New Dublin bus 747 timetable

thomasj

New Dublin bus route 747 timetable out. First bus to airport weekdays is 04.45. Last bus to city daily is 00.30. Buses every 10-15 minutes weekdays.

Here's Hoping we see this applied to the busy core routes in the city as well at some stage .

LXFlyer

thomasj wrote: »

New Dublin bus route 747 timetable out. First bus to airport weekdays is 04.45. Last bus to city daily is 00.30. Buses every 10-15 minutes weekdays.

Here's Hoping we see this applied to the busy core routes in the city as well at some stage .

Bear in mind that the 747 is a commercial service and is not subsidised.


For other routes to have increased operating hours, the contracts would have to change and the PSO funding from the NTA (and therefore the DTTAS) increased.

thomasj

lxflyer wrote:

Bear in mind that the 747 is a commercial service and is not subsidised.

lxflyer wrote:

For other routes to have increased operating hours, the contracts would have to change and the PSO funding from the NTA (and therefore the DTTAS) increased.

But surely after years in operation they finally have come around to the idea of increased operating hours on their commercial services , maybe they're pushing the idea of increased operating hours with the NTA?

LXFlyer

thomasj wrote: »

But surely after years in operation they finally have come around to the idea of increased operating hours on their commercial services , maybe they're pushing the idea of increased operating hours with the NTA?

Extending operating hours is down to the NTA providing funding to do it.

Any increase in service is going to have to be economically viable. A night time service will require additional PSO funding.

The 747 will pay for itself given its higher fares.

devnull

I'm surprised they took so long to extend the hours with Aircoach having done it for the last 15 years or so. But it's good to see they are finally waking up to commercial reality and demand, but some on this board would tell you it was not possible that a private company would offer later services than CIE commercial services anyway.

Be interesting to see if the drivers have a problem with the new rosters making them work late or earlier like in Irish Rail, though I expect they won't have any problems since there is competition.

Jamie2k9

TBH if they ran an 03.45 and 04.15 service they would do better than an 04.45.

XPS_Zero

In London I was amazed to see the equivalent of 46A, 39A, 145 type routes were not only 24 hour but the same Oyster fare as during the day.

Oh to have a competently run public transport system....:rolleyes: Imagine...

dublinstevie

XPS_Zero wrote:

In London I was amazed to see the equivalent of 46A, 39A, 145 type routes were not only 24 hour but the same Oyster fare as during the day.

XPS_Zero wrote:

Oh to have a competently run public transport system.... Imagine...

Thats because the Uk government invest in public transport while the irish government provide the least subsidy in the whole of europe

KD345

It's good to see an increase in any timetable, but you can't help feel this is a missed opportunity in some ways.

The Airlink still isn't an option to anyone catching a flight before 6.30am. It should be a 24 hour service or at least have an hourly service from Heuston throughout the night.

Also, why no increase in Sunday service? It's still a 15 or 20 minute frequency. My experience in using the 747 on a Sunday has been of packed buses throughout the day with weekend travelers flying in and out.

It would also be nice if they straightened the route out a bit. I understand their aim is to capture as much of the city centre as they can, but the journey time through the city can add a chunk of time to what is supposed to be an express service.

Still, any increase at all is welcome.

AlekSmart

dublinstevie wrote: »

Thats because the UK Government invest in public transport while the irish government provide the least subsidy in the whole of europe

Steady as she goes there .......The very obvious London vs "Rest of UK" divide,may well be heading for the first "Correction",and it's going to be in......Public Transport.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/nov/25/spending-review-transport-deepest-budget-cut

London’s transport commissioner, Mike Brown, said the settlement would allow TfL to continue to invest in an improved network but added: “It also recognises the tough decisions we must continue to take to deliver more efficiently for fare and taxpayers, while protecting and modernising frontline services.”

Strip out the PR speak,and we're left awaiting the definition of "Tough Decisions".

AlekSmart

KD345 wrote: »

The Airlink still isn't an option to anyone catching a flight before 6.30am. It should be a 24 hour service or at least have an hourly service from Heuston throughout the night.

It would also be nice if they straightened the route out a bit. I understand their aim is to capture as much of the city centre as they can, but the journey time through the city can add a chunk of time to what is supposed to be an express service.

Still, any increase at all is welcome.

A very valid point about 24 hour operation,and I agree that now would have been the ideal time to introduce it.

However,the 747 alterations have to be seen as just part of a significant change process to BAC's commercial operation which may incorportate additional elements also.

The last re-routing of the 747 to incorporate so many hotels was always recoginzed as a risk,and was a very real "suck it 'n see" job.

Oddly enough it worked,as the statistics have shown it to be highly popular with the market.

I would agree that Deleting the term "Express" would be an Option,but once again,it's currently working...so perhaps leaving it alone is prudent ?

LXFlyer

KD345 wrote: »

It's good to see an increase in any timetable, but you can't help feel this is a missed opportunity in some ways.

The Airlink still isn't an option to anyone catching a flight before 6.30am. It should be a 24 hour service or at least have an hourly service from Heuston throughout the night.

Also, why no increase in Sunday service? It's still a 15 or 20 minute frequency. My experience in using the 747 on a Sunday has been of packed buses throughout the day with weekend travelers flying in and out.

It would also be nice if they straightened the route out a bit. I understand their aim is to capture as much of the city centre as they can, but the journey time through the city can add a chunk of time to what is supposed to be an express service.

Still, any increase at all is welcome.

It probably could balance out as a 24 hour service, but it should certainly start earlier - the first outbound departure should be at 03:00 and then every 15 minutes up until 07:30 before ramping up to every 10 minutes. That would allow anyone on the first flight (05:40 Lufthansa to Frankfurt) sufficient time to get to the airport.

Last bus inbound needs to be at 02:00 - there can be late arrivals up until 01:00.

I've no idea why they didn't go for a 10 minute service on Sunday afternoons - that's an odd decision.

As for the route - I think (to be fair) that it really shouldn't be seen as an Express from Heuston - but rather an express from Busaras. Four cross-city routes connecting with it there also helps (14, 15, 27 and 151).

The route ticks all the boxes for an awful lot of city centre hotels and that's clearly paid off when you look at the loadings on the bus as it passes through the city.

I did think that they might have split the 747 back into two routes again, but perhaps the feeling is that the current routing does work.

KD345

Indeed, the routing does seem to be working with loadings. Perhaps I just have a fond memory of the 748, down the quays and up through the tunnel.

lukin

Hi, sorry to resurrect this thread. I am going from Heuston to the Radisson Hotel, Swords road next Sunday evening and I taking the 747 (there is another route that takes me right there but it leaves from Middle Abbey Street every hour and I wouldn't make it in time off the train).
Does the 747 stop at both terminals? I need it to stop at terminal two.
Thanks

LXFlyer

lukin wrote: »

Hi, sorry to resurrect this thread. I am going from Heuston to the Radisson Hotel, Swords road next Sunday evening and I taking the 747 (there is another route that takes me right there but it leaves from Middle Abbey Street every hour and I wouldn't make it in time off the train).
Does the 747 stop at both terminals? I need it to stop at terminal two.
Thanks

Yes it does

MrMorooka

Note that the Terminal 2 stop is before the Terminal 1 stop(if you're coming from town) - it's the first one after you get out of the tunnel and any time I've taken the bus they've announced it very clearly.