Dublin Bus expands Nitelink service

More than 120,000 people are expected to benefit from the expanded Nitelink bus service announced by Dublin Bus yesterday.

For the Christmas season the late-night service will operate nightly instead of being confined to weekends. The new service will begin today and run until Saturday, January 6th, except on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Buses will run every 20 minutes from 12.30 a.m. to 4.30 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and hourly on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. A new Sunday-night service has also been introduced. This will run at 12.30 a.m. and 1.30 a.m. However, as New Year's Eve falls on a Sunday, the service will run every 20 minutes that night until 4.30 a.m.

The Nitelink service has been extended to serve areas such as Ashbourne, Dunboyne, Oldbawn in Tallaght and Cornelscourt. Some existing routes have also been extended. The service now has 21 routes.

Previously, Nitelink buses picked up passengers only in the city centre, but every route in the new service will have at least two pick-up stops on the outward journeys. These will cater for people trying to get home from centres such as Rathmines, Blanchardstown, Swords and Dun Laoghaire.

Most aspects of this new service will continue to operate after January 6th, 2001. According to Mr Joe Collins, Dublin Bus spokesman, the extended service will continue to run every 20 minutes on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights until 4.30 a.m. However, unless the demand warrants it, the hourly service on weekday nights will only be used during holiday periods.

Dublin Bus is also examining the possibility of running a Sunday service during bank holiday weekends, Mr Collins said.

Full details of the extended Nitelink service, with maps and timetables, can be found on ireland.com. This information will be posted on the website until January 6th, 2001