Connecting Ireland Project Launched
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More Bus Éireann route changes from December 17th:
First - Routes 360 and 360a - Waterford to Tramore
NTA and Bus Éireann announce investment in 360 and 360A bus services between Waterford and Tramore
12TH DECEMBER 2023
The National Transport Authority (NTA), in partnership with Bus Éireann, is today announcing plans to improve bus services on Routes 360 & 360A between Waterford and Tramore from Sunday the 17th of December 2023.
- Number of bus departures to more than double on the corridor between Waterford and Tramore
- More choice to travel and less waiting for passengers
- Earlier starts and later finishes on the service, meeting demand for travel at these times
- New two-way alignment in Tramore to replace existing one-way loop, making the service more useful for those taking local journeys within the town itself
The proposed changes are being introduced in response to an increase in demand for public transport, the population growth in the area and the regular requests to enhance and improve bus services locally.
The new plans include more frequent bus services, a more useful local bus service within Tramore and overall a more reliable and punctual service between Waterford City and Tramore.
Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan
Improving the level of service on this corridor is an objective of the NTA’s Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan.
The enhanced Bus Éireann Route 360 will provide buses between Tramore and Waterford Bus Station every 20 minutes during the day – an increased frequency of almost 80% on current services. Buses on this route will operate every 30 minutes in the evening, doubling today’s evening service. Route 360 services will start earlier in the morning, offering passengers the choice to travel onward by train from Waterford to Dublin.
The number of services operating on Route 360A will increase significantly, with buses operating every hour from 7am to 7pm, seven days a week, making it a substantial daylong service.
Speaking at the launch in Tramore, Anne Graham CEO of the NTA said: “The enhancements to these routes are significant and will positively impact the lives of people in Tramore who will use these bus services to travel locally around town or into the city and beyond.
“We are connecting more people with more places and the improvements to these routes represent one of the most significant enhancements under the Connecting Ireland programme this year.”
Enhanced connectivity across the country
Stephen Kent, CEO of Bus Éireann said: “We at Bus Éireann are delighted to introduce these new and improved services from Sunday 17th December, significantly increasing public transport between Waterford and Tramore. Thanks to the National Transport Authority, through the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan we have added almost 1.8 million kilometres to our network this month, creating over 58 new jobs. Demand for our services is higher now than pre-pandemic, and these new routes and services enable us to connect more people with who and what matters to them. We will continue to work together with the NTA to enhance connectivity across the country, delivering an affordable, reliable and sustainable bus service for communities throughout Ireland.”
Route 360 and Route 360A
Route 360 will operate its existing route to the Riverstown Roundabout in Tramore and will then operate in both directions along Lower Branch Road, Tramore Bus Station, Church Road, Newtown Hill, Tramore Ring Road to Crobally Heights.
Route 360A in Tramore will operate in both directions via Riverstown Business Park, Riverstown Road, Lower Branch Road, Tramore Bus Station, Church Road, Priests’ Road, Summerhill, and Tramore Ring Road to Crobally Heights. This service into and out of Waterford City will be routed along Kilbarry Road, serving new estates along this road. A new stop will be provided to facilitate access in each direction to the SETU Cork Road campus at the Old Crystal Factory in Waterford.
Existing passengers who use stops between the Butlerstown Roundabout and SETU are now advised to change services onto Bus Éireann’s W1 or Route 354 to complete their journey.
Additional Information
For further information and timetables check out Bus Éireann’s website: https://www.buseireann.ie/
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Connecting Ireland milestone as busiest month of bus service launches recorded
19TH DECEMBER 2023
- NTA launches 20 new and enhanced bus routes nationwide this month
- 3 million annual additional kilometres added to the public transport network
Connecting Ireland Programme significant milestone
The Connecting Ireland Programme of new and enhanced bus routes, designed and implemented by the National Transport Authority (NTA), has reached a significant milestone.
This year over 60 new and enhanced Connecting Ireland bus services have been launched, strengthening existing services and connecting more towns and townlands across the state.
December – the largest number of services launched
The programme has been rolling out bus services over the past two years. But the largest number of services to launch, making it the busiest ever Connecting Ireland period, occurred during the month of December this year. Twenty new and enhanced bus services were implemented, connecting towns and villages in Counties Galway, Mayo, Waterford, Kerry, Sligo and Cavan.
These latest services have added an estimated 2.3 million kilometres annually to the Transport for Ireland (TFI) public transport network, giving many people an opportunity to travel, and giving others the choice to travel more sustainably and leave the car at home.
2.3 million kilometres added to TFI public transport network
The Galway to Clifden corridor, served by Route 923 operated by Citylink in partnership with Bus Éireann providing services on Route 419, will see a 33% increase in services for Clifden and a 31% increase in services for Oughterard with 12 services per day in each direction between Clifden and Galway and 17 services per day between Oughterard and Galway.
The number of services on Route 423 from Clifden to Westport have doubled from three daily returns to six daily returns Monday to Sunday, including public holidays.
Route 424 operating between Leitir Mealláin and Galway sees a significant enhancement to the frequency of services, with 19 return trips between Galway and An Cheathrú Rua.
Services on Route 425A from Galway to Mountbellew also doubled to four daily return services Monday to Friday.
Routes 360 and 360A in Tramore, Co. Waterford are now more frequent, also providing a more useful local bus service within the town of Tramore, and a more reliable and punctual service between Waterford City and Tramore. The enhanced Bus Éireann Route 360 will provide buses between Tramore and Waterford Bus Station every 20 minutes during the day – an increase of 141% on current services.
Route 272 operating from Tralee to Ballybunion in Co. Kerry is enhanced to five trips each day Monday to Friday, while Route 279 from Tralee to Killarney is extended to Killarney from Kilorglin, with a significant increase in frequency to 11 return trips Monday to Saturday.
The C2 and C3 routes in Co. Cavan, operated by Local Link Cavan/Monaghan, are also extended and offer additional evening and weekend services.
Route 322 from Portumna, Co. Galway to Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, operated by Local Link Tipperary, creates a new route with four return trips Monday to Saturday and three return trips on Sunday.
Commenting on the milestone, Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, said: “Rural transport in Ireland is taking off. We can see that Connecting Ireland is already having a really positive impact on rural communities across Ireland. New towns are being connected every month and many more people now have the choice to travel by bus to work, appointments, college and to attend social and leisure activities. What I see is young people particularly using the services which is fantastic. It’s also proving to be a lifeline for older people who can now get into their local towns easier and more frequently.
“Improving rural transport continues to be one of my key priorities and it’s great that we are delivering on this, week after week. And people are responding with their feet. As we introduce more new services more people than ever are choosing to use public transport with numbers increasing by over 112% in recent years.
“Our public transport network is now more convenient, it’s more accessible and more frequent than it’s ever been and people are telling us that this is what they want.”
Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Authority said: “The NTA’s aim under the Connecting Ireland Programme is to identify rural areas which require additional bus services.
“This is the second year of a five year programme and already it has been a huge success. Passenger numbers show us that people want to use public transport and they immediately use services when implemented in their towns and villages around Ireland.”
In 2022, Connecting Ireland delivered 38 new and enhanced bus services nationwide, bringing new bus services to 67 additional towns. This year the programme surpassed those statistics.
The new and enhanced bus services could not have been delivered without the fantastic support of our 15 Local Link offices around the country and Bus Éireann.
Additional Information
For more information about the five year Connecting Ireland programme see: www.nationaltransport.ie/connecting-ireland/
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