ODMA (Outer Dublin Metropolitan Area) Bus Tender

If I'm not mistaken, this would be the first instance of GAI operating a cross-city route? The 47 (or it's bus connects replacement) and 44b make sense for them though, surprised they weren't included in the original hand-over.

Regarding the 7 isn't it due to be replaced under the B spine part of Bus Connects.

They're getting a new garage somewhere on the northside, at least as big as Ballymount, with full maintenance facilities, etc. And another (probably smaller) facility somewhere in North Wicklow. The northside one is currently being built, fitted out, etc. They have huge plans. Would surprise me if the NBRU have got it wrong. They're usually on the ball.

Im wondering are they talking about the 7A that goes to Loughlinstown?

That's been replaced by an hourly radial route.

If you look at the other routes mentioned , the likes of the 122, 123, 54a, 56a, 77a , 151 etc, most if not all of the routes are being replaced by the planned radial routes 65 (unless talking about the 65b) and the 44b being the local exceptions here.

Is that the one in Ballycoolin ?

When I looked at this news about Go-Ahead winning this tender for the ODMA routes since last month; I was trying to think about which bus routes will be going over from Dublin Bus to Go-Ahead under this new tender award for quite some time. And while I read the NBRU letter from earlier today; that decision has left me with a lot of great interest & a lot of surprise as well.

I think the decision to move the 7 over from Dublin Bus to Go-Ahead is an interesting move here from the NTA.

The 7 route itself is a very resource heavy dependent route from Donnybrook which now requires a lot of critical thinking by Go-Ahead's management into how the route can become a punctual & reliable one in the near future. I think, by my understanding, the 7 will be split up into 3 new routes run under BusConnects which is likely to comprise of the B3, 98 & maybe the L22.

I'm adding the L22 route here alongside the B3 & 98 as the successors in replacing the 7. The L22's full route under BusConnects will run along some of the current 7 route between Dún Laoghaire & Bride's Glen Luas Station.

I think selecting the right depot for the 7 or the future versions of that route will be crucial in deciding in how they can operate as reliable routes run by them come October. The B3 is going to become one of their other major spine routes that will be in service alongside the D Spine. Go-Ahead in this case are going to need a lot of buses & drivers to make them punctual in the short to medium term. It makes sense that the new depot in Ballycoolin is being built now rather than later.

It also would be a great opportunity for Go Ahead to use a lot of the new electric buses that are stored up in Ardee to run these new services from that new depot once it had the new electric charging points built in it between now & October.

i don't think its the planned changes to the core 7/A routes that they're talking about here. I think its the planned 98 route that will go from Mountjoy Square to Loughlinstown . (existing 7A route, to a certain extent also covers the 7 route)

There seems to be a bit of ambiguity here from that document , but if you look at the planned new radial routes, the 48, 71, 72, 73 , 74, 81, 82, 85, 86, 87, 98 , they all seem to fit into the listed routes.

Even with the 44B they mention i'm convinced they're talking about the 88 and same with the 65 i think its 65B they're talking about .

Could be wrong though,

With the 65 I assume they're talking about the short replacement from Blessington/Ballymore to Tallaght. I'd imagine DB will be operating the peak X route.

They were warned a few years ago that this would happen.

The 7 has had problems like this as long as I can remember. Very senior road and they know all the tricks.

Are all of these routes now going to be run by Go-Ahead Ireland in the near future or did some of them go back to Dublin Bus?

I would read that document as meaning that as the next phases of BusConnects are rolled out, then those routes listed above that are not already operated by GAI will become GAI operated.

Anything else will be Dublin Bus operated.

That would for example mean that the L22 and B3 which both replace the 7 would remain with Dublin Bus and GAI would get the 98.

Both companies are going to see their operations expand as BusConnects is rolled out and Dublin Bus will have sufficient service expansion of their own to allow those routes to switch to GAI as the individual phases happen.

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Maybe that is because possibly they aren’t going to GAI and as I’ve posted the NBRU got the wrong end of the stick.

Oh I thought they already won the tender for those routes? Are DB or anyone else bidding them does anyone know?