New express bus service to Dublin

highlydebased

Dublin Coach are starting an express bus to Dublin, journey time is 2hrs 45, starts at Arthurs Quay, then UL, annacotty, kildare village, red cow and westmoreland street. 15 buses a day too.

No info on fares yet, but for that time I'd use it over the train as it's practically the same city centre to city centre.

The Bus Eireann/JJ Kavanagh's are a joke time wise.

Berty

Surely the Bus Eireann Dublin Express is just as quick and more frequent, no?

Resi12

Beer Baron wrote: »

Surely the Bus Eireann Dublin Express is just as quick and more frequent, no?

HA! You having a laugh? Try 4 hours. I'm not even kidding.

Poxyshamrock

highlydebased wrote: »

The Bus Eireann/JJ Kavanagh's are a joke time wise.

Absolute torture is more like it!

ZombieBride

Resi12 wrote: »

HA! You having a laugh? Try 4 hours. I'm not even kidding.

And no toilet break any more.

Cherrycoke

I've felt like throwing myself out the window, and under that JJ Kavanagh bus on a few occasions 4.5 hours was my longest Dublin-Limerick trip with them.

This new service sounds great, badly needed.

savagecabbages

Beer Baron wrote: »

Surely the Bus Eireann Dublin Express is just as quick and more frequent, no?

Not sure if theres an express Lim-Dub... The normal bus stops in every backar$e town in the midlands, and spends about 10km on the motorway.... -> 4 hours!

Just wait for Bus Eireann to introduce(or improve) an express service at rock bottom prices to try run the competitors off the road, just like they try do to every competitor! Then they'll discontinue it once the competitor has gone bust.

CiaranMT

Beer Baron wrote: »

Surely the Bus Eireann Dublin Express is just as quick and more frequent, no?

BB is right, the direct express bus which doesn't stop is quicker (going on vague memories here however :pac: )

Don't think the express is as frequent as this crowd though.

Who are Dublin Coach, btw? Affiliated with Dublin Bus? I know they run busses from as far out as Port Laoise now.

CiaranMT

@savagecabbages, remember appearing at the station at just the right time to get it at the start of the summer.

Though I look now and it seems there is none. May have been an extra one put on.. Oh well.

savagecabbages

Well there'l be loads now

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy

CiaranMT wrote: »

BB is right, the direct express bus which doesn't stop is quicker (going on vague memories here however :pac: )

They only do it randomly afaik (probally wrong), my friend asked up in Dublin the other week in Busarus and he was like
"is there an express bus back to Limerick? I got it coming up"
and your man was all like

"it doesn't exist"

CiaranMT

Sera wrote: »

They only do it randomly afaik (probally wrong), my friend asked up in Dublin the other week in Busarus and he was like
"is there an express bus back to Limerick? I got it coming up"
and your man was all like

"it doesn't exist"

My face when I got it down :P

Berty

I thought the X was every hour and the indirect was on the half hour.

highlydebased

Beer Baron wrote: »

I thought the X was every hour and the indirect was on the half hour.

That's the 51 to galway you're thinking of.

No bus eireann direct to Dublin. Its 3hrs45 on the old road to Portlaoise.

Berty

highlydebased wrote: »

That's the 51 to galway you're thinking of.

No bus eireann direct to Dublin. Its 3hrs45 on the old road to Portlaoise.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

keano2012

highlydebased wrote: »

Dublin Coach are starting an express bus to Dublin, journey time is 2hrs 45,

il believe it when i see it! i have used both bus eireann and jj kavanaghs quite regularly over the last few months. average is 3.45hrs but have been on it for 4.5hrs and that with out any break!

Amazotheamazing

Hellish journey alright, the midlands are a God awful place.

ZombieBride

Saw the bus this morning, hope this is one stays.

Taco Chips

Great news if true. JJ Kavanagh and Bus Eireann are tortuous. Anyone got a link to a timetable? Or know where I might find a physical copy? Dublin Coach's site doesn't have any info.

Poxyshamrock

Taco Chips wrote: »

Great news if true. JJ Kavanagh and Bus Eireann are tortuous. Anyone got a link to a timetable? Or know where I might find a physical copy? Dublin Coach's site doesn't have any info.

There was a timetable on the site yesterday but when I went back today for a look it gone.

Sid_Justice

hope this works out, it's definitely needed.

source

There's a green bus stop after going up outside annacotty on the inbound side of the road (outside sisters of mercy). Looks like they're having their own dedicated stops too.

h3000

source wrote: »

There's a green bus stop after going up outside annacotty on the inbound side of the road (outside sisters of mercy). Looks like they're having their own dedicated stops too.

There is one on the outbound lane too halfways between the turn off for Murroe/Cappamore and Finnigan's bar.

shawnee

Will believe it when I hear from someone who has used it. 2.5 hours is possible but not sure if it happens during daytime hours at this time of the year. But let us know if it works for you

source

In topaz on dock road, Dublin coach lass sitting at next table chatting, one of their busses are on the forecourt........it's small, I'll try to get a pic before I leave.

h3000

I passed two of their buses today. They seem to be up and running. Green yokes

source

h3000 wrote: »

I passed two of their buses today. They seem to be up and running. Green yokes

Overheard them saying they're doing a trial run on the route, and finding their depot here. Which is apparently a pain in the hole to get to.

Mc Love

There is a min-bus and also a coach. Passed them yesterday parked outside Arthurs Quay

Coeus

highlydebased wrote: »

Dublin Coach are starting an express bus to Dublin, journey time is 2hrs 45, starts at Arthurs Quay, then UL, annacotty, kildare village, red cow and westmoreland street. 15 buses a day too.

No info on fares yet, but for that time I'd use it over the train as it's practically the same city centre to city centre.

The Bus Eireann/JJ Kavanagh's are a joke time wise.

I got this new service down from Dublin this evening. Having had many of those 4 hour stop everywhere journeys over the years I thought I give these guys a try. Anyhow bus left Westmoreland Street at 1850 and pulled up at Arthurs Quay at 2130 on the button Cost was €10 one way. The stop up at Dublin had a sticker saying that the service started at 7th of December.

diol07

They should make the JJ Kavanagh/Bus Eireann to Dublin experience part of the program at Limerick Prison. It might teach a few of them a lesson

phog

Coeus wrote: »

I got this new service down from Dublin this evening. Having had many of those 4 hour stop everywhere journeys over the years I thought I give these guys a try. Anyhow bus left Westmoreland Street at 1850 and pulled up at Arthurs Quay at 2130 on the button Cost was €10 one way. The stop up at Dublin had a sticker saying that the service started at 7th of December.

How many were on the bus, is there enough to make it viable?

lasno

And what was the trip like, legroom etc? Seems like good timings, cc to cc.

Coeus

phog wrote: »

How many were on the bus, is there enough to make it viable?

Only 2. I only knew about a potential new service as I had seen one of their buses earlier in the day in Dublin. It doesnt seem to be that widely advertised.

lasno wrote: »

And what was the trip like, legroom etc? Seems like good timings, cc to cc.

Trip was quick, motorway all the way from Red Cow to Annacotty except for the Kildare village stop which is just off the motorway. Yes much more legroom than Bus eireann and JJs and leather seats to boot. They are basically the buses that were on the Portlaoise - Dublin airport route and are much nicer than the double deckers that replaced them.

I'll be getting one of them back upto Dublin tommorrow

mastershake

I used it on Thursday and Saturday.€10 and it took the 2 hrs 45 mins.I was the only one on the bus for all three journeys. Excellent service but needs far more advertising to get it up and running.

Highly recommend it over the competitors.

gaf1983

Where does it leave from Limerick?

highlydebased

gaf1983 wrote: »

Where does it leave from Limerick?

Arthurs Quay

1huge1

was impressed with the dublin coach website as well. Especially the bus tracking gps http://www.utrack.com/gps/index.php

zulutango

This is really fantastic news.

I've suffered Bus Eireann and JJ Kavanaghs too often recently.

There simply must be a market for a direct, quick service between Limerick and Dublin.

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy

go upto Dublin nearly every 2nd week so I'm delighted there's another alternative.
Can I ask who's used it a silly question, was there a stop for a break?

mastershake

Too short a trip really for a break to be thrown in. Always hate breaks anyway.Can take up to 30 mins if they're waiting for another bus in order to change the driver.

As has already been posted they stop only at the redcow for luas passengers and at the kildare village outlet.

In Limerick they have two stops.Arthur's quay park and the bus stop next to the students centre in UL.

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy

mastershake wrote: »

Too short a trip really for a break to be thrown in. Always hate breaks anyway.

Usually me too but bit sick that's why I was asking thanks for letting me know

1huge1

Hope they start getting more passengers soon, just seen one pass the library in UL there a hour ago.

pappyodaniel

I used this service yesterday and today. Only 3 passengers on the way up to Dublin and 4 on the way back. They must be doing it at a serious loss, haven't a clue how much it would cost to fill with diesel and pay the driver but it's definately not sustainable. They'll have to spend money on advertising.

Coeus

pappyodaniel wrote: »

They'll have to spend money on advertising.

I seen a billboard on the quays towards Heuston station this evening with an ad for the service. Thats the first advertising I have seen...

highlydebased

Ad in the Limk Post this week too.

SnoopyGunner

They're also advertising on Limerick 95fm. It sounds like a good service so I hope it'll be successful as an alternative is definitely required!

phog

I met one of their buses this morning heading out the Dublin rd, it looked empty, this service will not survice as a direct route unless they can fill their buses. They will either withdraw the service or follow the Bus Eireann and JJ Kavanagh's model, stop at every town along the route to increase choice of location and passengers.

Brianderunner

Great that something like this has come in. I suffered on the Bus Eireann buses for way too long (5hrs 20 being my personal worst).

Sounds like the thing is dying on its feet though, which is a shame :mad:

highlydebased

It's hardly running a week so give it a chance! Rome wasn't built in a day and all that.

savagecabbages

A bit of advertising or even a good facebook page would o down a treat! There seems to be absolutely no exposure... And its a great service, thats what annoys me the most!!

fryup

Brianderunner wrote: »

Great that something like this has come in. I suffered on the Bus Eireann buses for way too long (5hrs 20 being my personal worst).

Sounds like the thing is dying on its feet though, which is a shame :mad:

i use to take the no.12 service to Dublin about 10 yrs back and there was this narky Dublin fella with a moustache driving, is he still doing that route??