Early morning Saturday Dart into Dublin

[Eddie]

When can we have an early morning Dart from the southside that enables a connection to be made with the 7am Dublin Heuston to Cork train (and indeed all early morning trains)?

Monday to Friday there's one that leaves Bray at 5.40am arriving 6.23am at Connolly, but this doesn't operate on Saturdays. No buses get in to town early enough either.

A similar situation occurs with trains from the Northside too.

[Colm Moore]

A little birdie suggests:

There is an 0520 route 84 from Newcastle that covers Greystones, Bray and Shankill that should be in town for 0640. There is also a bus on route 7 (it's in the 7d timetable) that leaves Loughlinstown at 0545 and follows route 7 to the city. I would imagine that bus would be for 0640 too!! That covers virtually every other DART station southside.

[Eddie]

7d looks good - thanks for that.

I don't understand why DB have so many slight variations of its routes, eg 7 has spurs going to Cherrywood, Loughlinstown, Shankill, and then there's 7a, 7b, 7d. It must have done a lot of market research to identify all these needs...

[Eddie]

Had a further look. 7d says it goes from / to Dalkey, yet this one goes from Loughlinstown. Presume it therefore follows 7 route from Loughlinstown to Glenageary roundabout.

It then does not follow Dart or 7 route but goes on via Bakers Corner to Stillorgan Road effectively following 46A route.

All very confusing if you ask me.

[Colm Moore]

I get the impression those services are designed to allow bus drivers to get to work.

[Thomas Ralph]

7D runs from Loughlinstown on to Dalkey, Sandycove & Glasthule station, Glenageary Avenue, Kill Avenue, Kill Lane, Stillorgan Road, Morehampton Road, Leeson Street, St. Stephen's Green, Dawson Street, Westmoreland Street, O'Connell Street. Leaves at 0520 so it should make it in time, although it's not quite a parallel to the DART.

84 goes near Greystones, Bray, and Shankill stations then heads up the N11/Stillorgan Road to Donnybrook Church, right to Anglesea Road, left to Pembroke Road, and as the old route 45 to Eden Quay. Only lands at Eden Quay at 0645, so you'll have a job to do to make Heuston for 0700.

[Colm Moore]

My little birdie was back.

Despite being in the 7D timetable this bus actually operates from Shankill Church, and then operates via route 7 from Cherryweood flyover except for diverting via Nutley Lane, Donnybrook Garage, and Anglsea Road.