In March 2018, the NTA awarded Go-Ahead Ireland the contract to operate several of the Dublin Commuter bus routes currently operated by Bus Éireann along the Dublin to Kildare corridor. The contract included a revised timetable of services following a review undertaken by the NTA. Following award of the contract and in advance of the change in operator, the NTA in conjunction with Go-Ahead Ireland further reviewed the detailed timetables and have made a number of additional improvements to the services.
N7 Corridor
30-minute frequency between Newbridge and Dublin via Naas, Johnstown & Kill every day with additional peak time services
Evening services to operate hourly through to last bus at 0105 from Dublin on Monday to Saturday
Additional services from Athy and Kilcullen including new off-peak connecting services to Naas for onward travel on Route 126
New services for Rathangan on Saturday and Sunday.
N4 Corridor
Earlier morning services from Edenderry, Prosperous and Clane
Hourly evening service to Edenderry on Monday to Saturday
Off peak and Saturday services every 30 minutes from Prosperous and Clane
New connecting service every day on Route 120C from Tullamore to Edenderry and extended to Enfield for onward bus and rail journeys
New Saturday service on Route 120B from Newbridge via Milltown, Kilmeague and Robertstown.
When is Go-Ahead Ireland commencing services?
The dates of operation are as follows;
- Phase 1 (N7 routes) - Sunday, 1st December 2019
- Phase 2 (N4 routes) - Sunday, 19th January 2020
National Transport Authority & Transport for Ireland (TFI)
The National Transport Authority (NTA) specifies details of bus services to be delivered – setting out fares, routes, frequencies, environmental standards and customer service standards.Under the relevant legislation the NTA has, for the purposes of promoting public transport, designed, developed and secured the implementation of a single brand, Transport for Ireland (TFI), to be used by all public transport operators providing services in accordance with a public transport services contract with the NTA.
Ticketing
- Current payment options i.e. Leap card will work on all buses operated by Go-Ahead Ireland as will the Free Travel Scheme. The NTA, via their consumer facing brand - Transport for Ireland (TFI) - will also continue to manage and operate the Real Time Passenger (RTPI) and National Journey Planner Apps
- Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) will still be available on the TFI RTPI App and Journey Planner App. Routes will no longer be on Bus Éireann sites and/or apps.
- Timetables will be available on Go-Ahead Ireland and TFI websites.
- Route information will cease to show on the Bus Éireann apps and website.
When Go-Ahead Ireland take over the new commuter routes, tickets and trips will no longer be available via Bus Éireann. Tickets can still be purchased on the tax saver website . For all other trips, customers should use their Leap card or pay cash.
Timetables
The NTA is responsible for setting timetables across the public transport network in conjunction with operators. The NTA has confirmed that there will be an increase in frequency of service on some routes.
Fares
All fares for these services are determined by the National Transport Authority. and the fare charts for each service are available here
If you have any queries on this chart please contact our customer care team whose contact information are listed below.
Bus Stops & Closures on foot of Council Safety Audit
Following on from a Council Safety Audit , the following three stops on the N7 routes will no longer be served by Go-Ahead Ireland.
- Citywest, inbound, stop 136331
- Citywest, outbound, stop 151901
- Blackchurch, inbound, stop 136351
Please note that inbound routes will no longer stop at Merrion Row (stop 104611). This stop has been moved to Dawson Street for service 125 and Merrion Street for services 130, and some 120 and 126 variants. Please refer to the timetables for the relevant stop numbers.
Are you coaches pet friendly?
Guide dogs and assistance dogs are welcome on our buses and all animals should be required to sit at the feet of person responsible for them without blocking the gangway. All pets and animals are carried free of charge. Alternatively, it is acceptable for smaller animals to sit on the lap of the customer but not on the actual seat where it is at risk of being soiled. It is our policy to use discretion regarding carriage. Any bird or animal which is likely to cause annoyance or damage to any customer or the vehicle will politely be declined travel.
Accessibility
On our Dublin Commuter services, bookings for a person using a wheelchair must be made with Go-Ahead Ireland a minimum of 24 hours in advance of boarding the service. Please call our Customer Care Team on 1850 80 40 71 with all related travel details, including date, route number, departure time and stop location (for both boarding and alighting the service). All of our drivers are trained so that they can assist with our customers’ needs.
Please note that the wheelchair spaces on our coaches allow a floor space of 1200mm (length) by 700mm (width) in which to accommodate a wheelchair. The ramp can take up to 300kg (including the wheelchair, it’s occupant and any baggage) when bridging from a bus stop with a hard-standing platform. For health and safety reasons, it may not be possible to carry all mobility scooters on our services, due to their size, weight, manoeuvrability and restraint requirements. We may be able to place lightweight/portable mobility scooters in the luggage carriage of the coach, depending on whether it can be dismantled into separate parts (weighing less than 20kg per piece) and be lifted safely by our driver.
If you have any queries on any of the above, please contact our Customer Care team who will be happy to assist on 0818 80 40 71 or customercomment@goaheadireland.ie.