Bus Éireann shuttle service to Laytown Railway station:

[Traincustomer]

Significant changes to several Bus Éireann routes radiating from Drogheda come into effect on 24th & 25th November (Sunday & Monday week).

On route 190 (which stops adjacent to Laytown rail station) the Bus Éireann press release issued yesterday states that an "Early morning shuttle service to Laytown Railway Station" is being introduced (on Monday 25th November).

Before 08.00 Mondays to Fridays six route 190 buses will arrive at Laytown station; four of these will be short workings from Bettystown whilst two will traverse the full route from Drogheda (the longstanding route via Mornington and Donacarney).

Times (full route):
Drogheda (Bus Station) 06.00, 06.30
Mornington (Tower Cross) 06.08, 06.38
Mornington (Coney Hall) 06.11, 06.41
Donacarney (Castle Glen) 06.16, 06.46
Bettystown (Neptune Hotel) 06.25, 06.55
Laytown Playground (opposite station)06.30, 07.00

Times (Bettystown-Laytown shuttles):
Bettystown (Neptune Hotel) 06.40, 07.15, 07.30, 07.45
Laytown Playground (opposite station)06.45, 07.20, 07.35, 07.50

Dublin trains depart Laytown: 06.36, 06.53, 07.02, 07.18, 07.30, 07.43, 08.06

(there are several other bus stops in the Donacarney/Bettystown area - just key ones are listed. There are also bus services in the reverse direction. Re: the times above I originally aligned the times directly under each other but this final published version has skewed them!)

The Laytown-Drogheda bus will be hourly each way Mondays to Fridays inclusive and is merged with the Drogheda-Navan-route (also increasing from every two hours to hourly). Beyond Navan journeys alternate between continuing to Trim (as present) and to Athboy (new).

The Bus Éireann timetable PDF contains full details and lists the key stops.

Historical aside: the present Bus Éireann route 188, Drogheda-Duleek-Slane-Navan, is the rail replacement route introduced in 1958 following the cessation of rail services between Navan, Duleek and Drogheda (Trim was a 1990s addition to the bus route).

[Colm Moore]

Excellent news. Bettystown merits a station, but it would add more time to Dublin-Drogheda.

[Jamie2k9]

Excellent news. Bettystown merits a station, but it would add more time to Dublin-Drogheda.

One could argue that the extra time could easily be absorbed through better scheduling of trains out of Connolly.

[Traincustomer]

As a quick aside there was a station at Bettystown for a few years around the time the railway first opened.

[Inniskeen]

Originally Posted by Colm Moore

Excellent news. Bettystown merits a station, but it would add more time to Dublin-Drogheda.

Can't think why you would put a station in Bettystown - it is simply not practical to serve every housing estate and still run a viable service. Extend the car park in Laytown, run more shuttles buses but not another station !

In any event the railway heads away from Bettystown after leaving Laytown and any station site isn't likely to be much nearer to Bettystown than Laytown. Where would the new station be ?

There might be an argument for Dunleer (or mid-Louth) with a large free Park and ride accessible from the motorway.

As regards the bus shuttle, it will be interesting to see how much business it gets, although I suspect it maybe too late given that Matthews coaches are now so well established.

[berneyarms]

I would imagine that the NTA will be looking at a joint IE/BE ticket for the northern line/N1 corridor similar to that between Dublin and Mullingar.

[Colm Moore]

Laytown-Bettystown-Mornington had an urban population of 10,889 in 2011, within total of 25,000 for east Meath and 35,000 for south Louth.

Originally Posted by Inniskeen

Can't think why you would put a station in Bettystown - it is simply not practical to serve every housing estate and still run a viable service. Extend the car park in Laytown, run more shuttles buses but not another station !

Perhaps here: https://maps.google.ie/maps?q=Bettys....9 3,,0,-6.32 It would require better densities though.

The low bridge may be problematic for buses.

[dowlingm]

Think from an urban planning perspective a Bettystown station would drive sprawl west of the railway line.