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Aircoach Dublin-Cork express

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  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,565 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    I think that Aircoach have good relations with Pierce Kavanagh,who also are a coach hire company, who'se garage they stop at so that may well be why they stop there. I can't say I've ever had a reason to complain about the stop personally when I've been on the non express services.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,213 ✭✭✭Sea Filly


    Getting the 6pm Cork-Dublin service this evening. Will report back. :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 58 ✭✭kieran4003


    Bus Eieanns new Scania Irizar i6 tri axle coaches have gone into service today on the 008. The 16:00 & 18:00 services from Cork - Dublin today will be the first departures from Cork for these new coaches with them having worked down this morning.

    New SE Class coach:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/be216cd1/6945921688/in/photostream

    A very classy interior:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/be216cd1/6945921950/in/photostream


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,565 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    Nice coaches alwright, certainly a step up from what they had previously. Still though they only went for part leather seating so Aircoach still wins out for me on that, although the table ideas is nice.

    Still don't see why someone would choose them over Aircoach between the two cities though because it takes an hour and a half longer. Even if you are going between the Town's en-route, Aircoach is still a better option as it's quicker not to mention cheaper with both earlier and later departures.

    Saying that though if nobody tells commuters about the service nobody will use it, so I guess if Bus Eireann do a decent advertising campaign about their new coaches on such route they might fare fairly well.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,346 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    Are there no tables on the seats in front of you?

    That seems like a fail to me.

    Can't see why anyone going between the cities would use this service.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 58 ✭✭kieran4003


    The omission of folding tables and seat pockets was a rather odd omission indeed. From a maintanence point of view however, seat pockets are only filled with rubbish and tables get broken and vadalised so it is easier not to have them. There is also no curtains, but that is because there is darkened glass instead. Note the coach in the picture is SE20, that is the bus used for special hire. It has special 4 seat and table arrangements like a rain, however the rest of the class will not have this. All these coaches have sockets at seats and wifi.

    There are eight new doubledeck coaches coming into service soon, made by VDL. They will have large 'Comfort' seats and extra legroom. They will operate on the Belfast route and on the Galway route where BE want to fight off the competition.

    BE were worried at first about the new Aircoach service and still are to an extent. However they have learnt that the bulk of passengers on the new Aircoach service are passengers that were previously using the Aircoach stopping service. So there has been no impact on numbers for the BE service. I was in Parnell Place this eving for the first departure of an SE, and the numbers were very healthy. If Aircoach want to succeed they really need to start advertising. The price of fuel now is too high to have coaches half empty.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,346 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    kieran4003 wrote: »
    The omission of folding tables and seat pockets was a rather odd omission indeed.
    ....
    It has special 4 seat and table arrangements like a rain, however the rest of the class will not have this. All these coaches have sockets at seats and wifi.

    Power at every seat and wifi, well done, good inclusions.

    No toilets and no tables at every seat is a big fail for brand new buses.

    Having no folding tables seems particularly stupid. What is the point of having power at every seat and wifi if you have nowhere to put the laptop!!
    kieran4003 wrote: »
    There are eight new doubledeck coaches coming into service soon, made by VDL. They will have large 'Comfort' seats and extra legroom. They will operate on the Belfast route and on the Galway route where BE want to fight off the competition.

    That is great, I hope they will be wheelchair accessible also? And toilets?

    It seems stupid to me that BE would buy new excellent double deckers like these because of competition on the Galway route, but not do the same for the Cork and Limerick route. They instead buy lesser buses for routes where they are going to see lots of competition very soon.

    Very typical of a semi state, respond to the past, not what you are going to face in the future.
    kieran4003 wrote: »
    BE were worried at first about the new Aircoach service and still are to an extent. However they have learnt that the bulk of passengers on the new Aircoach service are passengers that were previously using the Aircoach stopping service. So there has been no impact on numbers for the BE service.

    That seems incredibly short sighted and foolish. Sure I'd imagine it will have more effect on Irish Rail then BE for the moment. I know tomorrow I'll be taking this Aircoach service, the first time in 10 years I haven't taken the train and I know many of my friends have also switched from the train to this service.

    However people will learn of this service gradually by word of mouth and the passengers will be bleed away from BE. Why would you spend 4 and a half hours on a bus when you could spend just 3 hours?

    Never mind when Aircoach go for phase 2 and Go Bus launch there service, you can bet there will be an aggressive advertising campaign then.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,464 ✭✭✭highlydebased


    Numbers will fall dramatically and there will be cuts to the Cork route for BE.


    The Dublin Coach service obliterated loadings on BE's Limk-Dublin route.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,565 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    Numbers will fall dramatically and there will be cuts to the Cork route for BE.


    The Dublin Coach service obliterated loadings on BE's Limk-Dublin route.


    at least Dublin coach advertise.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    Numbers will fall dramatically and there will be cuts to the Cork route for BE.


    The Dublin Coach service obliterated loadings on BE's Limk-Dublin route.
    I saw the limerick bound coach the other day at the red cow and it was packed.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 701 ✭✭✭BenShermin


    Is there any word on when Go Bus will actually be starting up? I think I read on this thread that they have to start very soon by the terms of their licence?

    Even with all this talk about improved services I still think our coach operators could do much better. As long as our operators omit simple things like toilets then Irish Rail will have no fear of hanging on to a lot of their customer base. There's a large amount of posts on this thread that are more concerned about no toilet on the coach rather than the fact that the coach is faster than the train!!

    I had the absolute pleasure of travelling for 4 1/2 hours on three different occasions with the Lux Express coach company in the Baltics last month. This company exceeds every single Irish public transport company in terms of passenger comfort. Every comfortable tri-axle Scania Irizar coach comes with plug sockets at every seat, free wifi, newspapers and as much free tea and coffee as you like, and of course a spotlessly clean toilet that is completely separate from the passenger cabin. The buses are well able for the dreadfully poor Baltic road conditions, this type of coach along Ireland's excellent motorways would be like floating on a cloud.

    http://www.luxexpress.eu/en/lux-express

    At the moment Go Bus seem to be the only company close to this level of service. I look forward to their Dublin/Cork service.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,084 ✭✭✭oppenheimer1


    Tragedy wrote: »
    I was wondering why they don't use the shiny new services near Cahir actually, me and the GF usually stop there to stretch our legs and have a pee(despite our journey only being 2hr15mins, it's just comfortable).

    I assume they have an agreement with the service station. The stop would be worth a good bit of trade to the station owners. For that reason Aircoach should insist they upgrade their facilities, particularly the toilets if they are going to continue to stop there.

    Aircoach haven't won me over, I still prefer the train.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 58 ✭✭kieran4003


    The new VDL Double deck coaches will be wheelchair accessible. They will have Big tables downstairs, large comfort seats, extra legroom, sockets, wifi, blacked out windows and half leather seating. They would be a small step ahead again of the new Scania i6 coaches. Deliveries have just begun so it will be a while before they are in service.

    I must make it clear that there is a no toilet policy on Bus Eireann services. Many operators are like this and for good reasons too. There is an insurance risk with toilets, passengers are encouraged to get up while the bus is moving, they could injury themselves if the bus stopped or by falling down the stairs to the toilet. Secondly there is a lack of proper toilet contents deposition facilities. There is a big problem in the coach industry with toilet contents in laybys, gulleys etc. Proper disposal facilities are very expensive and the extra revenue from people wanting toilets does not cover this.

    The bulk of Bus Eireanns new expressway coaches are being allocated to where extra capacity is needed but yes there is some that are being allocated where loadings do not require them but there is competition on the route. The new VDL double decks will fully take over the Dublin - Belfast service, where they are badly needed. However the rest of them and some of the new i6 tri axles will be going on the Galway route to go against the competition, but look that is business. The i6 tri axles will also be going on the Dublin - Limerick route due to competition. However BE bought and paid for these coaches themselves, the price per coach was very high so they are entitled to do what they want with them.

    Aircoach will need to get the toilet situation sorted out. The facilities are not good enough. However I dont think they should even be stopping, it is meant to be a non stop service afterall.


  • Registered Users Posts: 686 ✭✭✭joegriffinjnr


    Their buses are in an atrocious state, seats ripped, ancient decor, and they seem to be always filthy.

    7115684935_1ed4856a2b_z.jpg
    e66gc6.jpg
    SC241interior1.JPG
    20090130-ld208b.jpg?w=574&h=427

    In fairness, Bus Eireanns Coach and bus fleet has improved a hell of a lot over the last few years.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,565 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    Aircoach don't officially have a stop - they've been at pains to point out there is no stop, and they will not stop unless someone is desperate to go to the toilet, if nobody asks they will not stop anyway as it is an express service.

    Personally if I was bursting to go to the toilet, and I never would be on a three hour trip, I wouldn't be moaning about the facilities at the stop not being good enough. I'd just be glad to go so I'd say those moaning can't be that desperate

    It's strange though we now have three camps, those who want toilet on an express service, those who are 'desperate' to go but are moaning that the toilets are not good enough, and those who don't want to be delayed by others going to the toilet. Just goes to show you can't please everyone..

    In any case, in relation to Bus Eireann maybe a good idea to start a new thread about such as it's pretty unrelated to what is being talked about in here in a large part,


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,346 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    It is great that the new BE double deckers will be wheelchair accessible and have extra large seats.

    But will they have fold down tables.

    So lets see:
    - No fold down tables, they might get vandalised and have to be replaced.
    - No back of seat pouches, they would have to be cleaned.
    - No toilets, they would have to be cleaned *

    In other words BE are a typical CIE company. Do what suits the staff, not what suits the customer.

    * I don't believe it is an insurance issue at all, if it was then how do GoBus, CityLink and all the long distance coach travel operators get away with it?

    I sort of understand why Aircoach don't, at least for the time being, most of their routes are short routes around Dublin and don't require a toilet. Their only long distance route was the Cork route which was a stopping route and therefore didn't need it either. I'm hoping as they expand the service with phase two they will buy in new coaches with toilets.

    If GoBus and Aircoach both end up with toilets in the long run, then this will put BE at a major disadvantage. I suppose it doesn't really matter anyway as BE's service is a very slow stopping service, so doesn't really doesn't need toilets and will likely suffer badly at the hands of these new services.

    I just don't see how BE plan on competing with all these new services.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,213 ✭✭✭Sea Filly


    Sea Filly wrote: »
    Getting the 6pm Cork-Dublin service this evening. Will report back. :)

    This was the first time I've taken it that it was nowhere near full, which surprised me for a peak time. Stop in Urlingford again.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,213 ✭✭✭Sea Filly


    devnull wrote: »
    Aircoach don't officially have a stop - they've been at pains to point out there is no stop, and they will not stop unless someone is desperate to go to the toilet, if nobody asks they will not stop anyway as it is an express service.

    Untrue, they have stopped twice now when I've been on the coach when no-one asked them to.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,565 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    Sea Filly wrote: »
    Untrue, they have stopped twice now when I've been on the coach when no-one asked them to.

    You should contact them about that - the official line is they will only stop if asked.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,346 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    Ok, so I took the 4pm service from Dublin to Cork yesterday.

    Left at 16:05, arrived in Cork at 19:07, so just over 3 hours, which I think is excellent for a service leaving Dublin at rush hour on a Friday.

    We didn't make any stop, it went direct to Cork.

    Very nice bus, with all leather seats and plenty of leg room, I would say about the same or more legroom as the seats on the train and certainly more comfortable being leather.

    The ride was excellent, very smooth and very quiet bus. I would rate it as less bumpy then the train and certainly quieter.

    Used the free wifi all the way down chatting to friends on IM and it worked perfectly about 85% of the time, which IME is slightly better then the train (about 80% of the way).

    It leaves from a great location in Dublin, with an O'Briens and a centra shop right next door, starbucks and another centra store just across the street and no end of pubs and restaurants near by. Beats Hueston any day. Stops very close to Patricks street in Cork too, which is far better then the train station.

    The bus was I guess about 40% filled, certainly I don't think anyone had to sit next to someone if they didn't want to. Which is an advantage for the customer, but a disadvantage for the future health of the service.

    On the down side. No folding tables making using laptops hard, no power at every seat and no toilet.

    I noticed one person get up looking for a toilet, but he didn't ask the driver to stop.

    Also it seems you can only book online up till 5pm the day before, now it turned out I definitely didn't have to book online, but it added a little unnecessary stress as I thought it might be busy and ended up going earlier then I needed to be.

    Also their is a downside to the Westmoreland St stop, it is a very busy location with a lot of buses there and there were loads of people milling around waiting for this bus. It mightn't be so nice on a cold wet day. I'm not sure if it would be better or worse if all these private bus companies had their own nice station like they do in Galway.

    In the end, my summary is that it is a far better service then the train, faster, much cheaper, more flexible and surprisingly even more comfortable. I'll never take the train again, but I do look forward to GoBus launching their service with toilets on board.

    PS It would be nice if they updated their real time positioning site to work with any modern browser including smart phones and not work with just IE 5.5!!


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  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,346 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    More interesting stuff I just read about Aircoach.

    If you book online, you can use the ticket at any time on the date you booked the ticket for. So you could get an earlier or later bus, however your seat is only guaranteed for the time booked.

    The return ticket is even better, again it can be used on any date at all, there doesn't seem to be any time limit!! Again your seat is only guaranteed for the date and time you actually booked.

    Also no silly fees for booking online.

    Wow, way more flexible then Irish Rail, no charging €18 extra if you get on a train an hour earlier then booked, like the lady in the paper yesterday.

    Also it is free to bring your bike on Aircoach, it costs €12 return on IR, madness!!

    IR could really learn some customer focus from this company.

    One thing, if Aircoach are reading, if you make a booking online, you have to bring the reservation email printed out. In this day and age of smart phones, would it not be good enough to allow for the email to be shown on the smart phone?

    Save the planet and all that.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    bk it seems to me that you have a very simplistic attitude towards the railways along the lines of - the way CIE/IE operate the railways is bad therefore railways are bad per se. True? Hanging about for a bus on Westmoreland Street and then negotiating a load of dangerous traffic for three hours on the road to Cork, with no possibility of properly stretching your legs or using the toilet doesn't appeal to me. That said I'm happy that you're happy and will never take the train again - all the more space for those of us who prefer the faster, more comfy way of travelling - despite CIE/IE's best efforts. :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    Hanging about for a bus on Westmoreland Street and then negotiating a load of dangerous traffic for three hours on the road to Cork, with no possibility of properly stretching your legs or using the toilet doesn't appeal to me.

    My god what planet are you living on?!?

    If you were that worried about it I wonder how you ever get out of the safety of your bed.

    People arrive at the departure time and there is little or no "hanging about"
    The only hanging around is at the train station where you "must be at the station 20 minutes before departure"!

    You are then forced to crowd around the main concourse like sheep/lemmings and wait until a minute before departure for the platform to be displayed!

    Motorways make luxury coach travel a lot safer.

    I would rather negotiate the traffic on the road in a bus than serious track issues and seemingly permenant temporary speed restrictions and a company which lies about being on time when they are late and who padds their timetables to make themselves look good while hiding the rot under the carpet.

    @BK I would think the requirement for the printout of the ticket is as a receipt for the driver to show the number of actual people who travelled?
    That said I'm happy that you're happy and will never take the train again - all the more space for those of us who prefer the faster, more comfy way of travelling - despite CIE/IE's best efforts. :D
    Enjoy it while it lasts! the days of loco-hauled fat-cat first class trains are numbered! I predict that quite soon many of the loco-hauled services will be switched to 22000 and the fat-cat trains will only be used once or twice a day.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 58 ✭✭kieran4003


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    My god what planet are you living on?!?

    If you were that worried about it I wonder how you ever get out of the safety of your bed.

    People arrive at the departure time and there is little or no "hanging about"
    The only hanging around is at the train station where you "must be at the station 20 minutes before departure"!

    You are then forced to crowd around the main concourse like sheep/lemmings and wait until a minute before departure for the platform to be displayed!

    Motorways make luxury coach travel a lot safer.

    I would rather negotiate the traffic on the road in a bus than serious track issues and seemingly permenant temporary speed restrictions and a company which lies about being on time when they are late and who padds their timetables to make themselves look good while hiding the rot under the carpet.

    @BK I would think the requirement for the printout of the ticket is as a receipt for the driver to show the number of actual people who travelled?

    Enjoy it while it lasts! the days of loco-hauled fat-cat first class trains are numbered! I predict that quite soon many of the loco-hauled services will be switched to 22000 and the fat-cat trains will only be used once or twice a day.

    Foggylad I really wish you would stop posting complete rubbish on this forum. Firstly there will be no withdrawal of any Mark4 or Enterprise train. The MK4 will continue to be the train on all Dublin - Cork services except two quiet mid morning trains Monday -Thursday. And for goodness sake, rail travel is not dangerous.

    Wahtever about any specific or individual faults Irish Rail may have, rail travel will always be the premier way to travel long distance between cities and there is no point denying that. There are no operators perfect and I can safely say from a large knowledge in the railway industry Irish Rail while not the best, is definately not the worst.

    Of course given the major improvements in the road network and the modern coaches of today, Coach transport has come very close to train transport in quality. It works well in Ireland given the small distances involved.

    Even with limited resources Irish Rail are working very hard to remove as much speed restrictions as possible all over the network. For example this weekend, there is a partial weekend closure on the Dublin - Cork line as the entire track layout through Lisduff yard is being renewed. This will remove a long running speed restriction here. The long straight section between Portlaoise and Ballybrophy will also soon be passed for 100mph. All I am saying is that with very tight funding Irish Rail are doing their best to upgrade the line. Yes it means trains can be slow now, but it is short term pain for long term gain.

    It is great to see competition on the Dublin - Cork route. The new Aircoach service is really putting it up to BE & IR to do more and they are. The BE service is really more of a stage carraige service at the moment but in time it will be enhanced. The six new coaches are now almost fully in service. Numbers are very good. For example yesterday, for the 12:00 ex Cork, There was enough demand for two coaches, the new tri axle operted the stopping service while one of the older coaches operated non stop to Dublin.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    foggy_lad - I assume from your outburst that there will be two extra seats on Dublin/Cork services from now on? :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,309 ✭✭✭dowlingm


    chill pill to the Foggy Lad residence stat!

    And Foggy - having hung around Westmoreland St as JD describes on a gloomy Sunday for about an hour I would have valued a seat and/or shelter if not for me than for my missus.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,565 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    kieran4003 wrote: »
    For example yesterday, for the 12:00 ex Cork, There was enough demand for two coaches, the new tri axle operted the stopping service while one of the older coaches operated non stop to Dublin.

    This is pretty much my point. Bus Eireann will always get more passengers than Aircoach because nobody knows about the Aircoach services apart from those who already used Aircoach anyway and those who read on here which is hardly anyone overall.

    The 12pm Aircoach yesterday had hardly a soul on it from Cork. It remains to be seen if someone is actually going to do anything about it or just wait to get thrashed. Aircoach should be going for the jugular right now unlike with the Cork service in the past, they now have a unique selling point for the service that it is non stop that no-body can match. They need to shout about it.

    Unfortunately when Aircoach started it was very much a brave venture and one which was daring to go further and take on the likes of BE in many ways, these days it's lost all of that aggression and provides fantastic service operationally, but the overall business does not do them justice and give them the backing that they need, both via marketing, the website and other areas.


  • Site Banned Posts: 5,676 ✭✭✭jayteecork


    Wonder how many people coming otu of clubs and late bars in Cork will hop on the 4am service for the laugh, I know I'd be tempted.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    foggy_lad - I assume from your outburst that there will be two extra seats on Dublin/Cork services from now on? :D

    ?:confused:?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    ?:confused:?

    Your seat and bk's.


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