Heuston to Park West

laoisfan

Hi

I am just wondering if there is anyone who regularly goes from Heuston Station to Park West and how so? I looked at trains and they do not see be very good. There is the 79a bus from outside Heuston - if anyone get it, how do you fine it ( morning/evenings ) ?

Does anyone cycle it?

Thanks.

MrDerp

laoisfan wrote: »

Hi

I am just wondering if there is anyone who regularly goes from Heuston Station to Park West and how so? I looked at trains and they do not see be very good. There is the 79a bus from outside Heuston - if anyone get it, how do you fine it ( morning/evenings ) ?

Does anyone cycle it?

Thanks.

Luas to kylemore, shuttle bus from maccie Ds beside the stop
http://www.parkwest.ie/transport/comm_gettingbyshuttle.asp

foggy_lad

There are a few in the morning at 6.30am, 7.35am, 8.35am and 9.15am, what time did you want to be in Parkwest?

MadsL

It really is a pathetic service from Parkwest. Many offices finish at 5pm yet the service runs at 16.56, ok then wait til 17.44, but if you miss that one there is no service til 18.37.

There are plenty of trains that could stop at Parkwest and pick up office commuters, just clearly CIE fail to understand what Parkwest was built for. The fact that the private bus is more popular is a joke.

Journeys out there from Heuston isn't great either. Consider a 9am office start time - 7.35 stupidly early, 8.35 gets in at 8.42 but miss that and it is 9.15 arr 9.22. Thats 3 trains in an hour and forty mins - some commuter line. Doesn't help that they keep changing platforms or sticking out on the far platforms either.

dogmatix

I try to avoid the 79A at any time, and especially after dark. I will get the train from park west to hueston 2 or 3 times a week in the morning but the times are not great - 7:15, 8:03 and then 8:46. From hueston to parkwest in the evening it is usually about an hourly service (18:10, 18:55 etc). If coming from town then the private bus drops off and picks up from outside the usit offices. Or you can get the 151 bus which heads up the nangor road, a 5 minute walk to/from parkwest.

Seaswimmer

laoisfan wrote: »

Hi

I am just wondering if there is anyone who regularly goes from Heuston Station to Park West and how so? I looked at trains and they do not see be very good. There is the 79a bus from outside Heuston - if anyone get it, how do you fine it ( morning/evenings ) ?

Does anyone cycle it?

Thanks.

Havent cycled that exact route but have cycled some of the roads around there. At a little under 4 miles you would be mad NOT to cycle it.. i would suggest you post on the cycling forum and you will get plenty of advice on the best route>..

anotherlostie

Firstly I presume you're not getting the train from Portlaoise to Dublin, as most if not should stop in Park West before you get to Heuston. (I ask this because of your user name). And if they don't could you get off at Newbridge or one of the other stops and wait for the commuter service that does stop?

The 79A is grand if you stay downstairs and in the early morning or evening it is fine. The 79 currently goes to a place called Spiddal Park which leaves you about 15 minutes walk from the business park and it is an option that's better than walking up to the 151 and then from the Nangor Rd up to Park West. Allegedly the route is being modified so that all the buses will terminate in Park West but this has yet to happen, about 18 months after it was first mooted. The times of the 79As are ridiculous at certain times of the day and it is very long winded route once it leaves Sarsfield Road.

The Luas to Kylemore/ shuttle to Park West is not a good option in my opinion - that shuttle service is sketchy and you're paying for a Luas ticket and the shuttle bus.

The AMC bus will stop at the 79A stop across from the station - the timetable is on amconline.com. Personally I think this is your best option - other than cycling. It rarely stops, it doesn't have to go through Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard and it is reliable (although you have to learn where to go to get it at different times of day).

Anyway - I'd cycle. Up Steevens Lane (if you can - not sure of the legality of that but sure you could walk up the footpath...) then round the back of James' Hospital on very quiet roads along the Luas line and onto the canal at Suir Rd and from there you have a path all the way to Park West with no traffic to contend with. It's a nice cycle. When it's not peppering you with hailstones...

Losty Dublin

anotherlostie wrote: »

Anyway - I'd cycle. Up Steevens Lane (if you can - not sure of the legality of that but sure you could walk up the footpath...) then round the back of James' Hospital on very quiet roads along the Luas line and onto the canal at Suir Rd and from there you have a path all the way to Park West with no traffic to contend with. It's a nice cycle. When it's not peppering you with hailstones...

It's actually illegal to cycle on Luas tracks. You then have the fun of going through St James Hospital. It's worth it for the canal run straight up but not worth it on a day like yesterday morning. Also not all trains can take normal bikes if OP is commuting in on the train so it's something to be borne in mind. Regardless of that, Dr Steeven's Lane is rather a steep hill so it may be a bit of a test for a novice cyclist.

Were you to cycle, St. John's Road and onto Sarsfield Road/Ballyfermot Road and left onto Le Fanu Road (Where Iceland is) should be fine and is fairly direct but it is uphill all the way so again it's not for the novice biker. You could cut up Landon Road and onto Le Fanu Road or into the estate off Kylemore Road as well but it's speed bumped to the max.

n97 mini

anotherlostie wrote: »

The 79A is grand if you stay downstairs and in the early morning or evening it is fine.

What's the problem with the 79A? I've never used it.

ProudDUB

I had to get it to and from Ballyfermot for 5 weeks last year. Was usually around 5pm and 9pm. Saw several drunks picking fights, skangers smoking causing the driver to pull over and throw them off, and junkies going to St James hospital to get their metadone fixes. Never experienced anything like it in my life, and I grew up near Finglas.

Paparazzo

Look across from the Information building beside the apartments in park west and you'll always see about 5 taxis. That should tell you all you need to know about other public transport from park west.

laoisfan

Hi

Firstly, thanks for all the replies, much appreciated!

I had interview this morning so I got train to Heuston and then caught 9:15 train out to Park West. Interview was at 10:30 so treated myself to a coffee at the coffee shop in the shopping mall/plaza.

Agreed, the train service ( looking at the timetable ) is brutal.

I got the 79a back to Heuston and I suspect possibly in the evening, especially when dark, it might not be wise to sit up top. But others may have different experiences. It took nearly 30 minutes to get to Heuston.

As for taxis...yes I noticed about 4 as I came into the Park and I thought...hmmmmmm

I do have option of catching train from Portlaoise but I suspect if I get job then I will seriously considering driving instead. Either that or continue getting train to Heuston and then possibly cycling out to Park West instead.

Again, thanks for all the replies. Most helpful!!

ellegee

The 79/A is my bus (I live in Lower Ballyfermot) and I find it great, although I tend to sit downstairs on the bus at nights I do that on all buses, so I don't know how different the 79/A bus is in that regard. I also don't remember the last time I got any bus that didn't have the occasional smoker upstairs at the back. Sad but true.

Somebody else posted it was full of junkies going to the methadone clinic at James's Hospital but I don't know why that would be as the 79/A doesn't go anywhere near James's Hospital (maybe they were thinking of the 78/A, now the 40, a different kettle of fish entirely).

laoisfan

Hi

Thanks for all the suggestions & replies - much appreciated.

Got the job in Park West so will have to start considering options fairly soon.

Public transport looks crap - the 79a would be reliable for me, especially as I would need to catch a train from Heuston down the country.

I have posted a thread in the cycling forum as suggested - waiting for replies. If that does not look like a viable option then driving may be the only & best option - 1 hr from my house to new job but it would mean changing the car.

Thanks again!