Go-Ahead Ireland

With the aim of improving efficiency, in 2015 the National Transport Authority put the operation of 24 Dublin Bus routes out to tender. In August 2017 the contract was awarded to Go-Ahead Transport Services (Dublin) Limited a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group. This contract represented 10% of the incumbent operator Dublin Bus existing monopoly operated network.

Between September 2018 and March 2019, the 24 Dublin Bus routes and 125 buses were progressively taken over by Go-Ahead Ireland after the National Transport Authority put their operation out to tender. An equivalent number of new buses were provided to Dublin Bus to retain existing fleet numbers, with increased services and new routes or route variations introduced on the same day as Go-Ahead took over each route batch.

Go-Ahead Ireland commenced operating one new route, the 175 from Citywest to University College Dublin (Belfield Campus), on September 9th, 2018. Four services transferred from Dublin Bus on 7 October, then another three on 21 October, four on 2 December, nine on 20 January 2019 and the final three transferred on 24 March 2019. By this time the fleet had grown to 125 buses after taking over all the services that the company was scheduled to commence operation on. The contract is for five years with an option for a two-year extension.

• 33A: Dublin Airport / Swords to  to Skerries / Balbriggan

• 33B: Swords to Portrane (School Variant: 33T)

• 45A: Dún Laoghaire to Kilmacanogue

• 45B: Dún Laoghaire to Kilmacanogue

• 59: Dún Laoghaire to Killiney Hill Park

• 63: Dún Laoghaire to Kilternan

• 63A: Dún Laoghaire to Kilternan

• 102: Dublin Airport to Sutton Station (School Variants: 102A | 102C | 102P | 102T)

• 104: DCU Helix to Clontarf Road Station

• 111: Dalkey to Brides Glen

• 114: Blackrock Station to Ticknock

• 161: Dundrum Luas to Rockbrook

• 184: Bray Station to Newtownmountkennedy

• 185: Bray Station to Palermo Estate / Enniskerry (Shop River) (School Variant: 185T)

• 197: Swords (Airside) to Ashbourne (Pillo Hotel)

• 220: DCU Helix to Mulhuddart (Ladys Well Road) (School Variant: 220T)

• 220A: DCU Helix to Mulhuddart (Ladys Well Road)

• 236: Blanchardstown Centre to Damastown (School Variant: 236T)

• 236A: Blanchardstown Centre to Damastown

• 238: Mulhuddart (Ladys Well Road) to Tyrellstown (Carlton Hotel)

• 270: Blanchardstown Centre to Dunboyne (via Littlepace) (School Variant: 270T)

• L51: Adamstown Station to Liffey Valley

• L52: Adamstown Station to Blanchardstown Centre

• L55: Palmerstown (Old Lucan Road) to Chapelizod (Glenaulin)

• N2: Heuston Station to Clontarf Road Station

• N6: Finglas Village to Howth Junction & Donaghmede Station

• S4: Belfield UCD to Liffey Valley

• S6: Tallaght (The Square) to Blackrock Station

• S8: Citywest to Dún Laoghaire 

• W2: Tallaght (The Square) to Liffey Valley

• W4: Tallaght (The Square) to Blanchardstown Centre

• W6: Tallaght (The Square) to Maynooth Community College

17 | 17A | 17C | 17D | 18 | 76 | 76A | 175 | 239 | W61 | W62

For more information on Go-Ahead Ireland, click here.