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Bus Éireann Announces Christmas and New Year Service Changes 2024/5

Posted on November 29, 2024

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Bus Éireann has unveiled its holiday schedule, outlining service changes that will affect travellers across Ireland during the festive period. Understanding these modifications will help passengers plan their journeys effectively, particularly during critical travel days.

Christmas Eve Service Pattern

December 24 will see a carefully orchestrated reduction in services throughout the day. While the morning begins with normal Tuesday operations, services will gradually wind down as the day progresses. The first major changes affect Expressway routes, with intercity services beginning to conclude from mid-afternoon. The Waterford to Dublin Airport route marks the start of these reductions, with its final departure from Waterford at 14:45, followed by its last Dublin Airport departure at 19:15.

As the afternoon progresses, more routes conclude their service. From Wexford, the last bus departs at 17:00, while Ballina’s final service leaves at 17:15. The Sligo connection makes its last departure at 17:30 from Dublin, with a returning service at 18:15. Western routes, including the Limerick to Killarney service, finish with final departures at 17:35 and 18:00 respectively.

For those travelling later in the evening, the last possible Expressway journeys include the Dublin to Donegal service (changing at Cavan) at 21:30, and the final Dublin to Dundalk Route 100X departing at 21:44. Local services, including city, town, and rural routes, continue until approximately 21:00, with any journey that begins before this time guaranteed to complete its full route.

Christmas Day and St. Stephen’s Day Operations

All services pause completely on Christmas Day. However, St. Stephen’s Day (December 26) sees services resume with alterations to early morning journeys. While most routes begin at 09:00 following a Sunday schedule, several essential early services ensure travellers can reach their destinations.

The earliest departures on St. Stephen’s Day demonstrate Bus Éireann’s commitment to maintaining vital transport links. The Expressway network leads the way, with the first bus leaving Donegal at 04:00. Local services follow shortly after, with Route 190 departing Athlone at 05:20, and both Shannon Airport connections (Routes 330 and 343) beginning at 06:00.

Year-End Travel

The period between Christmas and New Year sees a return to regular service patterns from December 27 through December 31. New Year’s Day introduces another modified schedule, operating Sunday service levels before returning to normal operations on January 2.

Planning Recommendations

For passengers planning Christmas Eve travel, understanding the graduated reduction in services is crucial. Those needing to make longer journeys should aim for morning or early afternoon departures to ensure they reach their destinations. The systematic wind-down of services means that later connections may not be available on usual routes.

St. Stephen’s Day travellers benefit from early morning options but should note that services operate on a Sunday schedule. This means reduced frequency compared to weekday service, even though early morning connections are maintained on key routes.