The Dublin Coach Experience

Jameslee23

I think they’re getting this year a 191 in black that is use in Kildare village at the moment

artanevilla

Just found this thread.

Few years ago I was on the 726, I'd say around 11pm on the way from Portlaoise to Dublin Airport. Stops at the Red Cow, no issue. I'm the only one upstairs at this point. So thinking I'm going to the airport as planned I'm very confused as this bus makes its way into an industrial estate and drives into a garage which is when I start assuming I'm about to be murdered or at the very least have my bottom diddled.

So I go downstairs to find I'm the only passenger left and I go find the driver and try to find out what the **** is going on. Turns out he didn't know anyone was on the bus and he stopped off at the Dublin Coach garage for a cup of tea!

LiamaDelta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121603831#Comment_121603831

They already have hybrid, sometimes they work sometimes they dont! 😂

Jameslee23

I wonder if they’ll ever purchase more small buses that they used to use in the airport car park

soundman45

I presume passenger numbers are way down on the 726 route, this used to be serviced by a fleet of double deck coaches and a supplement service between Kildare and Naas. Now that supplement service is gone and the 726 is mainly served by single deck coaches.

Jameslee23

It’s only because the double-deckers keep breaking down if they purchased like 2017 double-deckers then maybe the route would run more smoother. That’s the only reason why they’re using coaches all the time and one time I was on the route and they were using the yellow bus

soundman45

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121638126#Comment_121638126

So why have they dropped the service between Kildare town and Naas that used give a 30 min service on the 726? If it was viable surely it would still be running,l.

Jameslee23

I was wondering the same i’m guessing it has something to do with the shortage of buses and it’s gonna affect more services if they had to have to give the Mercedes back

road_high

will they ever go hourly on the M9 Waterford service? Perhaps if they added Carlow to some of them it would up numbers greatly (not that I particularly want that as it would increase travel times for me!).

The 7.00 am ex Waterford is a bit of a miss tome as it gets into Dublin City Centre at 9.25 am. Be better if it was 6.30am and in for 9.00 am for commuters. A few years back had a course in UCD and there was some 9.00 am starts and that was too late

soundman45

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121640857#Comment_121640857

Waterford already well served on early morning departures by JJ Kavanagh it seems, also has Carlow well covered so can't see any need for Dublin Coach to serve Carlow.

road_high

I find JJ Kavannagh while good a bit expensive. You’d notice more free travel people with them. Also if you’re going up from Waterford they don’t always run direct on the motorway with a long stop off off the M9 in Carlow

Jameslee23

I wonder is air coach going to sell the green bus, any more of their buses this year

devnull

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121641147#Comment_121641147

I'm not surprised that they're more expensive. A quick comparison of the presentation of the two operators fleets might explain what they have money for that seemingly Dublin Coach don't.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121647144#Comment_121647144

Probably they're going to have some surplus vehicles soon, so you never know, but I doubt Volvo based Plaxton Panthers are going to be the taste of John O'Sullivan bearing in mind his previous purchasing history.

Jameslee23

And they might be getting 2018 20,19, Mercedes-Benz, citaro just start doing the airport car parks again as the 2007 one was taken out service last week

devnull

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121648011#Comment_121648011

The Dublin Airport car parks are operated by Aircoach for the next number of years under an exclusive contract so it won't be happening there.

Quick Park that was owned by Dublin Coach where the Dublin Coach Citaros operated originally is no longer in operation.

Jameslee23

I know they haven’t been on the road for a few years, but it be so handy if they brought back the yellow coaches and then maybe there be a bus every 30 minutes

Jameslee23

I see air coach is going to start purchasing electric buses this year so maybe in a few years time the green bus would be able to buy them off them

91wx763

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121641147#Comment_121641147

But they always get there and in one piece !!! Even their 09 Setra is a joy to travel in.

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121662364#Comment_121662364

They are reliable and a good service but given the choice of €12 fare with Dublin coach on a new Double decker. They are significantly cheaper

devnull

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121662207#Comment_121662207

Completely unrelated.

Aircoach are acquiring electric buses for the car park shuttles at Dublin Airport that can be charged at the airport or at the car park sites (potentially) in between runs and will never be far away from being topped up and will operate on short journeys.

We are still not yet at a point where we have a proven long distance coach platform that is purely electric that can charge quick enough that has the range to makes them a viable alternative to other vehicles for a journey such as Dublin to Cork for example.

devnull

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121662618#Comment_121662618

Depends what you value at the end of the day doesn't it. personally I'd prefer a couple of quid more for a service I could depend on.

LiamaDelta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121639626#Comment_121639626

Has this happened? They still show the 30 minute schedule on their website.

ebbsy

Wednesday I was getting the 7.50am service from Monasterevin to the airport, bus showed up at 9.10am. Then a 20 min wait to change drivers in Junction 14.

As I was flying to Bangkok at 2pm my finger was firmly on the taxi button.

Anyway go there in the end, and yes the weather is fantastic.

Jameslee23

That was the same as me a few weeks ago, I was getting the 7:40 pm bus from Newbridge and didn’t show up until 9:40 so I do now, if the bus is late is I just get the 126

Jameslee23

I got the new minibus home on the 726

Jameslee23

I’m hoping the new double-deckers that the green bus buy for the 726 route, are gonna be no older than 2017

AX612

Another day, another typical experience on the 726

So, I was in Portlaoise at 9pm last night and planned to get the 9:30pm 726 from Portlaoise to Red Cow. I get to the stop and there's no bus parked up awaiting to depart so I thought “Maybe it's late, give it a few mins” until I checked the Dublin Coach tracker which showed nothing at all. Long story short, the 9:30 didn't run. I decided to get some food and wait for the 10:30pm departure (I wasn't in any rush) but that also did not run! Now realistically I should've gotten the train but 1) I had just come from one and 2) I wanted to get Dublin Coach as it's great entertainment 🤣.. anyways, the 11:30pm did run and turned out to be an 08 reg Setra which I didn't mind as I like Setras. Before anyone comes with the “You're lucky a bus turned up” it's not acceptable by any means to have a 2 hour gap inbetween the service and especially during the times when the last trains are passing/finishing!!

To top it off, some idiots ended up arguing with the driver in Newbridge over fares/payment 👀🍿

Vic_08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714700#Comment_121714700

Portlaoise used to have BE routes 8 and 7 and JJ Kavanagh providing regular alternatives through Portlaoise to this shower, now the former are gone and JJK only run a handful per day.

At the minimum the Bus Eireann Cork - Dublin 245x should have been returned to it's old routing through the towns on the former N8/N7 when it was downgraded to a PSO route, it's ridiculous having a PSO express non-stop from Dublin to Cashel.

Jameslee23

I was talking to one of the drivers today in the red cow, and he says the new CEO of Dublin Coach is planning on putting more buses on and I was saying to that good, but they need to do something with the portlaois to airport route and he was saying to me that they’re getting some 181 double-deckers that will be going on that route from January

AX612

The Bus Eireann X12 also used to serve Portlaoise until they axed it during covid. Now you've only the Bus Eireann 73 twice a day via Portlaoise. Apparently the Portlaoise town service is to start this year operated by Bus Eireann.

How can they start using “new” 181 buses in January when it's now February 5th??