Public transport in Ireland
Public transport in Ireland exists in many of the
In 2021, the Irish government released the climate action plan. This sees two brand new Dart (Tram/Train) lines west and south of Dublin, Ireland's first underground metro (Metrolink), a brand new electric train fleet delivered by Alstrom, extension to Luas (Tram) to North Dublin Finglas and more funding for Ireland's rural transport, Local Link.
Transport for Ireland is a public information body set up by the National Transport Authority as a single point of reference for all public transport in Ireland. TFI (Transport for Ireland) has a travel card available to its service users and tourists. It offers much cheaper transport fares compared to cash. Cards and information can be found at www.leapcard.ie
Provision by area
Dublin
The
Buses are the most widely used form of public transport in Dublin. They are predominately operated by
Dublin also has a commuter rail system, one of five suburban rail networks on the island. The system uses diesel-powered trains and an electrified line. There are four main lines, designated Northern Commuter, Western Commuter, South Eastern Commuter, and South Western Commuter. The trains are operated by Iarnród Éireann.
The Dublin suburban network also consists of an electrified line Dublin Area Rapid Transit that serves the Dublin bay commuter belt.
- Northern Commuter – Dublin Pearse to Dundalk.
- South Eastern Commuter – Dublin Connolly to Wexford/Rosslare Europort.
- South Western Commuter – Dublin Heuston to Kildare.
- Western Commuter – Dublin Pearse / Docklands to Longford.
- Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) – Greystones to Howth/Malahide.
There is also a tram network called
- Red Line: Connolly
- Green Line: Broombridge to Bride’s Glen
As of 2006, the
Cork
The
There are a total of 35 bus routes of which, 18 are Citybus routes serving areas like
.By 2010, there will be 3 suburban train lines in the Cork Suburban Rail service.
- Cork Kent – Blarney ED (15,000) – Mallow (11,000)
- Cork Kent – Glanmire (16,000) – Cobh (12,000)
- Cork Kent – Glanmire (16,000) – Midleton (11,000)
There is also a car ferry operating between Rushbrooke and Passage West.
Limerick
The Limerick greater/metro area has a population of 162,000 and is covered mainly by bus and suburban rail networks.
There are a total of 9 Citybus routes, serving areas such as Raheen, Dooradoyle, Ballycummin, University of Limerick, O'Malley Park, Monaleen, Caherdavin and Castletroy.
Commuter rail services are also important and there are three train lines in the Limerick Suburban Rail network.
- Limerick railway station – Ennis(25,000)
- Limerick railway station – Nenagh(9,000)
- Limerick railway station – Tipperary(5,000)
Derry
The
The city is serviced by
Galway
The city of Galway has a population of 85,000 and there are two companies providing bus services throughout the city – Bus Éireann and Galway City Direct. There are 16 bus routes serving the city and its suburbs altogether – Bus Éireann operates 11 routes, while Galway City Direct runs 5 routes.
From 2008 on, Galway Suburban Rail will have one rail line connecting Galway and the satellite towns of Oranmore (5,000) and Athenry (3,000).
Overview table
The table below lists cities in Ireland that have public transport systems. It includes only internal services (as opposed to services between towns).
City | Buses | Urban rail | Light rail | Ferry |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dublin | ||||
Belfast | ||||
Cork | ||||
Limerick | ||||
Derry | ||||
Galway | ||||
Waterford |