Bus Eireann route and timetable changes - March 2012

Bus Éireann have announced a range of bus route and timetable changes in Galway City, from Sunday 4 March 2012.

They have provided a new stand-alone network map, and timetable details are available on their site now.

A Google-maps based city summary map (including Bus Éireann and City Direct services) is available now.

• Route 1s - Salthill becomes Route 401, and the frequncy is increased to 3 buses/hour during the day, and decreases to once every 40 minutes at night
• Route 1d - Salthill via Devon Park and 1k - Knocknacarra via Salthill are cancelled

• Route 2e - Lisbeg Lawn (Renmore) becomes Route 402 - Merlin Park:  it appears that all services will run through from Knocknacarra to Merlin Park via Renmore
• Route 2w - Seacrest becomes Route 402 - Seacrest
• Route 2d - Knocknacarra is cancelled.   The net effect is a reduction in the number of buses to/from Knocknacarra, on average from 3 per hour to 2 per hour.

• Route 3 - Ballybrit becomes Route 403 - Castlepark:  it goes along College Rd and Wellpark (ie not past Liosbán industrial area) and into to Mervue shops.   Then inward and outward services both travel through Castlepark, and on to Parkmore industrial area to turn around

• Route 4e - Merlin Park is replaced by Route 402 - Merlin Park
• Route 4w - Newcastle becomes Route 404 - Newcastle:  this uses the existing route to Newcastle, but goes to Westside Shopping Centre (via Siobhan McKenna Rd) to turn around and then travels back along the same route.  There is no Sunday service on this route.

• Route 5w - Rahoon Park is replaced by Route 405 - Rahoon (this now runs to the Knocknacarra Dunnes / B&Q shopping centre, but does not go through Westside/Newcastle on the way into town)
• Route 5e - Ballybane is replaced by Route 405 - Ballybane:  All services will run through from Rahoon, through to Ballybane - via  not past Liosbán industrial area (Tuam Rd) and new-Mervue.   The summary map implies that buses turn around inside Ballybrit industrial estate, but this is not so initially.

• Route 7 - Ballinfoyle/ Bóthar an Chóiste becomes route 407 - Bóthar an Chóiste:  there are no route changes, but the frequency is reduced to once every 40 minutes.

• Route 8 - Mervue is cancelled.   The service it provides is replaced by the new Route 403 - Castlepark.

• Route 9 - Parkmore becomes Route 409 - Parkmore.  The route is not changed, and the only timetable changes are that the 6:30am bus from Eyre Square now runs via Doughiska, and the addition of a 12-midnight service from Parkmore to Eyre Square
• Route 9a - Galway Clinic is replaced by Route 10 - Oranmore:  this is an hourly service between Galway City and Oranmore, via Galway clinic, between 7am and 7pm.

The new routes were presented to Galway City Council in January 2012, although there are some differences between the announced routes and media reports from that presentation (see here, and related articles from the City Tribune of 13-Jan-2012, which are not available on-line).

These changes have been approved by the National Transport Authority, which is the government body responsible for licensing public transport in Ireland.

There is currently no for process for public consultation about bus-service changes.  Consultation with the City Council is a courtesy, and it is unclear how much influence they have over the final routes.

Updated city bus route and summary maps for GalwayTransport.info are being prepared, and will be on the site shortly.