Throwback Thursday (244)
Slightly unusual Throwback Thursday this week, and one I debated about posting. When I started this series in 2016 all public service obligation bus services in Dublin were operated by Dublin Bus, and prior to that it was CIE, from whom Dublin Bus was formed from in 1987. In 2015 the National Transport Authority sought expressions of interest to operate some of the routes around the city. During 2016 this became an official tender. Dublin Bus applied to retain and operate the routes, as did other bus companies. The winner which was announced in 2017 was Go-Ahead, a transport company that operates bus and rail services around the world. 23 routes transferred from Dublin Bus to Go-Ahead Ireland and one new route started, the 175.
The 175 commenced running on September 9th 2018. The route takes it from Citywest to UCD Belfield via Tallaght, Ballinteer and Dundrum, and back again. It provides some relief to the busy route 75 while also providing new connections between some of the southern suburbs in Dublin.
11572 is seen passing through the bus gate in Tallaght Village. This was one of 24 Wright Geminis bought specifically for the tendered routes, Another 49 members of the Dublin Bus SG class transferred over, as well as 12 GT class buses. In 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the need to provide extra services for school children, 7 AX buses also went to Go-Ahead Ireland.
So, the bus landscape has changed a bit in the four years since Throwback Thursday started. The Go-Ahead Ireland contract is for five years. With it starting in 2018, there is a chance another operator will be running this route in four years time. Of course, if Bus Connects happens, then none of the current bus routes could be around in four years. We live in interesting times...
10/09/2018
Throwback Thursday (244)
Slightly unusual Throwback Thursday this week, and one I debated about posting. When I started this series in 2016 all public service obligation bus services in Dublin were operated by Dublin Bus, and prior to that it was CIE, from whom Dublin Bus was formed from in 1987. In 2015 the National Transport Authority sought expressions of interest to operate some of the routes around the city. During 2016 this became an official tender. Dublin Bus applied to retain and operate the routes, as did other bus companies. The winner which was announced in 2017 was Go-Ahead, a transport company that operates bus and rail services around the world. 23 routes transferred from Dublin Bus to Go-Ahead Ireland and one new route started, the 175.
The 175 commenced running on September 9th 2018. The route takes it from Citywest to UCD Belfield via Tallaght, Ballinteer and Dundrum, and back again. It provides some relief to the busy route 75 while also providing new connections between some of the southern suburbs in Dublin.
11572 is seen passing through the bus gate in Tallaght Village. This was one of 24 Wright Geminis bought specifically for the tendered routes, Another 49 members of the Dublin Bus SG class transferred over, as well as 12 GT class buses. In 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the need to provide extra services for school children, 7 AX buses also went to Go-Ahead Ireland.
So, the bus landscape has changed a bit in the four years since Throwback Thursday started. The Go-Ahead Ireland contract is for five years. With it starting in 2018, there is a chance another operator will be running this route in four years time. Of course, if Bus Connects happens, then none of the current bus routes could be around in four years. We live in interesting times...
10/09/2018