Week commencing: Sunday 30th January 2011:

Week commencing: Sunday 30th January 2011:
This week Dublin Bus announced the Network Direct plans for the Howth Road and Portmarnock areas. The main points see the 29a become the 29 and finally get the long talked about extension to Baldoyle.
As a result of this, the 32b is withdrawn from Abbey Park and all services on the 32/a/b will operate to/from Malahide (at the tennis courts) via Portmarnock to the city centre using number 32. The 31 and 31b remain as per normal with the 31b being renamed the 31a.
All Howth Road serives will depart from Lower Abbey Street with an all important integrated timetable (which ties in with all Malahide Road services using Eden Quay).
Consultation for this section ends on the 25th of February 2011 and more details can be found here.

Week commencing: Sunday 23rd January 2011:

Week commencing: Sunday 23rd January 2011:

Apologies for the lack of an update last week... We took a break a headed to Scotland... No photos from this trip but some classic shots from Scotland instead:

Week commencing: Sunday 15th January 2011:

Week commencing: Sunday 15th January 2011:

This week we paid a visit to Dublin Airport to check out a new bus service in operation...
Dublin Airport Hotel Hopper has started operating from the airport to some hotels and car parking facilities north of the airport complex.
The route departs Dublin Airport coach park, leaves the airport and heads along the R132. The route then serves the Travellodge Dublin Airport North Swords, passes the Wright Venue in Airside where Airside Airport Car Parking is located. The next stop is then at the Premier Inn Dublin Airport before heading back to Dublin Airport.
The service costs €5. The bus currently operating the route is ex Bus Eireann VWM5, 00-C-30276.

Week commencing: Sunday 9th January 2011:

Week commencing: Sunday 9th January 2011:

We then next phase of Network Direct due for implementation shortly, we've decided to look at the two routes planned to merge, the 40 & 78a.At present the 40 operates from Parnell Street in the city centre to Charlestown in Finglas via Whitworth Road, Finglas Road, Finglas and St. Margaret's Road. The 40a variant operates via Tolka Valley & St. Helena's Road, while ceratin services on the main 40 are extended to serve Toberburr.The 78a operates from Aston Quay in the city to Liffey Valley Shopping Centre via Kilmainham, Ballyfermot and Neilstown. The 78 variant operates direct via St. John's Rd. and Con Colbert Road to Ballyfermot and like a 78a to Liffey Valley.
RV532 sits at the city centre terminus of the 78a on Aston Quay.
Conyngham Road RV594 stops outside St. James's Hospital en route to Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.
AV291 sits ahead of RV591 at the bus terminus in Liffey Valley Shopping Centre. The 210 to Tallaght (Monday to Friday) and the 239 to Blanchardstown (Monday to Saturday) also serve this terminus. In addition, private operator service 'Flybus' from Tallaght to Dublin Airport also has a stop here.

Under Network Direct, the 40 & 78a routes will merge to operate as one route, Route 40 from Finglas to Liffey Valley via City Centre. For more details, click here.

Week commencing: Sunday 2nd January 2011:

Week commencing: Sunday 2nd January 2011:

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2011

(VT33 when brand new poses on Custom House Quay with a special Happy New Year scroll)

As part of the Lucan/North Kildare Network Direct changes Route 26 was rerouted and extended to Merrion Square.

After leaving Merrion Square the 26 follows the routing the 66/a/b & 67 take through the city centre until Victoria Quay, just south of Heuston Station. The 26 then heads left out St. John's Road, before turning right down the South Circular Road and left into Chapelizod. This chosen routing did bemuse some people, however, since the announcement of Network Direct for Clondalkin and the shortening of the 68 & 69 to Red Cow Luas, having the 26 serve this stretch of road makes more sense now.

After Chapelizod, the 26 takes the Kylemore Road to Ballyfermot, through Ballyfermot Village, past Cherry Orchard Hospital to its new terminus at Palmerstown Cemetery.
This terminus was previosuly used by selected departures on the 18 before they were all extended to the Old Lucan Road terminus.
Seen here in November 2005, the 18 was running on the other end to Sandymount (St. John's Church) as seen here...