Dublin & Ireland

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RE: Dublin & Ireland
Sorry, I haven't posted in a while, change in weather has reduced the hours of photography. Plenty happening though. The new electric EWs are very slowly going into service, usually on the 122 and 123 - Phibsboro and Summerhill depots. But, they are rarely seen out as they only do a few trips and vanish again. I got a spin on one on the 122 a few weeks, decent enough, but time will tell.
The next phase of Bus Connects - 5B will see significant changes to orbital routes on the southside of the city. A number of famous routes will vanish and a whole raft of new routes will replace them. Details are here for those who are interested: https://www.transportforireland.ie/getti...-orbitals/

I was in Drogheda and Navan at the weekend. Plenty to see in both, so some pictures:

WM428 & VWD18 Drogheda Bus Station 11 November 2023 - Plenty of variety in the bus types operated here. Town services D1, 2, 4 and 5 and the 173 are operated by a mix of VWD deckers (several versions), VWL and WL single deckers, no real pattern to this.


LF814 Drogheda Bus Station 11 November 2023 - the latest beasts for the 101 are these. Very impressive, but as usual there is a shortage and the single deck VBs are used also. The 101 operates every 20 mins from early to evening and then hourly throughout the night.


VWL301 Drogheda Bus Station 11 November 2023 - Route 168 operates to Dundalk via Carlingford, I must do this route soon. Its a long route through east Louth and Dundalk is displayed from Carlingford. Quicker servcies to Dundalk from Drogheda are the expressway 100X and local route 100. This bus is ex Cork and Drogheda are very slow in debranding buses. Its unlikely to return to Cork.


LD316 Abbey Road, Navan 11 November 2023 - Due to maintenance issues, the usual LF on busy route NX are replaced with a motley collection at present, though the LDs are good enough.


LC205 Abbey Road, Navan 11 November 2023 - The LC200s on the otherhand are a bit down at heal.


WM436 Abbey Road, Navan 11 November 2023 - There was a letter in Buses mag last month discussing Streetlites. The writer was nearly right in what he said about the Irish ones, but not fully correct. Reference to buses with City Direct - Galway, is correct, but those buses are in Kilkenny operated by City Direct, the are owned by NTA. Three other Streetlites are mentioned with various operators and this one is registred with Bandon Community Link. I don't think it every operated there, or if so for not long. These three were sold off cheaply by Wrights and the NTA bought them. Due to demand, this one is now operated on the N1 and N2 - Navan Town Services. It is fitted with white LED displays and has the latest NTA preferred seating.


WM423 Abbey Road, Navan 11 November 2023 - Standard fare on these routes. Their siblings in Waterford are currently receiving the Green and Yellow NTA livery.

More here:
https://transportsceneireland.smugmug.co...mber-2023/