Major changes to Bray bus routes to be rolled out in December

Wicklow Green TD Steven Matthews has reacted positively to the new schedule, while welcoming the addition of a new 24-hour service that will also come into effect in time for Christmas.

The new routes for the Bray area which will be effective from Sunday, December 8 are:

E1 Dublin Bus: A 24-hour service, from Ballywaltrim to Northwood, near Santry via Dublin City. This will not serve Heuston Station. The route will not go along Kilbride lane, Herbert road nor Killarney lane. L1 Go Ahead Ireland: Bray to Newtownmountkennedy via Greystones. L2 Go Ahead Ireland: Bray to Newcastle via Greystones and Kilcoole. L3 Go Ahead Ireland: New loop service for the Greystones area. L12 Dublin Bus: New loop bus serving Bray from Ballywaltrim to Bray DART, via Kilbride lane, Herbert road or Killarney lane. L14 Dublin Bus: Loop service from Palermo to Ballywaltrim, going via seafront, Putland Road and via Meath Road on the reverse route. L15: GoAhead Ireland: Bray to Enniskerry return, with no Palermo service. X1 Dublin Bus: Kilcoole to City Centre. This route is replacing the 84X. X2 Dublin Bus: Newcastle to City Centre via Bridesglen Luas. This replaces 84X. Amended routes:

The 145 and 155 will be amalgamated into the E1. The 184 will change to the L1 route. The 185 will be split into the L15 and the L14. The 84/84a route is scrapped and will be partially replaced by the L2. This will no longer serve the Luas at Cherrywood, or Blackrock/St Vincent's. The X2 will instead serve the Luas. The 45a will remain as it stands for the time being, but is earmarked for a route change at a later phase of the Bus Connects project. Commenting on the roll-out of the new routes, Deputy Matthews welcomed confirmation from the NTA that Bray to Dublin City Centre will finally have a 24-hour bus service.

"Bray is one of the largest towns in Ireland and is long overdue a 24-hour bus service," he said. "This service makes a lot of sense whether it is for socialising, shift workers or anybody who finds themselves late in the city and cannot find or afford a taxi.

"I expected the service to commence last year following on going engagement with the Department of Transport, the Minister and the NTA, and despite the delay I am delighted to be delivering this service for Bray," he continued.

"The new bus service will be called the E1 and it provides a high frequency (every 8 to 10 minutes) Bray to city route from 6am to 12am, then hourly between midnight and 6am. It is being delivered as part of the Bus Connects phase 6, which will see the familiar route numbers for Bray and Dun Laoghaire routes be renamed and slightly altered to improve reliability, frequency, access to more locations and interoperability between existing routes.

"Bray and Greystones will also see the introduction of local, round-the-town bus services," continued Deputy Matthews.

"The L14 is the name of the Bray town bus running every 30 minutes from Ballywaltrim, via the Southern Cross, Vevay, Putland and Meath Road to the station and on to the Main Street and Beech Road and return. The Greystones local bus is called the L3 and will run from the Kilcoole Road, Mill Road, Victoria Road and to Chapel Road Delgany and return.

"I have no doubt that the Bus Connects plan will provide a better service for bus users," he added. "It will take a little time to get used to the routes and new numbers but in time, it will become the service that we all demand and deserve. In meeting with the NTA, I have requested that they produce a clear and simple explainer of the new services to every household along these routes.

"This good news comes just days after the new Roundwood Local Link service has been announced. Local Link services are now carrying 100,000 people per week and shows the level of demand and planning and investment that we have made into the bus services across the county," concluded Deputy Matthews.

A pamphlet is being distributed to homes in the coming weeks. The new route timetable can be found at: transportforireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Frequency.pdf