Citylink/Eireagle Galway to Dublin Airport Direct

bk

Citylink are starting a new service Galway direct to Dublin Airport (bypassing Dublin City) under the brand eireagle.com:

http://eireagle.com

It isn't really a new service as such, what they are doing is taking some of the existing Galway -> Dublin City -> Dublin Airport services and turning them into Galway -> Dublin Airport services.

I'm not sure this is such a great idea, while obviously faster to the airport, they lose the passengers heading to Dublin City.

On the other hand this maybe in response to some rumours I've heard about plans from BE for airport services elsewhere. So perhaps Citylink are pre-empting them.

What I do find strange, is them using completely different branding for this service, surely it would be better to use the already strong and well known Citylink brand.

However I do like the design of their new website. I like the all the information (schedule, price, stop locations, etc.) you need for the route you are looking at on one page. It is similar style to the GoBE site and I hope Aircoach, Citylink, BE, DB, etc. copy that style. It makes much more sense then having separate pages for route, pricing, etc. like the older sites.

foggy_lad

By using new branding they can claim it is a new service and can exclude free travel pass holders.

bk

foggy_lad wrote: »

By using new branding they can claim it is a new service and can exclude free travel pass holders.

Nope, doesn't seem to be the case, if you use the online booking on eireagle, you will see that you can book free travel pass tickets on the service.

looking at the schedules, I don't see it being worth cutting out Dublin City for the sake of a 15 minute faster journey time.

foggy_lad

bk wrote: »

Nope, doesn't seem to be the case, if you use the online booking on eireagle, you will see that you can book free travel pass tickets on the service.

looking at the schedules, I don't see it being worth cutting out Dublin City for the sake of a 15 minute faster journey time.

My experience of the airport traffic on the x20 is that a few passengers from Galway will be going to the airport but most going to the airport are from the intermediate towns especially Athlone. They might be better running a stopping service that goes to the airport first like some of the bus eireann services do. Otherwise I dont see them getting enough passengers for the airport just from Galway

bk

foggy_lad wrote: »

My experience of the airport traffic on the x20 is that a few passengers from Galway will be going to the airport but most going to the airport are from the intermediate towns especially Athlone. They might be better running a stopping service that goes to the airport first like some of the bus eireann services do. Otherwise I dont see them getting enough passengers for the airport just from Galway

They already do, their commuter (stopping) service operates to Dublin City and the Airport.

foggy_lad

They should have some services stopping at only the major towns and going direct to the Airport first or skipping the city altogether. the stopping service is a commuter based service which is quite slow.

serfboard

Just saw this development advertised in local papers - six non-stop services from Galway to Dublin Airport.

Citylink had always had non-stop services to the airport, in particular the overnight services from Galway (01:15 and 02:15) and from Dublin Airport (00:15 and 01:15).

However, they've now expanded this and re-named it to eireagle with its own livery and website. Some of these services are in addition to existing Citylink services (full Citylink and eireagle service here), meaning they now do 22 services eastbound, as opposed to 19 earlier). In some cases buses leave Dublin city to provide the usual service, and in the case of the 18:15, two buses leave Dublin Airport at the same time - one going direct to Galway, the other going via the City.

I presume Citylink have studied their passenger bookings and have identified the potential uptake. With passenger numbers increasing at the airport again and potential new services starting (San Francisco) there is potential there.

It takes 2:30 and costs €15 single.

Will other operators (GoBus/GoBE, Aircoach and Dublin Coach) now do the same?

bk

Already discussed here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=84100433

I hope Aircoach to Cork don't do this. Not if it means no option to go to Dublin City at certain times.

I got caught out by this travelling from Galway to Dublin a few weeks ago, the only option was the late night service to Dublin Airport, which meant the ticket price was more expensive and I had to get a taxi from Dublin Airport.

For the late night services Aircoach could easily knock 15 to 20 minutes off their scheduled time to Dublin Airport, due to their being no traffic. But I think enough people are going to the city, that it isn't worth losing them for the sake of knocking 15 minutes off the schedule.

Dublin Coach don't operate directly to Dublin Airport from Limerick!

devnull

There has been rumour that Bus Eireann X8 may go to Dublin Airport before Dublin city in future.

bk

Looking at it again, where they have put on an extra service, in addition to the service going to Dublin City, that is fine and makes sense *

But it is the late night services that only serve the airport, I don't like. Direct to the airport takes 2h30ms, the service that operates both Dublin City and Airport takes 2h45m to the airport.

I don't think it is worth losing people going to the city late night for the sake of 15 minutes.

* It is good that the service that goes to the city, doesn't go to the airport too, this way you are splitting up the passengers at what I assume are busy times to go to their relevant destinations.

AlekSmart

bk wrote: »

Looking at it again, where they have put on an extra service, in addition to the service going to Dublin City, that is fine and makes sense *

But it is the late night services that only serve the airport, I don't like. Direct to the airport takes 2h30ms, the service that operates both Dublin City and Airport takes 2h45m to the airport.

I don't think it is worth losing people going to the city late night for the sake of 15 minutes.

* It is good that the service that goes to the city, doesn't go to the airport too, this way you are splitting up the passengers at what I assume are busy times to go to their relevant destinations.

I'd suggest it would'nt be such a big-deal if Dublin Bus would get it's finger out and operate the 16 route on a 24 hour basis.

The days of the Last Bus at Half-Eleven should be long gone.

BenShermin

Best of luck to Eireagle on this venture. I can't see any demand for GoBÉ or Aircoach to do direct Cork to Dublin Airport services, why spend three hours on a coach to Dublin when you can just fly from Cork. I've only ever seen two or three pax continuing on to the Airport with GoBÉ any time I've used them to Dublin.

In light of this IÉ really need to wake up though. Regardless of price, who in their right mind would spend 2hr 30mins on a train from Galway to Dublin just to spend the guts of another hour on a painful meandering 748 bus to the airport? Fonthill Road Station should be renamed Clondalkin & Dublin Airport Parkway (or something to that effect). All intercity trains should stop here and there should be frequent buses from here to the Airport via the M50. Through ticketing needs to be issued obviously.

Not only would this be good opportunity for IE to poach passengers for the airport it would also open up a new intercity train station for the west Dublin community, and if IÉ and Dublin Bus played their cards right people from Tallaght, Clondalkin, Lucan and maybe Blanchardstown would use this station instead of going into the city centre for the non-stop intercity buses.

BenShermin

devnull wrote: »

There has been rumour that Bus Eireann X8 may go to Dublin Airport before Dublin city in future.

BÉ would be doing a great disservice to their Fermoy, Cashel, Urlingford etc. passengers by doing this. I'd wager the majority of these would want access to Dublin City and not the airport.

Best thing BÉ could do here is revert back to the old 4hr 25min timetable and lap up all the passengers that Aircoach deserted when they closed down their stage carriage operation between Dublin and Cork.

bk

AlekSmart wrote: »

I'd suggest it would'nt be such a big-deal if Dublin Bus would get it's finger out and operate the 16 route on a 24 hour basis.

Well you would still be paying more for the ticket to the airport then to the city, which is actually where you want to go.

But I agree completely on the 16. A regular all night 16 service, that stops at all stops inbound and out and costs a regular ticket (or just +€1) should be done as a trial for similar services throughout the city.

BenShermin wrote: »

Best of luck to Eireagle on this venture. I can't see any demand for GoBÉ or Aircoach to do direct Cork to Dublin Airport services, why spend three hours on a coach to Dublin when you can just fly from Cork. I've only ever seen two or three pax continuing on to the Airport with GoBÉ any time I've used them to Dublin.

There are no flights between Cork and Dublin. But yes, from what I've seen, many people get off at Dublin City even on late night services.

BenShermin wrote: »

BÉ would be doing a great disservice to their Fermoy, Cashel, Urlingford etc. passengers by doing this. I'd wager the majority of these would want access to Dublin City and not the airport.

Best thing BÉ could do here is revert back to the old 4hr 25min timetable and lap up all the passengers that Aircoach deserted when they closed down their stage carriage operation between Dublin and Cork.

Yup, they introduced the new x8 timetable to compete with the GoBE and Aircoach direct services. But it has failed miserably to compete with them.

Would be better to go back to a complete stopping service and thus avoid directly competing with GoBE and Aircoach.

BenShermin

bk wrote: »

There are no flights between Cork and Dublin. But yes, from what I've seen, many people get off at Dublin City even on late night services..

Ah, I meant to say fly from Cork to Britain/mainland Europe instead of going to Dublin for the same flight.

serfboard

bk wrote: »

Already discussed here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=84100433

Sorry 'bout that. I see the threads were merged.

bk wrote: »

I hope Aircoach to Cork don't do this. Not if it means no option to go to Dublin City at certain times.

I got caught out by this travelling from Galway to Dublin a few weeks ago, the only option was the late night service to Dublin Airport, which meant the ticket price was more expensive and I had to get a taxi from Dublin Airport.

I don't know what time/day you were travelling at but the latest times from Galway to Dublin City are:

GoBus: 18:45 (Daily), 19:45 (Fri & Sun), 20:45 (Sun).
BE: 20:30 (Daily)
Citylink: 19:15 (Daily), 20:15 (Sun) and the one your probably forgot 01:00 (Daily). This is the "commuter" service, and takes 3.5 hours. Timetable here.

bk wrote: »

But it is the late night services that only serve the airport, I don't like. Direct to the airport takes 2h30ms, the service that operates both Dublin City and Airport takes 2h45m to the airport.

I don't think it is worth losing people going to the city late night for the sake of 15 minutes.

The overnight services have "always" been airport direct (GoBus @ 01:45 is the same), since only a handful of people ever need the city at that time. For those that do, the 1AM commuter service will suffice.

I think Citylink's theory is that there's no need to wake up snoozing passengers for the stop in town!

serfboard

BenShermin wrote: »

Best of luck to Eireagle on this venture. I can't see any demand for GoBÉ or Aircoach to do direct Cork to Dublin Airport services, why spend three hours on a coach to Dublin when you can just fly from Cork. I've only ever seen two or three pax continuing on to the Airport with GoBÉ any time I've used them to Dublin.

The reason it can work on Galway->Dublin is that

(a) the journey is shorter

(b) there is no airport (flying scheduled flights) in Galway and Shannon & Knocks selection of routes isn't great. In fact, with this service, combined with a greater choice of destinations and increased frequency of flights, this will only add to Shannon and Knock's problems.

BenShermin wrote: »

In light of this IÉ really need to wake up though. Regardless of price, who in their right mind would spend 2hr 30mins on a train from Galway to Dublin just to spend the guts of another hour on a painful meandering 748 bus to the airport? Fonthill Road Station should be renamed Clondalkin & Dublin Airport Parkway (or something to that effect). All intercity trains should stop here and there should be frequent buses from here to the Airport via the M50. Through ticketing needs to be issued obviously.

I can't see this working. Why take a train from Galway, and then transfer to a bus (possibly with luggage), when I can get on in Galway and get off in Dublin Airport with no changes and faster?

In order for it to work the total journey time would have to equal/beat 2:30 and I can't see that happening.

BenShermin

serfboard wrote: »

I can't see this working. Why take a train from Galway, and then transfer to a bus (possibly with luggage), when I can get on in Galway and get off in Dublin Airport with no changes and faster?

In order for it to work the total journey time would have to equal/beat 2:30 and I can't see that happening.

Given the timetables and line speeds at the moment I can't see it working myself on the Galway run. However I don't see why it wouldn't work for Cork/Kerry and Limerick and Westport.

Even if it doesn't work as an airport transfer point it would still act as an intercity station with a huge west Dublin catchment area.

bk

serfboard I had arrived in Galway from Mayo at 21:00, so having just missed the 20:45 GoBus.

I then opted to take the 12:15 CityLink to Dublin Airport, as it would get my to Dublin significantly earlier then the 1am commuter.

Yes it meant that I had to pay more for the ticket and a slightly more expensive taxi home. But at least I got home and in bed 2 hours early.

What I'm saying is for the sake of saving 15 minutes off the schedule to Dublin Airport I don't think it is worth losing passengers heading to Dublin City.

I certainly hope Aircoach/GoBE do the same from Cork. Fine if they want to put on an extra bus like Eireagle's daytime service, but on the Cork route they do seem to have a significant percent of passengers going city to city, so I hope they don't convert any existing services into this.