Suggestions for Portlaoise/Heuston to Merrion Square

Dingle_berry

I'm planning on commuting from Portlaoise, working near Merrion Square D2 Does anyone have experience of this or suggestions?
Tax saver ticket is available
Parking isn't an option at work
Working hours are 8am to 6 pm not flexible

I'd obviously prefer the fastest option, so I'm leaning towards train but the connection to Heuston to/from merrion SQ worries me. I know there's the 26 and 65? But I've heard they can take an hour just to get to Heuston! This is also why I'm ruling out buses from portlaoise to bus aras.

ProudDUB

Luas to Abbey St (10-15 mins) get a bus (4, 7 etc) from O'Connell Bridge to Merrion Sq, 8-10 mins. Or you could walk it in 15-20 mins

Luas to Georges Dock, walk across the pedestrian bridge to City Quay, walk up Lombard St and Westland Row, cross over Lincoln Place and you are on Merrion Sq. 20 minute walk tops.

Luas to Connolly and Dart to Pearse St station, which is only a 2 minute walk to Merrion Square.

LXFlyer

Why go to those lengths when direct buses exist?

From Heuston to Merrion Square you have a lot of buses that will make that exact trip:

From outside the front entrance: 145 (To Kildare Street / St Stephen's Green North)
From adjacent the side entrance on St John's Road: 25a, 25b, 25x, 66x and 67x
From Parkgate Street: 25, 26, 66 and 67

All of these should be relatively quick with the bus lane along the quays.

Dingle_berry

lxflyer wrote: »

All of these should be relatively quick with the bus lane along the quays.

I've heard that evening congestion on the quays is ridiculous? Only a few miles but if most of the city is going the same way....

LXFlyer

There are bus lanes along the majority of the quays.

Going back I'd recommend any of the 26, 66 or 67 - they have the fastest route and have bus lanes for most of the way.

They operate from Merrion Square via Clare St, Westland Row, Pearse St, Westmoreland St and the Quays.

It is not going to take anything like an hour - more like 20 minutes maximum.

Banjoxed

lxflyer wrote: »

There are bus lanes along the majority of the quays.

Going back I'd recommend any of the 26, 66 or 67 - they have the fastest route and have bus lanes for most of the way.

They operate from Merrion Square via Clare St, Westland Row, Pearse St, Westmoreland St and the Quays.

It is not going to take anything like an hour - more like 20 minutes maximum.

There still will be fun and games getting up Pearse Street and Tara Street to the quays. 20 mins for that is more than a tad optimistic.

I'd walk to George's Dock and get on the tram to Heuston.

Vic_08

Banjoxed wrote: »

There still will be fun and games getting up Pearse Street and Tara Street to the quays. 20 mins for that is more than a tad optimistic.

I'd walk to George's Dock and get on the tram to Heuston.

There is a bus lane all along pearse st and as previously said they use westmoreland st not Tara St.

LXFlyer

Banjoxed wrote: »

There still will be fun and games getting up Pearse Street and Tara Street to the quays. 20 mins for that is more than a tad optimistic.

I'd walk to George's Dock and get on the tram to Heuston.

Those buses do not serve Tara Street and Burgh Quay - they operate via College Street and Westmoreland St, and there is a continuous bus lane from Merrion Square to College Street, which itself is a bus lane.

Per the control system timetables (on the NTA journey planner) they are scheduled to get to Parkgate Street within 22 minutes of departure during the evening peak. I'd allow 5 minutes around that, but really it shouldn't take any longer.

Victor

Depending on where you are in Merrion Square, it might be better to get off at Nassau Street in the morning.

You could get Bus Éireann route 12, but it drops you at Eden Quay. Using Dublin Coach doesn't make much sense as you will have to change at Red Cow, making the times poor.

Ticket-wise, you should be able to get monthly or annual Irish Rail tickets with a Dublin Bus add-on (a few hundred euros per year). Check out www.taxsaver.ie

http://www.railusers.ie/passenger_info/fare_calc_2013.php?station_from=PTLSE&station_to=HSTON&stage1=Submit+Query

Station From: Portlaoise
Station To: Dublin (Heuston)

The journey distance is: 81.87km, fare zone GE future zone F

Ticket Adult Child Student 16-25 Family
Single €23.00 €11.50 €12.50 €14.00
Open Return €32.70 €16.00 €18.00 €20.30 €65.00
Day Return €29.70 €14.50 €41.50
OffPeak commuter return €17.50 €8.50
OffPeak commuter single €16.50 €8.00
Monthly €290.00
Annual €2,900.00

Adult/Child/Student/16-25 fares quoted include the Luas/bus transfer between Heuston and Connolly. Family tickets are never valid on Luas/Bus

http://www.railusers.ie/passenger_info/fare_calc_2013.php?station_from=PTLSE&station_to=DUBCC&stage1=Submit+Query

Station From: Portlaoise
Station To: Dublin (City Centre)

The journey distance is: 81.87km, fare zone GE future zone F

Adult Child Student 16-25 Family
Single €24.60 €12.40 €14.10 €15.60
Open Return €35.90 €17.70 €21.20 €23.50 €65.00
Day Return €32.90 €16.20 €41.50
Monthly €322.00
Annual €3,220.00

Adult/Child/Student/16-25 fares quoted include the Luas/bus transfer between Heuston and Connolly. Family tickets are never valid on Luas/Bus

Jamie2k9

Victor are the future fare zones the proposed/planned changes for 2014?

Victor

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Victor are the future fare zones the proposed/planned changes for 2014?

Well, whenever the come in.

beauf

Get a foldup bike. What traffic?

Dingle_berry

Just thought if update this for anyone with a similar query in the future.
Dublin bus to Merrion Square from Heuston takes about 20-25 minutes as does the return journey. That's using the 25, 26, 66, etc. Depending on the bus the stop at Heuston is either outside beside supermacs or over on park gate st. I use the Dublin bus app coming into Heuston to see which stop has the next bus.
The trains to/from portlaoise are very regular during peak times when you include services like the limerick train. The only thing I find irritating is the way the platforms in Heuston can be a bit random, yesterday the 16:25 limerick train left from platform 4, today platform 8. Haven't found an app or website to predict this.

LXFlyer

Dingle_berry wrote: »

Just thought if update this for anyone with a similar query in the future.
Dublin bus to Merrion Square from Heuston takes about 20-25 minutes as does the return journey. That's using the 25, 26, 66, etc. Depending on the bus the stop at Heuston is either outside beside supermacs or over on park gate st. I use the Dublin bus app coming into Heuston to see which stop has the next bus.
The trains to/from portlaoise are very regular during peak times when you include services like the limerick train. The only thing I find irritating is the way the platforms in Heuston can be a bit random, yesterday the 16:25 limerick train left from platform 4, today platform 8. Haven't found an app or website to predict this.

Glad to see that I was pretty much on the mark!! :-)

Jamie2k9

Sets are scheduled for specific services and incoming train platforms are decided last minute and many factors can affect final decisions which is why its next to impossible to have set platforms but there is some room for improvement.

efb

I get the 145 to Nassau st and walk
In the evening I get the bus from Stephens green

bikeman1

Sets are scheduled for specific services and incoming train platforms are decided last minute and many factors can affect final decisions which is why its next to impossible to have set platforms but there is some room for improvement.

There is definitely room for improvement with the platform allocations. I was in Munich Main Station and all the trains on the timetable had a platform allocated to them. While there may be good reasons for a platform alteration, at least people know where there train is "booked" to depart from. Big difference between platform 2 and 6/7/8 at Heuston.

Jamie2k9

bikeman1 wrote: »

There is definitely room for improvement with the platform allocations. I was in Munich Main Station and all the trains on the timetable had a platform allocated to them. While there may be good reasons for a platform alteration, at least people know where there train is "booked" to depart from. Big difference between platform 2 and 6/7/8 at Heuston.

That just wouldn't work in Ireland. Everybody wants to be on 2 - 5 and if certain routes were people on others would be less than impressed that some routes are more important being closer to the station.

We don't know how lucky we are, Heuston may seem big but its tiny compared to European hubs.

Have not being in Munich but I am guessing its much larger. In Madrid the walk is miles compared to any platform in Heuston. Arriving on platform 18 and walking to the main entrance its two or three times the walk from 8 un Heuston and a couple of flights of stars.

The one thing that gets me is arriving on 6-8 when 2-5 are near/empty. Fine if they are full I wouldn't mind being on 6-8.