Bus Eireann Route 12 (Limerick to Dublin Airport)

9_Iron

Folks

Has anyone had the pleasure of using this service since BE started it last month?

The timetable suggests that it mimics the Dublin Coach method of dropping off at the Red Cow Luas stop, before continuing up the M50 (and avoiding the city centre altogether): is this the case?

The bus I'm looking at is due to arrive at 15.45 and I've got a 17.15 Ryanair flight, so I'm trying to get a feel for the reliability of the timetable.

foggy_lad

9_Iron wrote: »

Folks

Has anyone had the pleasure of using this service since BE started it last month?

The timetable suggests that it mimics the Dublin Coach method of dropping off at the Red Cow Luas stop, before continuing up the M50 (and avoiding the city centre altogether): is this the case?

The bus I'm looking at is due to arrive at 15.45 and I've got a 17.15 Ryanair flight, so I'm trying to get a feel for the reliability of the timetable.

The last stop before Newlands Cross is in Portlaoise, it does not serve the Luas stop at Red Cow. My only experience so far of the new improved timetable involved the bus not showing up in Portlaoise for some unknown reason. The Cork bus an hour later was on time and even arrived into Busaras a bit early.

9_Iron

foggy_lad wrote: »

The last stop before Newlands Cross is in Portlaoise, it does not serve the Luas stop at Red Cow. My only experience so far of the new improved timetable involved the bus not showing up in Portlaoise for some unknown reason. The Cork bus an hour later was on time and even arrived into Busaras a bit early.

Just to clarify, according to the timetable, only a small number (5 per day) of the buses go to the airport, with some continuing on to Busáras afterwards.
Still, more than a little strange that it bypassed Portlaoise, as that should be one of the main stops for the service.

Can anyone confirm the new route (via the M50) to the airport?

foggy_lad

On that ocasion i think there may have been a bus breakdown but have heard from some people that the timings are not as good as stated on the timetables much the same as other recent greatly reduced times for other routes.

I often wonder do they drive the routes at 4am to produce some of the wild timetable timings?

Vic_08

9_Iron wrote: »

Just to clarify, according to the timetable, only a small number (5 per day) of the buses go to the airport, with some continuing on to Busáras afterwards.
Still, more than a little strange that it bypassed Portlaoise, as that should be one of the main stops for the service.

Can anyone confirm the new route (via the M50) to the airport?

Yes, the services that have a drop-off at the Airport go direct via the M50.

The times on the route have been cut. The rest stop is now gone and 15mns have been taken out from that.
Also the services going to the Airport are given less time Limerick-Portlaoise with some of the small stops removed however as these stops are on the road anyway removing them makes little difference as the bus still has to go into Nenagh, Roscrea and Portlaoise.

I would expect these services to be 15-25mns late at Portlaoise although as it should take no more than 1h15 from Portlaoise to Dublin Airport and they are given 1h45 it should make up alot of time.

I would guess that the service you are looking at would be in DAP close enough to it's scheduled time. For it to be a risk of you missing your flight it would need to be considerably more than an hour late leaving Portlaoise.

9_Iron

Vic_08 wrote: »

Yes, the services that have a drop-off at the Airport go direct via the M50.

The times on the route have been cut. The rest stop is now gone and 15mns have been taken out from that.
Also the services going to the Airport are given less time Limerick-Portlaoise with some of the small stops removed however as these stops are on the road anyway removing them makes little difference as the bus still has to go into Nenagh, Roscrea and Portlaoise.

I would expect these services to be 15-25mns late at Portlaoise although as it should take no more than 1h15 from Portlaoise to Dublin Airport and they are given 1h45 it should make up alot of time.

I would guess that the service you are looking at would be in DAP close enough to it's scheduled time. For it to be a risk of you missing your flight it would need to be considerably more than an hour late leaving Portlaoise.

Vic_08

Many thanks for that.

This service, on paper, is a dream, as it combines the M50 route favoured by Dublin Coach, but without the stops in Monasterevin, Kildare, Newbridge and Naas (the latter two of which eat up a lot of time on the Dublin Coach route).
And of course, not having to trek to Portlaoise in the first place is a bonus too.

I guess the proof will be in the pudding though.......

9_Iron

Well, I did end up using this service and, to be fair, it worked out in the end, as it got to Dublin Airport at 15.50 (5 minutes later than advertised).

The timetable does have issues though, for example:
30 mins from Limerick Bus station to Nenagh, which is very unlikely, even on the clearest of roads.
20 mins from Roscrea to Borris-in-Ossory (a 12km trip) is a tad generous.
As noted by Vic_08, there is 1hr 45 mins timetabled for Portlaoise to Dublin Airport, which is the same time Dublin Coach allot for their route via Kildare, Newbridge, Naas et al. The trip actually took 1 hr 20 mins and meant we made up most of the 30 mins we were behind when we left Portlaoise.

And there was a brief comfort stop at the petrol station on the Dublin side of Mountrath, which I wouldn't have minded if we weren't already 25 mins behind schedule.........tense times!!

Overall though, it's a convenient service for people living along the old N7 in North Tipp/Laois and I'd use it again.