Bus Eireann N3/M3 Corridor Route & Timetable Changes - Phase 3

Thrashssacre · 15-06-2019 9:10am

There seems to be a constant stream of complaints since these changes were introduced, what would the people who use the services daily propose to improve services along the corridor?

tom23 · 18-06-2019 3:11pm

Thrashssacre wrote: »

There seems to be a constant stream of complaints since these changes were introduced, what would the people who use the services daily propose to improve services along the corridor?

Accountability.

For Navan, not to have every single NX bus go through Johnstown. Maybe have 1 bus an hour go form Market Square out to the Ardboyne and then onto the motorway at Skryne.

Yes the good folk of Johnstown might be upset that one of their buses are not picking them up outside their door, but bear in mind everyone else that gets on before Johnstown has to walk in to Market square form Trim Road, Proudstown Road and Boyne Road and everywhere else.

Another option where Bus does not have to go into Blanchardstown SC.

Do the driver switch at Wilton Terrace.

More bus shelters at Beresford place, one small bus shelter for Navan and Ashbourne is a bit much to ask when it's raining and there is more than 10 people at the stop.

chewed · 18-06-2019 3:36pm

I sometimes get the bus at Garlow Cross and Ardboyne, but wanted to know on average how many passengers are picked up from Johnstown? Could a single decker service work for just Johnstown?

gazzer · 19-06-2019 3:23pm

I usually get the 5.15 bus from Busarus to Virginia on a Friday evening. There is always an extra bus that takes the Port Tunnel and M50 to Kells and then Virginia. I was just wondering if that extra bus runs on any other week day? I tried ringing Busarus but was on hold for ages so gave up. Thanks

rubberdungeon · 19-06-2019 5:43pm

A temporary bus stop will be located at the Fairgreen, Navan outside St Mary's Church from Thursday 4th July to replace the stop at the Mercy Convent which will not be in operation during works on Railway Street.

The new bus stop will serve as a northbound 109, 109A 109x drop off and pick up point and the last stop for the 103x and Navan Express for the duration of the road closure, which is expected to continue to the end of August.

Market Square will continue to be used as the stop for sounthbound services.

During the work Railway street will be closed to traffic from 10pm on 3rd July to facilitate underground works. This will then allow for one-way traffic to return to Railway Street while the remainder of the works on the street are completed such as new footpaths, public lighting upgrades and fibre broadband connections. These works are expected to continue to the end of January next year.

Meath County Council said it is anticipated there will be delays and disruption while the works are ongoing. The council will work with the contractor to minimise these as far as practicable.

The work is part of the Navan 2030 project which will see a complete overhaul of the town's traffic system including opening Railway Street to two way traffic.

http://www.meathchronicle.ie/news/roundup/articles/2019/06/19/4175725-temporary-bus-stop-at-fairgreen-navan-during-railway-street-works/?fbclid=IwAR32tK6KQFmbv7Ae5S656CTq3Fnm0gzs5n6pyXL4mleqmVwR6Z-J-nybg9Q

tom23 · 20-06-2019 6:28am

chewed wrote: »

I sometimes get the bus at Garlow Cross and Ardboyne, but wanted to know on average how many passengers are picked up from Johnstown? Could a single decker service work for just Johnstown?

Depends what time. There are usually a few that get on by the time the bus gets through Johnstown. But this is the point, it seems the NX service was completely designed to suit Johnstown. Fair enough it’s condensed compared to other parts of the town. Still doesn’t change the fact that folk have to walk into Market square to get the bus and the NX service in the evening has more or less replaced the local service where people are getting on and off as you go through Johnstown. For folk that’s been on the bus for the last 90 minutes that’s a pain in the back side. One bus per hour that goes direct in and out of the town would be great. Simply great. To much to ask for?

Geog1234 · 11-07-2019 6:43pm

For decades the Market Square has been a bus departure point (up until around 1980 in both directions) but that will soon come to an end...

We wish to advise our customers in Navan that from Sunday, 14 July 2019, the stops currently located at Fairgreen & Market Square will move to a new location at Abbey Road.

This will impact on Routes 103x, 107, 109, 109a (towards Kells), 109x, 190 & NX. All departures on these routes will now serve the new Abbey Road stops.

Thursday, 11th July, 2019

https://www.buseireann.ie/news_timetable.php?id=3553&month=Jul

danm14 · 11-07-2019 9:24pm

Geog1234 wrote: »

For decades the Market Square has been a bus departure point (up until around 1980 in both directions) but that will soon come to an end...

https://www.buseireann.ie/news_timetable.php?id=3553&month=Jul

7 days ago, they moved the Mercy Convent (109/a/x northbound & NX terminus) stop to the Fair Green due to roadworks. Ten days later, they move it again, this time to Abbey Road. I hardly think the decision to move to Abbey Road was made overnight, so to avoid confusion perhaps they should have made all the changes at once??

Also, from reading that notice, it seems that the 109A to Dublin Airport won't serve Abbey Road and will continue to serve the Fire Station stop, which seems like another unnecessary confusion given how close together the Fire Station and Abbey Road are. I can't imagine there'd be much of a delay from serving Abbey Road like there was from serving Market Square.

On the upside, the new stops will allow easier connections from the 190 and 107 to northbound 109/a/x services, eliminating the Market Square to Mercy Convent walk.

wavehopper1 · 19-07-2019 7:55pm

At peak commute time, the NX has been a single decker all this week. I haven't seen people not get on in the mornings, but the bus has been full leaving Beresford place at the 17:15 slot and couldn't let people on at the later stops.

Making things worse in terms of comfort, this particular brand of bus has smaller leg-room, I'm 5ft9 and my knees were jammed against the seat in front.

And worse still, at Garlow Cross the 109 arrives about the same time and its been a double decker with about 10 people on board. What the heck is going on?

I sent a complaint via the BE website. I wonder if the problem is that the new-ish double-deckers on the route had terrible problems with broken air-conditioning? Have they withdrawn them?

shaken not stired · 19-07-2019 9:39pm

The 109x from Virginia to Navan is a joke. I am awaiting at the bus stop right now at the new Abbey stop due to road works in Navan. The bus a hour ago didnt show. Real time...cough cough..yeh right..said it was late due to come 40mins later. That time past, no show, so now its saying another hour. Thats twice in two months now the bus hasnt showing up and I had to wait the two hour gap in the rain. Its bad enough the 109x in the morning times when you try to get into work in for 8.45. Bus to kells, no direct connection and about 30 mins wait in between. Stone age service.

horseburger wrote: »

At the moment, Navan is served every two hours on the Cavan Dublin 109X service.

If Navan is served less often on the 109X to and from Cavan, a follow on from that - unless a separate local service is ever proposed by Bus Éireann or any other bus company - would be less services to and from Navan and Virginia, Navan and Carnaross, and less services to and from Navan and Whitegate.

Consideration would need to be made, regarding how that would affect bus users in these locations, who are going to and from Navan.

As far as I am aware, there is no other daily bus service that connects Navan to Virginia, Carnaross or Whitegate.

But in contrast, if the 109 service was ever changed, to avoid Navan, or if it was ever proposed that certain 109 services to and from Dublin and Kells, avoided Navan, passengers in Navan, who go to and from Dublin on the 109, could still use the more frequent NX service.

If it was ever proposed that less 109 services covered Navan, passengers going to and from Navan and Kells, could still use the hourly 109A service.

But, as far as I am aware, there is no daily bus service - other than the 109X - that connects Navan, Carnaross, Whitegate and Virginia.

wavehopper1 · 20-07-2019 3:17am

shaken not stired wrote: »

The 109x from Virginia to Navan is a joke. I am awaiting at the bus stop right now at the new Abbey stop due to road works in Navan. The bus a hour ago didnt show. Real time...cough cough..yeh right..said it was late due to come 40mins later. That time past, no show, so now its saying another hour. Thats twice in two months now the bus hasnt showing up and I had to wait the two hour gap in the rain. Its bad enough the 109x in the morning times when you try to get into work in for 8.45. Bus to kells, no direct connection and about 30 mins wait in between. Stone age service.

all I can offer is sympathy, tonight was a wretched night for rain. What's the reason for no-shows? Well, last year some folk on here who seemed in the know said it was due to management not taking sumer holidays into account when rostering for the new timetables. That excuse is long gone.

shaken not stired · 20-07-2019 1:45pm

wavehopper1 wrote: »

all I can offer is sympathy, tonight was a wretched night for rain. What's the reason for no-shows? Well, last year some folk on here who seemed in the know said it was due to management not taking sumer holidays into account when rostering for the new timetables. That excuse is long gone.

The bus that came was a Matthews bus for the 109x. Your right about what holidays etc. As he just said about shortage of drivers. We are so behind in terms of transport. Even the so called real time when it comes th 109x is never right. More and more people are moving out from cities due to increased rent and so forth and yet no additional transport and then campaign's encouraging people to take the bus rather than drive.

Slippin Jimmy · 20-07-2019 1:56pm

Has the stop been permanently moved to abbey road or will it change back to the square when railway street reopens?

shaken not stired · 20-07-2019 2:01pm

Slippin Jimmy wrote: »

Has the stop been permanently moved to abbey road or will it change back to the square when railway street reopens?

Sorry have no clue, they dont even have the 109x time table posted at that stop along with the rest of the time tables so it makes it seem like the 109x doesnt even stop there. It was previously stoping over by the church and I couldn't see anything to say it had been moved. I wouldn't of known it has moved to abbey street either only people said it to me. The one stop for going in and out at abbey street.

Lord Glentoran · 20-07-2019 11:57pm

And still Navan doesn’t apparently need a railway service that passengers can use. :rolleyes:

tom23 · 02-08-2019 7:05am

The 6:40 NX bus was packed so I suspect the 6:20 was possibly a no show? Anyone that gets that bus confirm that? Cheers

horseburger · 07-08-2019 11:48am

shaken not stired wrote: »

The 109x from Virginia to Navan is a joke. I am awaiting at the bus stop right now at the new Abbey stop due to road works in Navan. The bus a hour ago didnt show. Real time...cough cough..yeh right..said it was late due to come 40mins later. That time past, no show, so now its saying another hour. Thats twice in two months now the bus hasnt showing up and I had to wait the two hour gap in the rain. Its bad enough the 109x in the morning times when you try to get into work in for 8.45. Bus to kells, no direct connection and about 30 mins wait in between. Stone age service.

Were you disputing what I said, about the 109X being scheduled to serve Navan roughly once every two hours?

From Cavan, it is scheduled to stop at Navan towards Dublin, at the fire station stop Monday to Friday, at 6.03am, 10.01am, 12.01pm, 2.01pm, 4.01pm. 6.01pm, 8.01pm and 10pm

In the post you quoted, I was referring to the issue about there being no other service, that I am aware of, that connects Navan, Carnaross, Whitegate, Virginia and Cavan.

I wrote the post in response to someone who was suggesting that the 109X serve Navan less frequently, which would mean less services connecting Navan and Virginia.

The proposals by the person to whom I was responding - if implemented - would impact on you negatively, unless there is another service operating connecting Navan and Virginia.

https://buseireann.ie/timetables/109X-1516873936.pdf

tom23 · 02-09-2019 7:26am

NX is painfully slow to get in and get out of Navan. When did NTA think it was acceptable for a bus to take 24 minutes to negotiate 6 stops. A convoluted bus route and commuters of Navan have been short changed. We don’t need a service every twenty minutes and we don’t need a service that takes 24 minutes to get through the town. I’d love to see NTA take this bus route and see do they think it’s acceptable.

Slippin Jimmy · 02-09-2019 12:42pm

I honestly don't get why we need to do a tour of Johnstown. The stop at the Ardboyne should be more than enough and just follow the old route to the motorway. At the end of the day, people from all parts of Navan have to walk to the new stop on Abbey Road. Johnstown should be no exception.

tom23 · 02-09-2019 7:08pm

Slippin Jimmy wrote: »

I honestly don't get why we need to do a tour of Johnstown. The stop at the Ardboyne should be more than enough and just follow the old route to the motorway. At the end of the day, people from all parts of Navan have to walk to the new stop on Abbey Road. Johnstown should be no exception.

Well this is the problem. You pay for the same bus ticket as folk from Johnstown and they have the privilege of walking outside their front door to get the bus. I’ve have been using this bus for over twenty years and have never seen a revamp to suit one group of housing estates. Why do they feel the need to run every bus through it and package as a so called Express. Express for Johnstown, non express for every where else.

Commuter109 · 02-09-2019 7:36pm

The vast majority of Navan has been sold a pup here with the NX . Johnstown has one third of the population of Navan and has effectively 4 of the 5 town based stops for the Nx , heavy lobbying I would suspect as it ain’t based on population or fairness.

The old 7am and 7:20 proper expresses could do o Connell street in an hour and 10 on a bad day . A bad day on the Nx is now one hour 40 minutes , unless off course you live in Jtown.

They need to reintroduce at least some true “express services “in the morning from the center of Navan and to the center of navan at peak times .

The current service is effectively the “Johnstown Express “ . Most of the commuters using the town center stop have long since deserted BE for Sillan

tom23 · 04-09-2019 4:35pm

Commuter109 wrote: »

The vast majority of Navan has been sold a pup here with the NX . Johnstown has one third of the population of Navan and has effectively 4 of the 5 town based stops for the Nx , heavy lobbying I would suspect as it ain’t based on population or fairness.

The old 7am and 7:20 proper expresses could do o Connell street in an hour and 10 on a bad day . A bad day on the Nx is now one hour 40 minutes , unless off course you live in Jtown.

They need to reintroduce at least some true “express services “in the morning from the center of Navan and to the center of navan at peak times .

The current service is effectively the “Johnstown Express “ . Most of the commuters using the town center stop have long since deserted BE for Sillan

Agree with all of this. It now takes the NX almost 25 minutes to get from the Start of Johnstown of the old N3 to the stop in the town. I live on Trim Road with a near 20 minute walk into the town. Its seem what ever representation has been made on Johnstown needs to be made on the rest of the town. All the years using BE and the so called revamps, its now a much longer commute.

tom23 · 11-09-2019 6:36am

Single decker again this morning at the 6:20 from Navan. All the while double deckers coming the opposite way, are empty. Folks left behind at two stops. Well done BE, excellent service. Well done NTA.

tom23 · 17-09-2019 7:04am

6:40 bus absolutely jammed to the gils with at least 15 people standing. I thought this was against health and safety with a bus driving on a motorway? There’s no even bars to hang on like Dublin Bus or LUAS. Crazy to be allowing this. Mainly students.

L1011 · 17-09-2019 8:54am

Coaches (with seatbelts) cannot have standing passengers. City buses can, and they are still allowed on motorways despite being significantly speed limited. I don't know which they use here.

Slippin Jimmy · 17-09-2019 10:28am

tom23 wrote: »

6:40 bus absolutely jammed to the gils with at least 15 people standing. I thought this was against health and safety with a bus driving on a motorway? There’s no even bars to hang on like Dublin Bus or LUAS. Crazy to be allowing this. Mainly students.

If it wasn't a city bus then this would not be legal. From a passenger point of view, I would be happy enough to stand and to make work on time. I get that the bus is over crowded, but the driver is damned if they enforce the seating availability and damned if they don't.

tom23 · 17-09-2019 1:39pm

Slippin Jimmy wrote: »

If it wasn't a city bus then this would not be legal. From a passenger point of view, I would be happy enough to stand and to make work on time. I get that the bus is over crowded, but the driver is damned if they enforce the seating availability and damned if they don't.

I appreciate that, but what if the bus has to break quickly to avoid a collision and then what happens? Standing passengers go flying. The bus imo was dangerously overcrowded this morning. They don't have seatbelts for nothing. Driver should have known that before he stopped out at the last stop before the motorway. Bus Eireann buses are not equipped for standing. People are getting the bus earlier and earlier because of traffic and the fact that the NX takes nearly 20 minutes to get out of Navan.

Ally Dick · 19-09-2019 4:41pm

tom23 wrote: »

6:40 bus absolutely jammed to the gils with at least 15 people standing. I thought this was against health and safety with a bus driving on a motorway? There’s no even bars to hang on like Dublin Bus or LUAS. Crazy to be allowing this. Mainly students.

The 7.20 was a single decker as well and too full to stop at Tara Na Ri. The evening bus that arrives at Beresford around 18.25 is also single decker most evenings now. Packed to the rafters last night. Lots of students on board, mostly non Irish. Dear Lord, Navan is getting packed with non Irish. Bus last night didn't go to Blanch shopping centre at all. No spare seats. Flew past 4 very rough looking Fingalians on the Finglas bypass thankfully. I think being single decker is deliberate at times now. I'll go back to the train if this keeps up

Slippin Jimmy · 19-09-2019 5:06pm

There were at least 2 single deckers on the route today. This is fine off peak but they seriously need double deckers at peak times.

Ally Dick · 19-09-2019 5:13pm

Slippin Jimmy wrote: »

There were at least 2 single deckers on the route today. This is fine off peak but they seriously need double deckers at peak times.

I was going to ask the driver about it. The journey would be better as well if people would sit on the inner seat instead of selfishly hogging two seats, and also a lot of people put their feet up on the seat as well. Very ignorant

Bus Eireann N3/M3 Corridor Route & Timetable Changes - Phase 3

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