New bus links to north east to benefit local commuters
Bus commuters travelling from Athlone to the north east of the country are benefitting this week from increased frequency on a number of routes, with the introduction of the new regional connection between the Midlands and the north east.
Bus Eireann has announced that, beginning this week, there will now be peak time services on Route 466 between Athlone, Longford and Cavan, in both directions i.e. towards Cavan, Longford or Athlone. In addition, there are multiple off peak and evening services which do not currently exist for passengers being introduced. They say this will make it easier for bus passengers to travel between Athlone, Longford and Cavan, and in the opposite direction, at both peak and off-peak hours during the day.
The company has also announced that Route 190, which runs between Mullingar/Athlone and Drogheda, is to see every second service being extended via Mullingar to Athlone. This will see a two-hourly service being provided between Athlone and Drogheda, in addition to the one-hourly service that currently runs between Trim and Drogheda. This service will also provide a consistent level of service in both directions later in the evening.
Also, this week, the Route 167 Mullingar to Dundalk service will be replaced by a new longer route running between Mullingar, Kells, Ardee and Dundalk, every three hours Monday to Sunday. Additional short services will also be added to provide an hourly service between Ardee and Dundalk, which will be a 133% increase in service levels, from 84 trips per week Monday to Saturday to 196 trips per week Monday to Sunday.
“We at Bus Éireann are delighted to introduce these new and improved services, significantly increasing access to public transport,” said Stephen Kent, Chief Executive Officer, Bus Éireann. “Thanks to the National Transport Authority, through the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan we are creating almost 50 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.”