Public transport in Cork

namloc1980 · 16-09-2023 8:47am #1

Trying to keep tabs on what's going on in Cork and what unfortunately is a litany of delays:

- BusConnects corridors: significant nimby and local City councillor opposition has this heading for a 3rd round of consultation towards the end of the year. That's long before anything goes for planning.

- Busconnects routes: revealed but no real changes on the ground except minor tweaks here and there.

- late night transport: 220 only late service. New Irish Rail timetable for 2024 has no later services on Cork suburban network. Most transport finishes up at 11pm or earlier even at weekends.

- Dublin train: new early morning service from Dublin to Cork to start in December.

- Luas: emerging route has been deferred again due to ongoing wranglings with City Hall.

- 90 minute tickets: in Dublin for a few years now but last we heard for Cork was sometime in 2025, maybe.

- simplified fares: again nothing really happening other than vague promises of simplifying. Still have to interact with the driver on the bus causing very long dwell times and delays.

- Glounthaune dual tracking: with ABP since November 2022 with no decision. Oral hearing held in June but seems to be stuck in the bureaucratic nightmare of ABP.

- Kent station new platform: planning granted November 2022 and was reported as commencing construction in August, but no visible signs of any movement on the ground yet.

- Cork suburban electrification: no more than an aspiration at this point with vague mentions of future battery powered trains. No actual funding commitment.

- New train signalling: contractor appointed, to be completed by 2026.

- new suburban train stations at Blackpool, Blarney etc: supposed to go for planning sometime in 2024.

Anything else?

Kerry25x · 18-09-2023 5:59pm

TFI app works well for 90 minute tickets.

namloc1980 · 18-09-2023 6:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121127341#Comment_121127341

Yes in Dublin. Not in Cork.

Kerry25x · 19-09-2023 2:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121127498#Comment_121127498

No in Cork. I've been using the app for 90 minute tickets for around 5 months now.

thomil · 19-09-2023 4:24pm

You're talking about TFI Go? Never tried that. How is it working out?

namloc1980 · 19-09-2023 4:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121130543#Comment_121130543

The 90 minute counter is on the app by default but it doesn't work in Cork. If you go from one bus to another and present your leap card it'll deduct another fare.

https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-41090458.html

Kerry25x · 19-09-2023 8:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121130926#Comment_121130926

I'm not sure what you mean....you don't present a leap card with the TFI app, they're 2 separate things.

You activate the ticket on the app and show your phone screen to the driver. Same thing same ticket with the next bus driver once you're within the 90 minute window from hitting activate.

I've literally been using this app for my two bus commute from Wilton to Kileens several days a week for months now, its one 90 minute ticket that I use for both the 208 and 215 buses. I don't even own a leap card.

namloc1980 · 19-09-2023 8:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121131663#Comment_121131663

Ok not sure what ticket you're talking about but that's very different to the 90 minute leap fares that are in Dublin and due in Cork in 2025 as per the article I posted.

Kerry25x · 20-09-2023 5:59am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121131721#Comment_121131721

Lol. It's very straightforward. As per my first post, TFI app is a good solution to this. Also saves carrying an extra card around given that a lot of people don't even carry bank cards anymore.

I thought you were interested in solutions given your big lengthy post but I'll leave you to it.

legend99 · 20-09-2023 6:33am

Interested in this. Just downloaded TFI Go app. Which options do you use then to buy the ticket?

Thanks

namloc1980 · 20-09-2023 7:59am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121132477#Comment_121132477

Strange comment I have to say. I hadn't heard of this other ticket. You've failed to provide further info on it and now throwing around personal comments. People would be interested but you're just talking vaguely. Very strange.

at1withmyself · 22-09-2023 6:01am

Seems to be 2 TFI apps but maybe this is the one with 90 minute ticket:

https://www.transportforireland.ie/tfi-go-app/

legend99 · 22-09-2023 6:28am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121141445#Comment_121141445

Downloaded it - but the core Cork City bus routes, I.e 202 to 220ish, don't seem to be listed. Will look at it again over the weekend to try to see if I am missing something obvious...

namloc1980 · 22-09-2023 6:44am

This isn't a 90 minute ticket. The 90 minute ticket in on Leap and allows you to use all transport including trains, DART and luas in Dublin for a journey started within 90 minute for Friday fare of €2. In Cork that'll be bus and suburban train and future Luas (hopefully). The TFI Go is just a mobile ticket and not very user friendly at that.

the beer revolu · 22-09-2023 7:31am

Yesterday, there was a crew of technicians working on one of the bikeshare bicycle stations. What was interesting is that they were travelling from station to station on bicycles! Tools in a basket on one of the bikes. It was so refreshing to see people think outside of the box and not just default to using a van.

thomil · 22-09-2023 8:11am

Honestly, I've consistently been impressed by TFI Bikes ever since I started using them again back in May. The state of repair has improved massively and while it isn't perfect by any chance, it's lightyears away from the dark days of the Coke Zero Bikes era. And to see technicians cycle from station to station, let alone seeing them in the wild at all, really gives me hope for the system.

Curb Your Enthusiasm · 23-09-2023 12:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121141481#Comment_121141481

You don't need to select a route number. Just Cork City Red Zone 1 single ticket. That'll give you 90 mins from activation. Just show the driver as you walk on

igCorcaigh · 23-09-2023 1:15pm

For anyone using the ugly and difficult (imho) to use TFI app for buses, Transit is a nicer alternative and pulls the same data from TFI.

Runs on my android phone. Not sure about Apple.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thetransitapp.droid

legend99 · 23-09-2023 7:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121146705#Comment_121146705

Hmm. Upon selecting:

Passenger - Adult

Type - Cork single zonal

Zone - Cork red zone

The conditions right underneath say:

Expires 28 days after purchase. Valid for one journey for 1 adult within selected Cork zone.

So not sure where the 90 minute ticket for Cork is coming from???

namloc1980 · 24-09-2023 10:28am

It isn't a 90 minute ticket. Those won't be in Cork until 2025. Using this on more than 1 bus is against the conditions that I can see.

Acosta · 24-09-2023 11:21pm

24 buses to Ballincollig and Carrigaline, yet the last Bus Eireann bus to Bandon on a Saturday night is 19:45. What a joke!

flashback humour · 02-10-2023 4:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121148255#Comment_121148255

I use 90 minute tickets on TFI all the time for a quick return journey. Works fantastic for me and only €1.35 for as many journeys as you can squeeze into 90 minutes, I think in Dublin it's €2.

I never read that it was against the terms and conditions, how interesting.....but I will continue to use it as I have been regardless. The ticket is valid for 90 mins and there is literally no way to know for anyone to know how many times it has been used. The driver just looks at it, they don't scan it or anything.

namloc1980 · 11-10-2023 7:26am

https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-41244700.html

I'd be fairly sceptical that there will be electric trains operating in Cork by 2030. But here's hoping.

Mav11 · 11-10-2023 7:40am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121222080#Comment_121222080

It shouldn't be that difficult to do it within the time frame.

I remember when the DART was extended from Bray to Greystones and from Howth to Malahide. It seemed that the electrification was carried out without too much fuss, or bother.

Here's to hoping!!

namloc1980 · 11-10-2023 7:50am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121222125#Comment_121222125

The double tracking to Glounthaune is close to a year in ABP without a decision. The removal of 7 level crossing on the main line north of Mallow is with ABP for 2.5 years without a decision. If we can't get relatively small easy win projects moved along, there's not much hope for the big stuff e.g. metro in Dublin now bogged down in planning.

Electrification of rail is a time consuming and expensive process. To be up and running by 2030 we'd want planning and dedicated funding in place now. Neither of those things are in place yet. Planning hasn't even started.

What happened in the 80s is not really relevant now, infrastructure just takes forever these days.

Mav11 · 27-11-2023 7:29am

Interesting article on public transport in the City in days past:

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/an-irish-diary/2023/11/26/on-the-rails-the-past-present-and-future-of-corks-trams/

notAMember · 27-11-2023 12:04pm

I had a phonecall recently om a colleague who arrived in Cork airport, I'm the only Cork person they know. The single scheduled hourly bus to the city center didn't show up , and there were no taxis (often the case in my experience too). They wanted to know where the train was, or how they were supposed to get out of the airport.

I gave them a taxi company number, but I'm just perplexed at why the airport is so disconnected from the city with public transport, surely this is a basic?

igCorcaigh · 27-11-2023 12:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121423539#Comment_121423539

There is no dedicated bus from the airport to the city, and back.

The bus routes that do go to the airport also service Kinsale and Haulbowline. I work in one of the offices (sometimes, mostly WFH) in the nearby business park, and the buses are very unreliable, either full, late or a no show. I could often be waiting an hour or two for one to arrive in the evening.

phater phagan · 17-12-2023 8:45pm

Hello all. Can anyone tell me where in Cork Kent station the 205 bus to St. Catherine Convent CUH outpatient leaves from? Is it at the front at Lower Glanmire or at the back area?

Thanks