Maynooth to Galway bus

PH4T

I'm looking to get a bus from Maynooth to Galway tomorrow afternoon after 4pm.

The Bus Eireann times don't really suit.

Are there any other operators doing this route?

GerardKeating

PH4T wrote: »

I'm looking to get a bus from Maynooth to Galway tomorrow afternoon after 4pm.

The Bus Eireann times don't really suit.

Are there any other operators doing this route?

There are only three real operators on the Dublin-Galway route

GoBus are express only.

CityLink, Either the Spa hotel or Enfield, since they do not serve Maynooth.

If you think Bus Éireann are bad now, shortly every second bus will be an express, so frequency in Maynooth willl go down.

With the speed differences between the express and multi-stop services, getting a train into town and getting the express bus is not actually that crazy an idea.

PH4T

GerardKeating wrote: »

There are only three real operators on the Dublin-Galway route

GoBus are express only.

CityLink, Either the Spa hotel or Enfield, since they do not serve Maynooth.

If you think Bus Éireann are bad now, shortly every second bus will be an express, so frequency in Maynooth willl go down.

With the speed differences between the express and multi-stop services, getting a train into town and getting the express bus is not actually that crazy an idea.

Thanks.

Yeah strangely the quickest route for me is probably to get a train back into town and get the 5:15 GoBus.

KC61

GerardKeating wrote: »

There are only three real operators on the Dublin-Galway route

GoBus are express only.

CityLink, Either the Spa hotel or Enfield, since they do not serve Maynooth.

If you think Bus Éireann are bad now, shortly every second bus will be an express, so frequency in Maynooth willl go down.

With the speed differences between the express and multi-stop services, getting a train into town and getting the express bus is not actually that crazy an idea.

I would think that the numbers using route 20 to/from Maynooth would be far outweighed by those that could be going to/from the Airport.

I think the mix that Bus Eireann are implementing is sensible looking at the market.

GerardKeating

KC61 wrote: »

I would think that the numbers using route 20 to/from Maynooth would be far outweighed by those that could be going to/from the Airport.

I think the mix that Bus Eireann are implementing is sensible looking at the market.

Not criticising the decision, just pointing out the situation to the OP. Even before this change, sometimes it was faster to going into town, since some of the stopping services by-passed Maynooth.

Mrs OBumble

GerardKeating wrote: »

If you think Bus Éireann are bad now, shortly every second bus will be an express, so frequency in Maynooth willl go down.

Already happening, started on the 15th. Details.

CaoimH_in

Where do you get the 20 in Maynooth? Footbridge? Glenroyal?

KC61

CaoimH_in wrote: »

Where do you get the 20 in Maynooth? Footbridge? Glenroyal?

67a terminus by the railway station.

Times are here

ThatNewGuy

KC61 wrote: »

67a terminus by the railway station.

Times are here

Where abouts in Galway will that drop you off? (Sorry i'm useless at this :pac:)

KC61

At the bus station, which is beside the railway station off Eyre Square.

ThatNewGuy

Thanks a mill

CIE

Lovely to recall that the railway between Mullingar and Athlone is still laying fallow, so there's no rail option between Maynooth and Galway either...

westtip

OP I think these bus companies are missing an opportunity at a place like Maynooth, with a fast drop off/pick up point as close to the N4 junction as possible. Similar with Athlone, an express bus service stop and drop and pick up point as close to one of the Athlone bypass junctions as possible is another missed opp. But have had a discussion along these lines in another thread.

westtip

CIE wrote: »

Lovely to recall that the railway between Mullingar and Athlone is still laying fallow, so there's no rail option between Maynooth and Galway either...

This would make ten times more sense to open than the Western Rail Corridor - had West on Track had any cop on this is WOT they should have campaigned for - it woudl do more for the west than a rail line from Claremorris to frigging Athenry.

KC61

I love the way that the reopening of this line is seen as the panacea to all problems.

I'm not sure it is as it is certainly slower to Connolly due to the permanent way than via Portarlington to Heuston (which will become faster once the 4 tracking project is finally completed), trains would suffer more delays due to being single track as far as Maynooth, and they would suffer from having to slot in around much slower commuter trains between Maynooth and Connolly.

dowlingm

Agree with KC61 - there's the small problem of Athlone station too. If money is to be spent in that part of the world, double track or at least a few dynamic loops between Maynooth and Mullingar would be the place to do it.

westtip

KC61 wrote: »

I love the way that the reopening of this line is seen as the panacea to all problems.

I'm not sure it is as it is certainly slower to Connolly due to the permanent way than via Portarlington to Heuston (which will become faster once the 4 tracking project is finally completed), trains would suffer more delays due to being single track as far as Maynooth, and they would suffer from having to slot in around much slower commuter trains between Maynooth and Connolly.

KC, not sure I said it would be the panacea to all problems! I feel it would offer more to the west that the WRC, in terms of options for trains from Athlone/the west - and yes I realise the issues with the position of the new Athlone railway station - the new athlone station on the Westmeath side should not have been built where it is., more inepptitude in terms of forward thinking ..another story though. the double tracking issues and passing loops ont he sligo line to Mullingar are important - but in terms of how the train service can compete with the interurbans a lot more needs to be done. anyway this is slipping off subject.

CIE

westtip wrote: »

me wrote: »

Lovely to recall that the railway between Mullingar and Athlone is still laying fallow, so there's no rail option between Maynooth and Galway either...

This would make ten times more sense to open than the Western Rail Corridor - had West on Track had any cop on this is WOT they should have campaigned for - it woudl do more for the west than a rail line from Claremorris to frigging Athenry.

I usually don't like pitting one rail restoration project against another. If I could have both, I'd take both, and I certainly recommend both. Redundancy (in terms of duplication) of capacity isn't just for roads.

kc61 wrote: »

I love the way that the reopening of this line is seen as the panacea to all problems.

I'm not sure it is as it is certainly slower to Connolly due to the permanent way than via Portarlington to Heuston (which will become faster once the 4 tracking project is finally completed), trains would suffer more delays due to being single track as far as Maynooth, and they would suffer from having to slot in around much slower commuter trains between Maynooth and Connolly

I certainly did not cite it as a "panacea", but as an option. I remember the days when revenue trains traversed the line.

BTW, assuming faster journeys simply due to adding parallel track capacity is a canard, and saying that another route is "certainly slower" due to perceived lack of track capacity is also incorrect. The faster trains go, the longer the "blocks" they travel in get, so the fewer trains you can run overall anyhow. There are fewer overall rail trips in operation over the MGWR, so there's room for additional trains between Galway and Maynooth. More or even "faster" trains between Galway and Heuston don't get you to Maynooth.

KC61

CIE wrote: »

I usually don't like pitting one rail restoration project against another. If I could have both, I'd take both, and I certainly recommend both. Redundancy (in terms of duplication) of capacity isn't just for roads.I certainly did not cite it as a "panacea", but as an option. I remember the days when revenue trains traversed the line.

BTW, assuming faster journeys simply due to adding parallel track capacity is a canard, and saying that another route is "certainly slower" due to perceived lack of track capacity is also incorrect. The faster trains go, the longer the "blocks" they travel in get, so the fewer trains you can run overall anyhow. There are fewer overall rail trips in operation over the MGWR, so there's room for additional trains between Galway and Maynooth. More or even "faster" trains between Galway and Heuston don't get you to Maynooth.

I am not making any assumptions that adding parallel track capacity will mean faster journeys. The line speed on the 4 track section out of Heuston is being raised to 100mph - that is why I am making that statement. You should not be making assumptions about what I write!

There is very little capacity on the MGWR route to allow for a fast train between Maynooth and Connolly. They will get stuck behind Maynooth and M3 Parkway services which will only increase in number.

The combination of lack of capacity, lower line speeds, single track mean that the Athlone-Mullingar-Connolly option will not be faster, but would only offer an a relatively slow service. Granted, it would be an alternative, but a slow one.

CIE

KC61 wrote: »

I am not making any assumptions that adding parallel track capacity will mean faster journeys. The line speed on the 4 track section out of Heuston is being raised to 100mph - that is why I am making that statement. You should not be making assumptions about what I write

I'm not. And WADR, here you are making more assumptions. Raising the line speed to 100 mph on the four-track section won't necessarily mean a faster journey, especially since it's not four-track all the way out to Kildare, so you still have that bottleneck west of Hazelhatch through Newgrange and the Curragh. Add the longer block length to that and you'll have a jumble of "faster" southbound/westbound trains slowing down at the bottleneck.

There is very little capacity on the MGWR route to allow for a fast train between Maynooth and Connolly. They will get stuck behind Maynooth and M3 Parkway services which will only increase in number

More assumptions. The only way you'll have "M3 Parkway" services increase in number is if they travel to Connolly instead of the Docklands (I would prefer to Broadstone, but the RPA still seems to be holding that line captive for their small-scope Luas extension). Furthermore, the outstanding need to extend to Navan remains, so that traffic headed for the M3 Parkway station can have an alternative to sitting in traffic on a motorway.

Besides, my argument was not in regards to speed, but alternate routes and reopening to markets no longer served by rail but instead monopolised by road travel.

The combination of lack of capacity, lower line speeds, single track mean that the Athlone-Mullingar-Connolly option will not be faster, but would only offer an a relatively slow service. Granted, it would be an alternative, but a slow one.

Slow relative to what? And lack of capacity relative to what? Shorter routes do count for something, besides. Not to mention, you're still the only one in this thread harping on speed, so WADR you're the only one harping on that as a "panacea". Not that we don't all want average speeds well above the 60-mph range and at least well out of the 40-mph range, but my point is that a larger railway network offers more options.

KC61

CIE wrote: »

I'm not. And WADR, here you are making more assumptions. Raising the line speed to 100 mph on the four-track section won't necessarily mean a faster journey, especially since it's not four-track all the way out to Kildare, so you still have that bottleneck west of Hazelhatch through Newgrange and the Curragh. Add the longer block length to that and you'll have a jumble of "faster" southbound/westbound trains slowing down at the bottleneck.More assumptions. The only way you'll have "M3 Parkway" services increase in number is if they travel to Connolly instead of the Docklands (I would prefer to Broadstone, but the RPA still seems to be holding that line captive for their small-scope Luas extension). Furthermore, the outstanding need to extend to Navan remains, so that traffic headed for the M3 Parkway station can have an alternative to sitting in traffic on a motorway.

Besides, my argument was not in regards to speed, but alternate routes and reopening to markets no longer served by rail but instead monopolised by road travel.Slow relative to what? And lack of capacity relative to what? Shorter routes do count for something, besides. Not to mention, you're still the only one in this thread harping on speed, so WADR you're the only one harping on that as a "panacea". Not that we don't all want average speeds well above the 60-mph range and at least well out of the 40-mph range, but my point is that a larger railway network offers more options.

Listen no need to go on the offensive and get personal with me. I am happy to withdraw the "panacea" comment, but in the rest of my posts I am only explaining the technical side to the operation for those who are interested - sorry for offending you. I am not harping on about anything nor I am not making assumptions re the line out of Heuston - the plan is for faster trains.

But I would ask what bottleneck west of Hazelhatch? Do you use these services regularly?

There will be no bottleneck. The line west of Hazelhatch to Cherryville has already been completely resignalled to allow for more capacity.

With clever pathing and using the 4-track section sensibly the faster services will overtake the slower services on that section rather than catching up with one another west of Hazelhatch.

I already said that there would be a recast of the timetable needed.

As for reopening the route I also placed a caveat at the end of my post by saying it would be an alternative. I just do not think that the options that it offers are that great.

A little less of the directness in your tone would be appreciated.

margaretf

Do you have Any info re: getting by public transport fro Galway to Maynooth on Fri afternoon bout 4Pm?
Bus eireann service a bit slow.

M:)

LXFlyer

Bus Eireann is the only direct option I'm afraid - Citylink bypasses Maynooth.

margaretf

Thank you!