On Trains & Buses

Bus Éireann’s website recently got a new look. Things have moved around, so timetables may not be as easy to find as they were. That has meant that links from here needed updating. There is also a new website for Bus Éireann’s commercial long-distance operation Expressway, a more diminished network than once was the case because of competition.

Bus Éireann service 225 between Cork train station and Haulbowline via Cork Airport and Carrigaline now appears to be a double-decker bus operation. Coaches were used until a few weeks ago. Accessibility will have improved, though luggage carrying capacity possibly has been hit, not the best for an airport service when passengers are sure to be bringing luggage with them.

Throughout July and August, Cork city centre has had traffic restrictions because of footway upgrades and replacement of street furniture. It is set to continue until the middle of September, and has resulted in bus route diversions. St. Patrick’s Street was affected for the first six weeks (some inbound local buses were sent around by Merchant’s Quay), and now it is the turn of the Grand Parade, and that means more bus route diversions.

Schools are opening again in Ireland as the new year begins for them. For Bus Éireann, this also means that its summer schedule ends on Sunday. While the services that I have seen do not show much change, that may not be the same for all of them. A check ahead of next Monday would do no harm. Unlike in England and Wales, it is not a bank holiday in Ireland anyway. That was at the start of the month.

Cheshire East bus services 70, 72 and 73 will cease at the end of this month (August). A new contract will get issued for service 71 because it is a school service. Otherwise, the loss of these Nantwich rural routes is a reflection of the parlous state of the British public finances. Hopefully, things will improve sooner rather than later.

For those wanting to get to Skibbereen from Ballydehob, it is tricky to work out where the stop for service 270 is on the N71 if you are going to Skibbereen. This route unhelpfully does not enter Ballydehob itself, unlike service 237 for Cork, Schull and Goleen. Thus, you need to stand on the side of the N71 north of the junction with R592 and well up from there where there is space to stop. It is not where the TFI Live app shows it is, and I was fortunate to have some passengers disembarking there so I could get on at the same place.

Bellevue, near Seattle, has a free electric shuttle bus service in the form of Bellhop, operated by Circuit. According to 425, they seem to be happy with how things are going so far, and the conurbation is being linked to Seattle by light rail too.

Earlier in the month, LNER announced the start of a simpler fares pilot to proceed for two years from 2024-02-05. Only three kinds of fare are available and both Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak fares are unavailable.

Flexibility continues in the form of Anytime tickets with Advance ticket being the most restricted. There is a new semi-flexible offering called 70min Flex that allows travel on any service departing within 70 minutes of the booked departure.

Thankfully, flexibility remains for walk-on passengers despite some appearing to want a book-ahead railway. Apps may be a workaround, but there is something about turning up and going that is so precious.

The RMT union has announced two two-day work stoppages for 2024-02-19 to 2024-02-20 and 2024-03-04 to 2024-03-05, respectively. Like other strikes, this again is related to pay increases that the union complains are not keeping pace with inflation.

The dispute between LNER and ASLEF over the application of the minimal service legislation has reduced enough to allow cancellation of strike action and overtime bans during the week commencing 2024-02-05. The strikes and overtime bans for every other English train operator between 2024-01-29 and 2024-02-06 remain in place.