[Dublin Bus] New Nitelink Timetable

Xylophonic

Revised Nitelink Services from Monday 2nd February 2009
Dublin Bus wishes to advise customers that due to low customer demand, the Monday to Thursday Nitelink Service will be cancelled with effect from Monday 2nd February 2009. A revised Friday and Saturday night service will operate as follows:

7n, 25n, 27n, 29n, 31n, 39n, 40n, 42n, 46n, 51n, 54n, 66n, 77n
00:00, 00:30, 01:00, 01:30, 02:00, 02:30, 03:00, 03:30, 04:00
41n
00:30, 01:00, 01:30*, 02:00, 02:30, 03:00, 03:30, 04:00
* To Portrane
33n, 67n, 69n, 70n, 84n, 88n
00:00, 02:00, 04:00
48n, 15n
00:00, 01:00, 02:00, 03:00, 04:00
44n, 49n
00:30, 01:30, 02:30, 03:30

http://www.dublinbus.ie/news_centre/latest_news.asp?action=view&news_id=841

serfboard

Disappointing, but inevitable.

loyatemu

thats actually an improved service for the 84N if its true - it never ran during the week, and the 00:00 service is new. http://www.dublinbus.ie/your_journey/viewer.asp?route=84n

Vic_08

loyatemu wrote: »

thats actually an improved service for the 84N if its true - it never ran during the week, and the 00:00 service is new. http://www.dublinbus.ie/your_journey/viewer.asp?route=84n

First bus on all routes was always 00.30 so the midnight departures are all new. Seems like for the most part they have just shifted the main routes to start and finish 30mns earlier.

paulm17781

Still nothing too the city. I'd use it instead of taxis if it existed.

Also, why not start running normal buses until 00.30 every night then night links after. I would be near certain people would use buses at that time.

Tusky

No midweek nitelinks is scandalous...How are people from the suburbs supposed to get home from town ?

L1011

Improved weekend service on the 67N too... well, later last bus.

jaffa20

Drink driving FTW!

holton

It was only announced recently that the last nitelinks would be at 3am. They must have seen sense in the meantime...

grimloch

That's an unbelievable pain in the arse. This makes getting home from town a fair bit more expensive.

Slice

Well, the changes were inevitable given the big increase in taxi numbers after the industry was liberalised and also after the recent changes to pub closing times.

Run_to_da_hills

No Difference to the 7N weekend service.

patrickmooney

I was on the 00:30 nitelink on Monday, quite alot onboard. Realised I was on the LAST Monday nitelink on my route. All passengers where handed a printed leaflet about these changes. Yes I think regular public transport should run until midnight at least. 1.15Euro for a bus at 23:40, miss that and you've to pay 5Euro.

Tusky

patrickmooney wrote: »

1.15Euro for a bus at 23:40, miss that and you've to pay 5Euro.

...from now on if you miss it youve to get a taxi.

anonymous_joe

What a load of ass.

I'm a student, tehre's no way I won't be in town midweek. Majorly sucks.

orestes

Brilliant, I will now pretty much make a financial loss if I work during the week cos I have to get a taxi home since I finish work at midnight.

Oh well, I didn't need that money anyway, paying college fees and buying books and food and things like that isn't that important I suppose

spareman

serfboard wrote: »

Disappointing, but inevitable.

Tusky wrote: »

No midweek nitelinks is scandalous...How are people from the suburbs supposed to get home from town ?

grimloch wrote: »

That's an unbelievable pain in the arse. This makes getting home from town a fair bit more expensive.

Tusky wrote: »

...from now on if you miss it youve to get a taxi.

anonymous_joe wrote: »

What a load of ass.

I'm a student, tehre's no way I won't be in town midweek. Majorly sucks.

How am I going to pay for my Holidays next year? No more overtime.:eek:

honru

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

No Difference to the 7N weekend service.

00:00 service introduced, 04:30 service axed. At least it's running to 04:00 and not 03:00 as was reported earlier in the month by the media.

I'm quite livid after shelling out for an annual bus pass in November, a month where the price was increased significantly, solely for the privilege of an unlimited Monday-Saturday Nitelink service. Now I see why they upped the price in November when such a revision typically happens in January.

How to make it profitable? I think more and more people would use the Nitelink if it were more user-friendly and cheaper when added up against a taxi. A single ticket is €5, but you can't use notes; you have to purchase your ticket in advance. College Green is the only stop within the City Centre. Plus if you're in group of 3-4 people, which is common given the time, and you all live less than 15km from the City Centre, why would you all get a Nitelink at €5 each when you can get a taxi? I think these are the people Dublin Bus are missing out on.

All in all, quite shocking being a capital city in a developed nation we have lost out on a midweek late night bus service.

oneweb

Go one of the flyers on tonight's Nitelink. Even though I don't get it that much the news still annoyed me.

Anyway the domino rally destruction continues... no nitelinks = less ppl going out during the week = ...

Ham'nd'egger

Walking through Terenure tonight (Tuesday) and the 12:30 49N and last 65 into town crossed at Bradys. I saw maybe 6 people on the Nitelink and about 3 on the 65. Maybe it was a bad night but when I do get pulled over beside a mid week Nitelink, it is almost always pretty much empty. I don't know if the later run does better but I'd doubt it does much better to be honest.

If the punters didn't use the non subsidized Nitelink in the good times then there is little hope to run them with little patronage in the bad times. You can see why DB have to cull it to save a few bob if this is their numbers.

paulm17781

f®eak s©enery wrote: »

How to make it profitable? I think more and more people would use the Nitelink if it were more user-friendly and cheaper when added up against a taxi. A single ticket is €5, but you can't use notes; you have to purchase your ticket in advance. College Green is the only stop within the City Centre. Plus if you're in group of 3-4 people, which is common given the time, and you all live less than 15km from the City Centre, why would you all get a Nitelink at €5 each when you can get a taxi? I think these are the people Dublin Bus are missing out on.

You're assuming DB management know what they're doing. It's painfully obvious that buses should run past midnight these days, normal buses not €5 ones. Then as you mentioned there's the fact that a group will get a taxi cheaper. This is a marvelous retrograde step for DB.

thebman

I agree that tickets are a big problem.

They need to devise an automated purchasing system similar to the train stations (but stronger I guess and with CCTV on it) so that people can purchase tickets.

Obviously not touch screen but more like buying a parking ticket, something like that. make it more convienient to use.

bk

thebman wrote: »

I agree that tickets are a big problem.

This issue could quickly and more easily fixed if DB hurried up and introduced wallet based smart cards like on the LUAS.

Basically you top it up with, €10, €20, etc. and it is automatically deducted from your smart card when used. You could also set up a direct debit to make sure your card is always topped up.

thebman

bk wrote: »

This issue could quickly and more easily fixed if DB hurried up and introduced wallet based smart cards like on the LUAS.

Basically you top it up with, €10, €20, etc. and it is automatically deducted from your smart card when used. You could also set up a direct debit to make sure your card is always topped up.

True but the only issue is people out on the two needing to top up. A text to top up service would be useful and ATM's supporting it especially the ones in pubs.

AlekSmart

This issue could quickly and more easily fixed if DB hurried up and introduced wallet based smart cards like on the LUAS.

That very feature was/is an integral part of the Current ticketing array.

However although the equipment and applications have been in place for quite some time the necessary permissions from the Department of Transport only cover the current restricted range of "smart enabled" tickets.

It should be recognized that not ALL BAC management wear frock-coats and top-hats.

Many of BAC`s senior managers are as well versed in World wide trends and systems as ANY of their peers in the private sector,however the requirement to involve a very Tradionalist Department of Transport in ALL Fare related issues places serious constraints upon BAC`s ability to respond to Customer demand.

For supporting evidence of this simply refer to the current situation regarding the Integrated Ticketing Working Group with perhaps a timid enquiry as to when we can expect the first Operational fruit of it`s labours.

€34 Million and not a scrap of cardboard to be seen.....Yet !

So bk,the electronic purse which would transfom your Public Transport use in Dublin IS there,ready and waiting to be enabled...it`s just a matter of when.....

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

KC61

-Phuqer- wrote: »

If a bus isn't mentioned there does this mean it's bein cut or just no change to the current weekend timetable? No mention of the 70n.

Eh, yes there is:

33n, 67n, 69n, 70n, 84n, 88n
00:00, 02:00, 04:00

bk

thebman wrote: »

True but the only issue is people out on the two needing to top up. A text to top up service would be useful and ATM's supporting it especially the ones in pubs.

As you say, there are many ways around this, phone top ups, direct debit top up (never leave the card drop below €10), machine top up, atm top up.

Actually I've always thought that there is great potential here for a much more interesting wider application of smart cards. Imagine a system that would not only allow you to use the bus, dart, luas in an integrated manner, but would also allow you to make small purchases like newspapers, coffee, etc. and could be topped up at ATM's

BTW non of this is rocket science, already done in many asian countries.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

reckoner

anonymous_joe wrote: »

What a load of ass.

I'm a student, tehre's no way I won't be in town midweek. Majorly sucks.

Disgraceful! Cutbacks my ass, dont hink they realise how profitable some services such as the 67N Mon-Thurs are, serving 4 major suburban areas! Always packed! And i'm a student, screwed!
1130 last but Sun-Thurs! Great service, great country! Monopoly bull****!

Rawr

reckoner wrote: »

Disgraceful! Cutbacks my ass, dont hink they realise how profitable some services such as the 67N Mon-Thurs are, serving 4 major suburban areas! Always packed! And i'm a student, screwed!
1130 last but Sun-Thurs! Great service, great country! Monopoly bull****!

Indeed. Although I preferred taking the more direct 66N back home, the 67N (aka '25A/66/67A'...N) was a welcome affordable link across the county border.

Although cutting Nitelinks, makes sense in terms of less people going out drinking mid-week (if at all), it just serves as a stab in the back for those of us whose daily-life doesn't always end at midnight. Orestes' post above is typical of a person who's got to work late shifts and must have an available bus service.

Without the Nitelinks, an artificial mid-week curfew of c.a. 23:30 has now been imposed. If I decide to go to a friend's home on the other side of the city during the week, I'm now forced to catch the last usual bus. Before, I'd have the freedom to catch an early Nitelink. Unless I can afford a Taxi to Kildare, that freedom is now gone.

That said, I think I remember a few years ago, that the mid-week Nitelinks would only operate during the Christmas rush, and that year-round mid-week service has only been around for a few short years. Yet those short years felt like the service that we always should of had. With Nitelinks it was even possible to still get home after arriving to Dublin Airport on a late flight.

In my opinion the Nitelink should be regarded less as a means of carting drunks out of An Lar, and considered as more of a needed late-night extension of the existing day-time service. If routes really are running empty busses, the likes of the mid-week 67N (merging the 66N and normal 67N) may be the way to go instead of culling the mid week service altogether.