The new 'H-Spine' bus route will be available to Dublin passengers from Sunday
The first phase of the new Bus Connects plan has been launched today and will begin operating this weekend.
The first service under the new Bus Connects plan will depart from Howth and is a significant day in a long-running campaign to upgrade the network.
It connects Dublin’s northeast to the city centre covering Howth, Baldoyle, Donaghmede, Raheny, Malahide, and Portmarnock.
Map from transportforireland.ie showing the difference between old and new routes
The next phase of the re-design of the bus service launches in the autumn and will cover Lucan and parts of Co Kildare.
CEO of the National Transport Authority, Anne Graham, says the route which begins this weekend will link some areas to the city centre for the first time.
"More services availability, and also more services on the weekends, in particular, it also means for some places like Waterville Road and James Larkin Road, they'll have a service into the city centre for the first time," she said.
Speaking ahead of Sunday's phase one launch of #BusConnectsNetwork, CEO of National Transport Authority, Anne Graham said: "I am confident that the new service will make travelling by bus easier than ever before." #ChangeIsComing @dublinbusnews @GoAheadIreland pic.twitter.com/1zChOjxQKz — Transport for Ireland (@TFIupdates) June 24, 2021
Fares will remain the same for all new routes. Leap Card and the free travel pass are still both accepted on these services, while Nitelink services will remain unchanged.