Commuting Waterford to Dublin

coolperson05

Hi Guys,

First don't be alarmed by the title! I'm hopefully starting a masters in Trinity soon and I'm looking at my options. To be honest I don't have the money to move to Dublin and I work a bit in Waterford and thus think staying put is ideal. The masters is only 3 days a week and a year long.

So the question is how to do it?

1. Move to somewhere between the two? ie. Kilkenny/Carlow? [Not ideal]
2. Drive the commute. To Red Cow P&R? or into town?
3. Train/Bus it?

Opinions and costs please!

Thanks

foggy_lad

Bus is cheapest and same time as the train into the city centre. Busses are also much more frequent and more reliable than the train.

tombliboo83

Don't know much about the bus but the train costs 27e day return and 34.50e on Friday. Petrol would cost about 25e so perhaps the bus would suit best. JJ Kavanaghs have a good service

daenerysstormborn3

I commute Waterford-Dublin everyday for work. I get the train, obviously I'm not a student so I buy my tickets like this 100e for a four day trekker ticket and then try and get some online discounts for the fifth day.

The train is reliable and gets in ahead of schedule by about 10 minutes everyday. The only problem is with the bus service from Hueston now (see other threads) which could result in you being delayed outside of the station.

Personally I would be concerned about a bus getting stuck in traffic. Also, I know the bus eireann service from Waterford leaves earlier than the train and gets in later, it takes a very scenic route, a direct service using the new motorway would be excellent as I find the train from Waterford is actually quite busy every morning, I've driven Dublin to Waterford on the new motorway and have done so in an hour and a half.

Train is expensive but more comfortable than the bus which in fairness isn't that much cheaper, pretty soon i'm going to be driving up and down, the cost of petrol is justifiable in my opinion when you're not concerned about being delayed in carlow for 10-15 minutes on the train every single day.

coolperson05

Thanks for your comments. Yeah my thinking on the train is you could get work done on it. If only the express 2 hour train was earlier! Be nearly the same as driving really. I would have to park out at Red Cow, couldn't handle driving around City centre!

I think I could vary it day to day Train/Car. Be alot of wear and tear on a car!

foggy_lad

tombliboo83 wrote: »

Don't know much about the bus but the train costs 27e day return and 34.50e on Friday. Petrol would cost about 25e so perhaps the bus would suit best. JJ Kavanaghs have a good service

bus costs

Service 4
13.50 : Adult Single
18.00 : Adult Rtn
16.00 : Adult Day Rtn
8.00 : Child Single
12.00 : Child Return
10.50 : Child Day Rtn
11.00 : Student Single
14.00 : Student Rtn
16.00 : Adult MW Rtn
10.50 : Child MW Rtn
36.00 : Family Rtn

this does not give ten journey rates but they are pretty reasonable compared to the train fares and the bus times are comparable when you take travel times walking out to the train station in waterford and then from heuston into the city centre as well as the unreliability of the train.

edit: for some reason the website only gives ten journey prices as far as thomastown, €56

silkcut007

Hi,

Do you still do the communte from Waterford to Dublin? I have been going from Tramore - Roughly Newlands cross for the past year. The public transport arrangement is not good. I drive, the only problem is though that the mileage really de values your car.

Regards
Andrew

foggy_lad

silkcut007 wrote: »

Hi,

Do you still do the communte from Waterford to Dublin? I have been going from Tramore - Roughly Newlands cross for the past year. The public transport arrangement is not good. I drive, the only problem is though that the mileage really de values your car.

Regards
Andrew

JJ Kavanagh's have a fairly good service from Tramore-Dublin that stops at Newlands Cross

coolperson05

I do,

well I'm quiet lucky I stay there 2 nights and then commute for 2 days so it's ok. 2 return train journeys - can't personally handle the bus.

It's not easy but I get solid work done on the train. Knowing you have those 2 hours to sort stuff does help! But staying there wed/thurs really helps. It can be hard to know where you actually live! :rolleyes:

silkcut007

Hi,

I looked at the JJ Kavanagh times though and its madness, still going through Carlow and all that.

In car it takes 1hr 40 mins. I looked at the train as well but by the time you've got to Heuston then back out to Belgard. Not good and pricey.

It would be great to have a direct bus service, going on the motorway like they have between Galway and Dublin, even though i hate buses.

The problem with the Dublin transport is that it is not radial, so you have to go into the centre of Dublin just to go back out. There should be stations on the outskirts which have links to different sections around Dublin.

Losty Dublin

silkcut007 wrote: »

Hi,

I looked at the JJ Kavanagh times though and its madness, still going through Carlow and all that.

In car it takes 1hr 40 mins. I looked at the train as well but by the time you've got to Heuston then back out to Belgard. Not good and pricey.

It would be great to have a direct bus service, going on the motorway like they have between Galway and Dublin, even though i hate buses.

The problem with the Dublin transport is that it is not radial, so you have to go into the centre of Dublin just to go back out. There should be stations on the outskirts which have links to different sections around Dublin.

In which case drive if it suits you best. Lord knows but a train or bus just can't be all thing to all people though an outer radial service would be beneficial.

As a matter of interest, how much is it costing you for fuel+tolls, how long is your door to door time and how is your car coping in relation to repairs and servicing/tyre changes and wear/purchase wise? Your trip is what, 1000+ miles a week if you are doing it daily?

LXFlyer

You don't necessarily need to go to the city centre.

Bus Eireann will drop you off and pick up at Red Cow LUAS which allows you to get to Tallaght without backtracking. It uses the motorway after Carlow.

silkcut007

Losty Dublin wrote: »

In which case drive if it suits you best. Lord knows but a train or bus just can't be all thing to all people though an outer radial service would be beneficial.

As a matter of interest, how much is it costing you for fuel+tolls, how long is your door to door time and how is your car coping in relation to repairs and servicing/tyre changes and wear/purchase wise? Your trip is what, 1000+ miles a week if you are doing it daily?

Hi,

I agree, our population is too small to be able to cater for all requirements. Believe me I would be prepared to sacrifice a bit of time for the comfort of train or even bus. But car is most comfortable.
JJ Kavanagh
Dep 5am to arrive Newlands cross 8am or 6am to get you there at 9am (too late)
Train - Waterford 6am (15 mins from tramore) to Heuston 8.20 (30 Mins to Tallaght)
Leaving house at 4.45 or 5.45am in the morning. Not for me versus 7am by car

As you asked, I have to leave my wife and child to stay 2 nights in Dublin otherwise it would be too much driving and sometimes you need to work late.
Leave House 7am arrive office 8.30 8.45am
Leave work 5pm arrive home 6.30 - 6.45pm
As staying up 2 nights do 1000 KM per week if three nights 684km per week
12 litres of fuel per journey
so with two nights away, your talking €100 per week diesel.
One set of tyres in the year
Two services in Ford Garage (by the way Ford Mondeo0 great car for efficiency (1,200 KM on a tank) 3 round trips to Dublin
No parts or otherwise (Motorway driving nearly from door to door)

I have looked and cannot find an alternative which actually ends up wasting too much time. And in this instance i would put time over money.

purpleKetchup

Does anyone here still do the commute? I might be joining the club in September, thought someone might be interested in a carpool ?

Victor

Would you consider monthly / annual tickets, whether Taxsaver or not.