lancs double decker to the service last weekend...
How long before an ex Dublin Bus RH does the service, now that'd be one to get!

Route 239

The 239 has always been a route I found interesting, from it City Imp operated days to the day RV617 appeared on it in the days before double deckers were allowed, I always enjoy a spin on the 239.

RV617 at Liffey Valley Shoping Centre having completed a journey on the 239

On Monday I got another surprise on the 239, an EV. EV39 arrived into Blanchardstown Shopping Centre 'Out of Service' and parked up, I was waiting for the 10.30am departure on the 239 but I was convinced that EV39 would be operating another route, I was wrong and happy to be wrong too! At 10.20 the driver moved up to the stop and displayed '239 Liffey Valley', fantastic!

The bus stops at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre recently received the new style Dublin Bus stops...

The 239 routing now avoids some of the older narrower roads, instead of serving Castleknock Village and Porterstown, the route operates via Coolmine, Carpenterstown/Diswellstown (Route 37 terminus), to Clonsilla Village and Clonsilla Train Station where the route crosses the narrow railway bridge...
When we reached Westmanstown another surprised appeared! RH23 tree looping...
After Westmanstown, the route operates via Laraghcon Estate into Lucan Village and towards the Newcastle Road junction with the N4. This junction is currently in the process of being grade separated. Here are some pictures of the works taking place.
The junction with the N4 when approaching from Lucan Village, all traffic must turn left towards the city where a turning lane is then provided for traffic to turn towards Newcastle, of the N4 westbound.

Above: N4 towards cityAbove: Works in the centre of the old junctionAbove: N4 Westbound

When the 239 reaches the N4, it now goes left towards the city centre, and turns at the turning lane and heads back towards Newcastle on the N4 west taking the next left turn up by Esker Church and back onto the normal route via Lucan to Liffey Valley S.C.

EV39 at the 239 stop in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre

Early or late???

I travelled on AV180 on the 49X this week and as I was getting off I spotted this...
An advertisement for Dublin Bus Christmas Nitelink... I'm not too sure if its really late or just very early? :)
Here's AV180, above in Belfield and below at the Ellensborough terminus. This is also the terminus for the 15E, 15N and 54A, however, different names are often given depending on the route, the 54A displays Kiltipper on its scroll while the 49X displays Ellensborough, but both terminate at the location in the above picture! Routes 77X & 201 operate through here also.

Next stop, Abbey Street

Next stop, and in fact the temporary last stop for LUAS Red line services until early Autumn is in Abbey Street. While work is carried out at the Connolly stop for the extension to the Point, the Connolly and Busaras stops are now closed.

The facilitate this, the platform at Abbey St. has been widened, and some dividing bollards have been added to the track side.

The tram crossing overhang issue where a solid white line with a slight bend had been painted, is now even more obvious with bright yellow marker bollards...And the bollards continue track side making traffic movements a bit more challenging alongside the Abbey St. bus stops...

The 130 drivers will face the brunt of the problem as the narrowest part of the road is at their stop...

(ps. Yes, it is a 130, the rear scroll of AV235 is just stuck on the Out of Service three stars)

And in case you were under the illusion that you might even be able to continue along the tracks to Busaras, forget it... its ring-fenced!