Commute from Clonsilla to City Centre

bcdccm

Would anybody have any opinions / insights on what the commute is like from Clonsilla into City Centre?

Thinking of moving in somewhere near there (within 5/10 minute walk to Clonsilla train station). Wondering if train is easiest way into town (working in City Centre), and if so, is it packed (can you actually get on) in the mornings? I start work at 9, so presume I'd be leaving house around 8.

Or possibly is the Bus (39?) the better choice?

Hilly Bill

The train if you are near the station as its only 20 minutes. The 39 could take that much just to got to the shopping centre plus there are more trains than the, 39.

Orobhsa

get the 0747 train daily. Fine at Clonsilla but gets busy by time it gets to Ashtown. Clears out at Broombridge when people hop on luas.

0802 is an intercity train. OK at Clonsilla but very crowded by Castleknock due to narrow aisles on carriage

bus :mad:

bcdccm

Thanks both! I didn't realise the bus takes so long around Clonsilla. Good to know re getting on the train. (I currently get the Luas from Milltown, and am getting tired of waiting on 5-6 packed Luas going by in the morning before I can reverse myself and squeeze in through the door...)

Would the car ever be an option (for the odd morning)? For instance if I was leaving before 7.30am? I have heard the traffic can be pretty bad around Blanch.

Hilly Bill

bcdccm wrote: »

Thanks both! I didn't realise the bus takes so long around Clonsilla. Good to know re getting on the train. (I currently get the Luas from Milltown, and am getting tired of waiting on 5-6 packed Luas going by in the morning before I can reverse myself and squeeze in through the door...)

Would the car ever be an option (for the odd morning)? For instance if I was leaving before 7.30am? I have heard the traffic can be pretty bad around Blanch.

It's busy but moving, leave before 7 and you can use the bus lanes from the half way house in. If you move close to the Ongar road then you will also have the 39 A bus which avoids blanch village but the train is your best option. . Forget driving, unless necessary.

Xodar

There may be big changes to the commuting from Clonsilla Train station when Castlefield Hall becomes populated. 103 residential units in total. This will add to the congestion to the train. (Haven't used the train since 2016 but it used to be fairly busy any time after 06:54 train).

IMO avoid the 39 as it is a long trip, the 39A is ever so slightly better.

In my opinion the area is becoming very overpopulated. Traffic congestion has increased substantially in the last 12 months

Zebra3

I don’t think Clonsilla is overpopulated in anyway.

Under resourced with regard PT like a lot of the Dublin area? Yes.

Xodar

Zebra3 wrote: »

I don’t think Clonsilla is overpopulated in anyway.

Under resourced with regard PT like a lot of the Dublin area? Yes.

There have been a number of developments in teh area in the last couple of years however, the infrastructure has not been upgraded to accomodate the increase in population.

The PT is so inadaquate it's depressing. the areas around Closilla train station is inadaquate, anywhere around Coolmine is a disaster at any time of the day.

In my opinion, the area is overpopulated given the current infrastructure

wandererz

I am an avid driver, yet I have gotten used to public transport into town.

If you can walk to Clonsilla Station, then great.
If you want to drive to station then get there by or before 8am to get a parking spot. Alternatively, drive to Coolmine Station & you will get a spot.

If you are getting on the train at peak times (8-9am) then it can get crowded.

After 9am is nice, after 9.20am is great.
It depends on what time you need to be in work at & where you need to go.

If you take the train about 5 stops to broombridge then you can cross over & get the Luas as well. That's handy for getting to Stephens Green area & further south.

I can get on a bus outside my home for 3mins to Clonsilla Station & hop on a train to the city center. Its perfect.
Timing is everything though. The Dublin Bus app & the Train apps are great for timings & timetables.

With the Leap card, if you tag off & on within 90mins then you get €1 off your next journey.

So, if you take bus then train then Luas within 90mins that's €2 off your total fare.

Is it packed? It can certainly get full & packed depending on what times you are travelling.
I remember travelling on the Luas from Charlemont to the southside & not being able to get on at the Charlemont stop after work.
I would skip about 3 or 4 trams instead.

It's not that bad on the Clonsilla line. But of course there are ars-en-alls (of both sexes) who don't give a flying feather about your personal space or privacy or even about their own deodorisation.
So that must be put up with.

As for expecting to get a seat... I simply don't have those lofty ambitions, and I am happier for it.

Polar101

If you are going anywhere southside, definitely skip the bus option - it's a nightmare especially coming back (well over an hour easily). 39 takes half an hour to get to Blanch village, so I wouldn't commute with that even if it was free - although if you can walk to Coolmine it's 20 minutes less.

Also, there is no 20-minute train (except at 9:52), Clonsilla to Connolly is 25-30 minutes in the schedule, and you can often add a few minutes to the journey time. But it's a much better option than the bus. Docklands train is a bit faster than the Connolly (Maynooth) train.

Dr_Colossus

Cycling is also a good option, I do that year round to city centre as not dependent on timetables and traffic is nearly irrelevant. Door to door is 14km and takes me about 35mins in the mornings and 40mins home.

ongarboy

Xodar wrote: »

There may be big changes to the commuting from Clonsilla Train station when Castlefield Hall becomes populated. 103 residential units in total. This will add to the congestion to the train. (Haven't used the train since 2016 but it used to be fairly busy any time after 06:54 train).

IMO avoid the 39 as it is a long trip, the 39A is ever so slightly better.

In my opinion the area is becoming very overpopulated. Traffic congestion has increased substantially in the last 12 months

A single development of 100 houses will not have a big impact when spread out across the 15 or more rail departures from Clonsilla each morning. You'd also have to be assuming every resident there is going to be working in the city centre which would be very unlikely. The developments further out in Hansfield (1000+ homes) and 800+ homes to be built in Dunshaughlin are already and will have greater impact. I started using Hansfield in 2013 when it first opened and the media mocked it as a ghost station but nowadays gets more passengers boarding then any of the other D15 stations. It will only get worse unless the add carriages.

OP, despite this, the train is still a no brainer as it still gets you in in just under 30mins. It will be standing room only but it only occasionally gets uncomfortably packed from about Ashtown in. If you work nearer IFSC/Docklands then definitely take the Docklands bound train. The luas connection at Broombridge is good if you work closer to Stephens Green/Harcourt area.

n97 mini

ongarboy wrote: »

A single development of 100 houses

Kildare Co Council have plans to put in over 1500 houses in Leixlip, right beside Confey station. Confey GAA is going to be relocated etc.

Xodar

ongarboy wrote: »

A single development of 100 houses will not have a big impact when spread out across the 15 or more rail departures from Clonsilla each morning. You'd also have to be assuming every resident there is going to be working in the city centre which would be very unlikely. The developments further out in Hansfield (1000+ homes) and 800+ homes to be built in Dunshaughlin are already and will have greater impact. I started using Hansfield in 2013 when it first opened and the media mocked it as a ghost station but nowadays gets more passengers boarding then any of the other D15 stations. It will only get worse unless the add carriages.

OP, despite this, the train is still a no brainer as it still gets you in in just under 30mins. It will be standing room only but it only occasionally gets uncomfortably packed from about Ashtown in. If you work nearer IFSC/Docklands then definitely take the Docklands bound train. The luas connection at Broombridge is good if you work closer to Stephens Green/Harcourt area.

It's not just a single development (if you are referring to the link road - there is a second development going in there and there has been multiple developments in the Ongar road)

Either way, the area is already very congested at peak times and congested at other times through the day.

Lumen

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

Cycling is also a good option, I do that year round to city centre as not dependent on timetables and traffic is nearly irrelevant. Door to door is 14km and takes me about 35mins in the mornings and 40mins home.

Did same myself for about 8 years. Lovely commute through the Phoenix Park.

Prior to that I spent two or three years going by train, an hour door to door, usually no seat, breathing other people's infections.

No comparison!

magicbastarder

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

Cycling is also a good option, I do that year round to city centre as not dependent on timetables and traffic is nearly irrelevant. Door to door is 14km and takes me about 35mins in the mornings and 40mins home.

and if the greenway is built along the canal, that becomes another option.
you just need to convince the people in delwood that it's A Good Thing.

Zipppy

Why not buy a scooter or a motorbike? (and I dont mean those electric scooter things...although their time will come no doubt)
Easy commute then.
We should be pushing use of scooters and motorbikes like most main Euro cities..could hugely cut down number of vehicles entering the city and take u a lot less parking space.

bcdccm

Thanks all, for the very useful information! And background info on nearby developments.

With a proposed 5/10 minute walk from Clonsilla train station (and my workplace being less than a 10 minute walk from Connolly) that seems to be the best option.

I just drove up to Clonsilla today through the park. Forgot how nice of a route that was, though I can see how traffic around Clonsilla / Blanch gets congested.

Cheers all!

SeanW

If you're 10 minutes walk from Connolly you'll be grand. Just keep in mind that the trains are jammers, some trains it will be eaiser/you'll be more likely to get a seat than others.