BusConnects Dublin - Bus Network Changes Discussion

JayRoc

Pardon my ignorance, guys, but is Travel 90 or whatever it was called still a thing? If so does my leap card have to have more than 2.50 on it to get a bus? I'm in Dublin btw.

I'm not asking any staff because they don't seem to know anything. For weeks after the new fare system came in my leap card would often not work on the dart and I asked numerous staff members including the revenue guys what the hell was going on and none of them seemed to know. A few of them said they knew there were problems when tagging on but didn't know what was causing it

Eventually I twigged (from a poster) that I needed to always have over 2.50 on my card. Those posters definitely did not go up until weeks after it all came into effect

thomasj

The 90 minute 2 euro travel fare is still there for zone 1.

The 2.50 minimum balance is for if you're travelling in zones 2/3/4.

Zone 1 is 1 euro minimum balance

markest

FYI, I was charged 2.00 eur from Greystones to Bray on a GAI L2 bus, then 40 mins later hopped on an DB E1 getting off in Shankhill & was charged 0.00 so T90 fare must be valid here too.

lego base

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123461117#Comment_123461117

Zone fare differences aside, the €2.50 stipulation seems like a rail only thing.

https://www.transportforireland.ie/fares/new-fare-zones/ :

Adult Leap Card users need to have a minimum balance of €2.50 on their TFI Leap Card to travel on Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail services.

JayRoc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123461235#Comment_123461235

So theoretically if I hop on a bus with, say, 50c on my leap card then I can't jump on a dart within 90mins? The travel 90 thing only works if you have 1.00+?

I know it's only a small thing but it's annoying me! I usually only top up a fiver at a go at the moment

JayRoc

......

p_haugh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123461225#Comment_123461225

All DB & GAI city services are considered as being part of zone 1, even if your destination is actually in another zone (i.e. Greystones in zone 2). The zonal system only applies to fares on the likes of Irish Rail, Bus Eireann, and some other PSO services within the GDA.

trellheim

Why would the F spine be prioritized for introduction over the O orbital . They have had ages to put in chargers (for the O) and recruit drivers for all routes so why the F over the O ( or any other spine for that matter ).

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123462133#Comment_123462133

90 minute fare also applies if you're going to/from Z1 to/from another zone, though you'll be charged the higher of the 2 fares.

e.g. if you get a bus to Bray then the Dart to Greystones you'll be charged €2 for the bus journey, then another 30c for the Dart to bring it up to the €2.30 rail fare for Bray-Greystones

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123464741#Comment_123464741

To be clear - that only applies if you use to the train to/from zone 2.

If you use the L1 or L2 it’ll still be €2.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123464418#Comment_123464418

The F and D Spines don’t need anything like the same amount of resources as the O as it is a completely new and additional route.

Whatever you may think, they are still way behind in terms of getting the charging equipment (and any increase in network power supply to facilitate it).

That’s why we still have so many older buses running around the city, with even more returning now to facilitate transfers to Go Ahead for the 73.

cgcsb

This Saturday there were many cross city bus services curtailed at Parnell Square, I got off a 140 that was curtailed and the driver just said 'there's no drivers'. So clearly we're a long way off being able to expand the service.

PlatformNine

I noticed that on the BC map for CC the G-spine is shown using the Talbot Memorial bridge rather than the Rosie Hackett bridge to get to the south Quays. Is it planned to eventually make the change? Maybe as part of the D-spine(which is also planned to use Talbot Memorial bridge) or Custom House Quay pedestrianisation?

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123465285#Comment_123465285

I wouldn't put too much store in any of the local maps any more as they have long been superceded by the later big map from 2024 and the plan for post College Green - Eden Quay is the main driver changeover point for services and there is no space to do that south of the river without blocking the bus lane since the new cycle lane was added.

I'd expect them both to continue to use Eden Quay in both directions and to use Rosie Hackett Bridge to get southside.

BusGuy

Terrible experience on the 44D this evening.

I was waiting at the Ranelagh Road bus stop, the stop before Ranelagh Luas, waiting for WS2 to come. The bus came, and I came close to the bus stop, getting ready to get my hand out to make the bus stop, I put my hand out, but it failed to stop. Since WS1 and WS2 have braking problems, could this be the reason why it didn't stop?

JPup

Is it not more likely the bus was full or the driver didn’t see you?

Fizzy Duck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123475955#Comment_123475955

No, it's more likely that the brakes failed as he explained. 😉

BusGuy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123475976#Comment_123475976

Yeah, all the Streetlites in Dublin are bad, all around Dublin, and the NTA dosen't even bother to fix them. The braking is like activating the parking brake when going 10km/h.

Also, does anyone know if Donnybrook will be getting any AXs soon? A lot of AXs came back, but Donnybrook is hanging on by a thread on terms of AXs (638, 639, 641, 643, and AX645-648 moved back to Harristown from around mid January this year). If Donnybrook gets rids of all their AXs that basically paves the way for electrification meaning that EWs start arriving, but that will not probably happen until mid 2027-2029, the EVs are not going anytime soon, based on how many are coming back.

BusGuy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123475955#Comment_123475955

The bus was not full, as there was a 44 basically like 2 mins before the 44D arrived, and the driver seen me, but like he knew the WS brakes are bad…

john boye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123475976#Comment_123475976

It's still going, I just saw it down in Wexford.

StreetLight

The last few posts have got nothing to do with BusConnects. Take it over to the Enthusiast Forum, please.

dublinman1990

The Green Party Leader Roderic O'Gorman is worried that there is no deadline available to make any progress on the integrated ticketing project being undertaken by Indra over the past year.

https://www.thejournal.ie/national-transport-authority-6710523-May2025/

It does say in the article here that the initial phase will involve 3,000 new validators being installed for the project.

I'm not sure if initial figures for the rollout of the project are new details.

I'll put them down here just in case.

''In response to a parliamentary question the NTA said that the initial phase will involve installing over 3,000 new validators across 69 Luas stops, 67 Irish Rail stations, 10 bus depots and more than 1,300 buses in Dublin alone.

It said that several teams will be working on installation, but buses can only be worked on when they are not in use, “i.e primarily at night or on the weekends”, which the NTA said will impact the timeline of the first phase of the project.''

I can't find any details yet about which locations will get these new validators installed first.

Has there any news of any progress about a rollout date to install the new validators for the project?

Tusky

I'm disappointed to see all the chatter here about the O Oribtal not happening until 2026. Has that been confirmed, or are people just assuming?

cgcsb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123476878#Comment_123476878

Well it can't happen without the signal change at Heuston Bridge and there hasn't even been any tendering for that. I agree this should have been the first part of Bus Connects in my opinion along with the other orbital, they're the most important changes along eith 24 hr operation everything else is just renumbering and some service improvements(and some dissimprovements for some passengers)

bk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123476376#Comment_123476376

Reading this article I feel people don't really understand what is involved in a project like this.

They aren't just replacing validators, they are replacing the entire backend systems. The entire Leap "backoffice" software, processes and systems. That is a major undertaking. It is a massive IT project. Gather requirements, design systems and processes, create processes with card processors, big, big project. All of that would easily take one to two years. I'm sure that is all going on in the background, with teams working on it, even if you aren't seeing any action on the ground yet.

Installing validators would come once much of the backend work is done or at least approaching completion. Not much point in having validators installed if the backend systems that they will use aren't at least partly ready.

Of course they can continue to work on the backend systems, adding features and functionality later, however you need to have at least the basic structure, systems and processes in place first.

My criticism would be more aimed at how long it took the NTA to decide to tender and reward the contract in the first place!

As for installing the validators, that makes sense, given how constrained they are with the number of buses, it makes sense that they want to minimise how much time they are off the roads.

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123476988#Comment_123476988

why does it need tendering, the council change junction layouts and signalling all the time. They've just done a big change at Westland Row, took a few weeks only.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123477114#Comment_123477114

Exactly, while the infrastructure will need work, it’s not the main problem.

The main problem is that Dublin Bus have neither the staff nor sufficient charging infrastructure in place to support the O operation and the existing electric double decks that are now in service.

The chargers and power upgrades are taking far longer to install than anyone thought, and my understanding is that until the large charging facility at Harristown is completed later this year, there are not sufficient chargers for all the existing EW double decks and all of the EA Class.

trellheim

I appreciate your point ref Charging but that does not stop the works being done at Heuston in any event, and then the S2 and N2 can be rerouted to where they should be going

In addition the Heuston works and regular traffic lights need to be tied into the LUAS signalling both at the station , at Sean Heuston Bridge and both ends of Steevens Lane so its not small changes and needs to be done/certified to whatever standard is being used for the trams. It is not just a filter right at Coynyngham road.

( in my head now I am wondering how a northbound O or S2 will get let out of Steevens Lane across Johns Road without putting induction loops in and hence having to dig up the rails, I'll let the smarter people here answer that one )

tubbs26

Sorrt I’m sure this was mentioned earlier in thread but is the change that needs to be made a Heuston?

trellheim

In the area of Heuston,yes, so that buses can come in where the LUAS lines do as well, to enable the O, N2 and S2 (proper) routes