Another recognisable Dublin bus route, the number 13 serving Ballymun, will change this weekend, when bus services in the north Dublin suburb are taken over by routes under the Bus Connects network.
Route 13 has had a long association with Ballymun and until Saturday of this week ran between Grange Castle in west Dublin and Harristown, close to Dublin Airport.
The last bus into each terminus is scheduled for 11.30pm on Saturday night.
From Sunday there will still be a route 13 but its northern terminus is to be Mountjoy Square in Dublin’s north inner city. The route will still connect with Grange Castle via O’Connell Street, the south City, Kimmage, Bluebell and Clondalkin.
The changes are part of the introduction this Sunday of phase 6a of the National Transport Authority’s Bus Connects network. Under the plan, Route 13 is to continue in name but the northern leg of the route will be dropped. Ballymun will in future be covered by the Bus Connects E-Spine routes E1 and E2 – which are both 24-hour routes.
The E1 runs from Northwood, which is north of Ballymun, taking in DCU and the city centre to Ballywaltrim, which is south of Bray, Co Wicklow.
The E2 runs from Harristown near Dublin Airport, taking in DCU, the city centre and terminating in Dún Laoghaire.
Two other routes, route 4 and route 11, will also survive the changes, albeit with amendments. From Sunday route 4 from Monkstown will be diverted at O’Connell Bridge to Heuston Station. Route 11 from Sandyford will be diverted at Parnell Square to run via Phibsborough and the North Circular Road to the Phoenix Park.
Radial route 19 from Dublin Airport via DCU to the city centre will initially operate to and from Parnell Square, and to and from Merrion Square at peak times. An all-day service to and from Merrion Square will commence in April.
Routes being replaced from Sunday as part of phase 6a include the 46A, 46E, 63, 63A, 84, 84A, 84x, 143, 144, 145, 155, 184 and 185.
[ Goodbye to the 46A: End of legendary Dublin bus route made famous in songOpens in new window ]
Kilcoole and Newcastle in Co Wicklow will in future be served by the X1 and X2 routes, respectively. The service will be between North Wicklow and Dublin city centre. In addition a number of short-hop, local services will be introduced around north Co Wicklow and south Co Dublin feeding into local schools, Dart and Luas lines. These include local routes around Delgany, Enniskerry, Greystones and Bray, some routes within Bray and some routes across south Co Dublin.
The L26 will link Kilternan to Cornelscourt and on to Blackrock Dart station; while the L27 will link Leopardstown Valley with Cornelscourt and Dún Laoghaire.
A full list of the new services is available at transportforireland.ie.
