Ireland's "Extreme Commuters"

crushproof

I did Dun Laoghaire to Navan daily last year. 2 and half hours each way, DART to Connolly and bus from Busaras. Id say it would take a a hell of alot longer going in the opposite direction, the N3 was backed up for miles every morning heading into Dublin.
Didnt bother me to much, grabbed a kip on the bus in the morning and evening, thats good enough for me! Some days though I'd be up at 6 and not home until after 8 because of how unreliable the bus from Navan was in the evening

awhooley

I commute from Mullingar to Lexilip Louisa Bridge daily. I get the train at 6:48, and has me in Lexilip for 7:30. I then take the shuttle bus to HP which takes about 5-10 mins. On average max time would be 90 mins. I finish at 5:30, so I (just about) catch the 17:53 service back to Mullingar and that takes about 45 mins. Home for usually 18:30

Thats my daily commute!

jamesblonde

awhooley wrote: »

I commute from Mullingar to Lexilip Louisa Bridge daily. I get the train at 6:48, and has me in Lexilip for 7:30. I then take the shuttle bus to HP which takes about 5-10 mins. On average max time would be 90 mins. I finish at 5:30, so I (just about) catch the 17:53 service back to Mullingar and that takes about 45 mins. Home for usually 18:30

Thats my daily commute!

Hang on a second, you're glad about that. It's madness, I tell you. That's still over 10 hours of your week commuting. Nothing to be proud of, IMO. For the record my commute is a 13 minute cycle (and has been for 13 years, even after moving country 3 times).

markf909

jamesblonde wrote: »

Hang on a second, you're glad about that. It's madness, I tell you. That's still over 10 hours of your week commuting. Nothing to be proud of, IMO. For the record my commute is a 13 minute cycle (and has been for 13 years, even after moving country 3 times).

Thats pretty good for an Irish commute, especially with public transport involved.
Our wonderful (lack of) planning and lack of transport investment has left most folks with no choice but to jump in their cars from 40 miles and drive in.

AlexBM

Needs must. At the moment, I'm commuting from Co. Wexford to Dublin every day. It takes me about an hour and a half, maybe two hours, into work and about an hour and a half home. If I had a car, it would be about an hour both ways. I leave my house at 6.35am and get home at about 9pm.

The public transport makes it a bit difficult, really - I go into town, then get the Luas back out to Sandyford. It's awkward, but it's actually the most convenient way, believe it or not. I'm only just in the job, so I'm still searching for easier ways to get there but none so far.

Limerick Dude

Ive gotten the 5.30 am train from limerick city to heuston a few times over the past few years for various different reasons and i always see people in suits and briefcases, some of these people actually do that commute every day, insane stuff.

Aquitaine

AlexBM wrote: »

Needs must. At the moment, I'm commuting from Co. Wexford to Dublin every day. It takes me about an hour and a half, maybe two hours, into work and about an hour and a half home. If I had a car, it would be about an hour both ways. I leave my house at 6.35am and get home at about 9pm.

The public transport makes it a bit difficult, really - I go into town, then get the Luas back out to Sandyford. It's awkward, but it's actually the most convenient way, believe it or not. I'm only just in the job, so I'm still searching for easier ways to get there but none so far.

what about getting off the bus at loughlinstown and picking up the finnegans (i think) shuttle bus to the luas. would save a journey in to town

The_Conductor

Limerick Dude wrote:

Ive gotten the 5.30 am train from limerick city to heuston a few times over the past few years for various different reasons and i always see people in suits and briefcases, some of these people actually do that commute every day, insane stuff.

A friend of mine took a job in the Revenue Commissioners nearly 8 years ago- expecting his job to be in Limerick, but has been taking the train to Dublin and back, every weekday ever since. I think its insane.

Agent Smith

girl i went to college came from Galway daily for college

KC61

AlexBM wrote: »

Needs must. At the moment, I'm commuting from Co. Wexford to Dublin every day. It takes me about an hour and a half, maybe two hours, into work and about an hour and a half home. If I had a car, it would be about an hour both ways. I leave my house at 6.35am and get home at about 9pm.

The public transport makes it a bit difficult, really - I go into town, then get the Luas back out to Sandyford. It's awkward, but it's actually the most convenient way, believe it or not. I'm only just in the job, so I'm still searching for easier ways to get there but none so far.

Could you not get either the 75 bus from Dun Laoghaire DART Station (some buses go via Sandyford Ind Estate) or 114 bus from Blackrock DART Station?

AlexBM

Sadly not, I get the Bus Eireann bus and it doesn't go near either. I did try both, actually, but found the 75 a bit unreliable and the 114 doesn't really suit. I'd have to get a bus to get to a 114 bus stop, if you get me.

markf909

You only really depend on the 114 if you are getting on at Blackrock DART.
Anywhere else along the route and it is a total lottery

Victor

Bus Éireann could do with a set-down only stop (inbound) for Sandyford, Stillogan, UCD and maybe Donnybrook and pick-up only on the way out.

AlexBM wrote: »

Sadly not, I get the Bus Eireann bus and it doesn't go near either. I did try both, actually, but found the 75 a bit unreliable and the 114 doesn't really suit. I'd have to get a bus to get to a 114 bus stop, if you get me.

Get a cheap bike and lock it up at the BÉ bus stop overnight.

awhooley

jamesblonde wrote: »

Hang on a second, you're glad about that. It's madness, I tell you. That's still over 10 hours of your week commuting. Nothing to be proud of, IMO. For the record my commute is a 13 minute cycle (and has been for 13 years, even after moving country 3 times).

I actually am , compared to some other commutes, mine is not the worst!

I know people who commute from Longford Town all the way to Pearse!, takes over 2 hours just to get to the train station, then you have to allow time walking/getting a bus to your place of work!

Plus, because I take the train, I can make use of my commuting time. (Reading, laptop/work/internet, e.t.c) so it ain't all that bad!

AlexBM

Victor wrote: »

Bus Éireann could do with a set-down only stop (inbound) for Sandyford, Stillogan, UCD and maybe Donnybrook and pick-up only on the way out.

Get a cheap bike and lock it up at the BÉ bus stop overnight.

I can't cycle. I mean I know how, but I physically can't at the moment. Without boring you all with the complexities, it's not an option at the moment, or in the forseeable future.

There is a stop at UCD, but it gets a bit messy for me what with the irregularities of the DB timetable, lack of bus routes going where I need to go and the resultant potential to be late. And the potential for me to fall asleep and miss my stop.

They do need more stops along the way, though. Sometimes drivers are willing to stop at an unscheduled place, sometimes they're not. It suits some of those working in town, but not the rest of us poor blighters.

The bus I get used to stop at Merrion Square, actually, and a lot of people used to get on there. It's much handier for those working around Dublin 2/4, rather than trekking all the way to Busaras. It doesn't stop there anymore, actually, although there's still a Bus Eireann sign there.

Aquitaine

AlexBM wrote: »

I can't cycle. I mean I know how, but I physically can't at the moment. Without boring you all with the complexities, it's not an option at the moment, or in the forseeable future.

There is a stop at UCD, but it gets a bit messy for me what with the irregularities of the DB timetable, lack of bus routes going where I need to go and the resultant potential to be late. And the potential for me to fall asleep and miss my stop.

They do need more stops along the way, though. Sometimes drivers are willing to stop at an unscheduled place, sometimes they're not. It suits some of those working in town, but not the rest of us poor blighters.

The bus I get used to stop at Merrion Square, actually, and a lot of people used to get on there. It's much handier for those working around Dublin 2/4, rather than trekking all the way to Busaras. It doesn't stop there anymore, actually, although there's still a Bus Eireann sign there.

your bus does stop at loughlinstown though so seriously check out the luas feeder bus.I'm sure it stops at the stop in sandyford. people get it there every morning

KC61

AlexBM wrote: »

Sadly not, I get the Bus Eireann bus and it doesn't go near either. I did try both, actually, but found the 75 a bit unreliable and the 114 doesn't really suit. I'd have to get a bus to get to a 114 bus stop, if you get me.

The 75 has now got a new timetable which has improved reliability significantly, together with extra buses.

Departures from Dun Laoghaire are at 0625, 0650, 0720, 0735, 0755 and 0820. The 0650 and 0720 buses both serve Sandyford Industrial Estate en route, while the others will drop you to the entrance at Kilmacud Road Upper.

Finnegans of Bray operate a LUAS feeder service from Bray via Loughlinstown to Sandyford. The timetable is at the link below.

http://www.finnegan-bray.com/index_files/Page1955.htm

Fares information is at:

http://www.finnegan-bray.com/index_files/Page661.htm

AlexBM

Thanks gang, this looks pretty good. I'll give it a try tomorrow. If I don't sleep past the Loughlinstown stop. I looked up local private buses and asked around, but nobody could give me any info really. Until now! Thanks again.

orbital83

jamesblonde wrote: »

Hang on a second, you're glad about that. It's madness, I tell you. That's still over 10 hours of your week commuting. Nothing to be proud of, IMO. For the record my commute is a 13 minute cycle (and has been for 13 years, even after moving country 3 times).

You're lucky.
The reality is that, at least in the Dublin area, few are going to achieve a commute time like that without (i) substantial further investment in infrastructure (ii) a shift in Irish tastes towards living in high density apartment blocks near employment centres.
We have built urban sprawl so long commutes are a fact of life.

awhooley's trip doesn't sound that bad - it would take that long to get to the city centre from most dublin suburbs seven or eight miles out...

silverharp

can ye throw in who spends the most on petrol per week and what price would force you to change?

The_Conductor

silverharp wrote: »

can ye throw in who spends the most on petrol per week and what price would force you to change?

I don't think thats fair. In most cases the reason people drive long distances is the lack of a joined up public transport system that goes where people need to go, when they need to go. Our transport system is designed to cater for people in cars- and this is further compounded by the urban sprawl in our larger cities and towns. Even some of the smaller towns can be appalling- think of Abbeyleix or Moate (both thankfully shortly to be by-passed). Even where there are reasonable ideas and policies regarding public transport- they tend to be implemented on a local level- without any joined up thinking. You still have to drive to the Luas stop (if you are not lucky enough to be within walking distance), but the parking facilities are woefully inadequate- etc.

bacon&cabbage

spacetweek wrote: »

It absolutely is totally unreasonable to expect that! Country life = middle of nowhere = poor or no public transport = long commute.

I disagree I think it is reasonable to have a country life and still work in a city

I live in a village 25 miles from limerick, my commute is 35-40 mins each way
I live 5 mins walk from the pub and say 5-7mins walk from the supermarket, so i'm not exactly in the "middle of nowhere"

I understand that for certain people they have no other option but to work in Dub, but people need to realise that there are comparable jobs in other parts of the country also.

bacon&cabbage

bacon&cabbage wrote: »

I understand that for certain people they have no other option but to work in Dub, but people need to realise that there are comparable jobs in other parts of the country also.

Have been looking for the last couple of years, not found a suitable local job (IT) yet!

markpb

bacon&cabbage wrote: »

I disagree I think it is reasonable to have a country life and still work in a city

It's not infeasible but it's unreasonable. It means roads have to be built, junctions upgraded, quiet roads become busy and less safe for pedestrians, etc. It's not in the general interest to allow it to happen on a mass scale, partly because of the economic costs and partly because of the costs to society. You might think it's just you driving a short distance to work but when it becomes a stream of cars every morning and every evening, the costs mount up.

bacon&cabbage

markpb wrote: »

It's not infeasible but it's unreasonable. It means roads have to be built, junctions upgraded, quiet roads become busy and less safe for pedestrians, etc. It's not in the general interest to allow it to happen on a mass scale, partly because of the economic costs and partly because of the costs to society. You might think it's just you driving a short distance to work but when it becomes a stream of cars every morning and every evening, the costs mount up.

Fair Point, but are you suggesting that everybody that works in a city should also live in the city. I would say that forcing people that live in the country into a City would be a much higher cost to society. More to the point would our urban areas cope with an increase in population??

I'm not trying to start a Dublin V the rest of the country debate. I'm simply suggesting that a lot of jobs in Dublin might already exist elsewhere and that people shouldn't necessarily think that it's Dublin or nothing...

markpb

bacon&cabbage wrote: »

Fair Point, but are you suggesting that everybody that works in a city should also live in the city. I would say that forcing people that live in the country into a City would be a much higher cost to society. More to the point would our urban areas cope with an increase in population??

I'm not trying to start a Dublin V the rest of the country debate. I'm simply suggesting that a lot of jobs in Dublin might already exist elsewhere and that people shouldn't necessarily think that it's Dublin or nothing...

If more people worked and lived in the same area (I'm not talking about Dublin, any town or city is fine), it would have a lot of knock on effects that people don't think about. Less travel time means more time with friends and family, creates a better neighbourly experience, leaves more time for voluntary activities, can make you healthier because you're more likely to cycle or walk.

Those are definite advantages that most Irish people don't realise we've lost when we started commuting huge distances in the search for a cheaper house with a garden. It also means public transport, community centres, schools, etc can be more efficient because there's more people living closer to them instead of spread out over a larger area.

Dublin will never have a fantastic PT system because the catchment area is too sparse. The rest of Ireland can forget even having a reasonable PT system because every town in Ireland is far too sprawled and that's before you even consider the miles of one of houses along the roads leading out of towns and villages.

milly4ever

did belfast-dublin for a few weeks, killer!

sk8board

There is a person who commutes from south tipperary to an office in Glasnevin for years and years. The Clonmel-Dublin bus passes their door.
I got that bus to college every couple of sunday evenings years ago and it rarely got to O Connell st in 2.5 hours, and I got on 15-20mins further along the route to Dublin. Then catch a 19 bus to glasnevin I guess; another 40 mins perhaps.

I reckon it couldn't be less than a 3.5 hr each way commute on average.

thebman

jamesblonde wrote: »

Hang on a second, you're glad about that. It's madness, I tell you. That's still over 10 hours of your week commuting. Nothing to be proud of, IMO. For the record my commute is a 13 minute cycle (and has been for 13 years, even after moving country 3 times).

Meh, I'm on an hour each way commute to Grand Canal Dock. I work 5 minutes from the train station and live 10 minutes from it in Maynooth.

That is basically a failure of public transport. It should be possible to get there in under an hour. Nobody gets on in Phoneix Park or Broombridge, that's 10 minutes saved right there.

Then I have to transfer in Connolly and go down the tunnel and up the other side with most people on that train doing the same thing. I don't know why Irish rail think that is a good idea.

Overall I couldn't really care less though. I don't do much in the evening except play computer games or go out for a drink so it rarely gets in the way of doing anything.

It would be much easier if my company would have normal working hours instead of half 8 to half 5 and then asking why we won't work overtime :rolleyes:

Ham'nd'egger

The 6:58 and 7:30 should get you to Pearse and onto GC Dock for about 8:30; are you getting off one of these or the 7:20 and changing off it? If so, try a different train. Otherwise, there is little that can be done about the subway except magic carpet or get the trains to and from your door just for you :rolleyes:

Broombridge connects Cabra and Ballyboggan Road/Glasnevin Industrial Estate to the south and west city; people do use it to travel even if it seems otherwise. Drop it and Phoenix Park and you save barely 4 minutes. The Park is quiet but it will be home to thousands in a year or two; in time it may replace Ashtown Station.

brim4brim wrote: »

Meh, I'm on an hour each way commute to Grand Canal Dock. I work 5 minutes from the train station and live 10 minutes from it in Maynooth.

That is basically a failure of public transport. It should be possible to get there in under an hour. Nobody gets on in Phoneix Park or Broombridge, that's 10 minutes saved right there.

Then I have to transfer in Connolly and go down the tunnel and up the other side with most people on that train doing the same thing. I don't know why Irish rail think that is a good idea.

Overall I couldn't really care less though. I don't do much in the evening except play computer games or go out for a drink so it rarely gets in the way of doing anything.

It would be much easier if my company would have normal working hours instead of half 8 to half 5 and then asking why we won't work overtime :rolleyes:

serfboard

I know someone who commutes Galway->Tullamore (by train) every day, and has been doing it for years.

thebman

Hamndegger wrote: »

The 6:58 and 7:30 should get you to Pearse and onto GC Dock for about 8:30; are you getting off one of these or the 7:20 and changing off it? If so, try a different train. Otherwise, there is little that can be done about the subway except magic carpet or get the trains to and from your door just for you :rolleyes:

I don't mind transferring to the dart at that time (7:20 train), I just don't see why they can't put the two trains at the same platform since so many people are transferring.

It leaves everyone from that train going down the tunnel like a sea of people as others try to get up the tunnel against the flow. These people are frequently squeezed against a wall for no good reason.

It doesn't need to be like that, they could just put the two trains on the same set of platforms to avoid people having to down the tunnel. They did this one day for some reason and it worked pefectly. Why not just do this everyday?

Yoda

Meh. I work at home, which has so many advantages. On the other hand I am sometimes at my desk from nine till midnight.
:rolleyes:

road_high

Do Kilkenny to Tinahely (Co. Wicklow, on the Carlow border) most days or Baltinglass. Not too bad, takes roughly an hour. Don't get stuck in traffic as such.

Cian92

When I read about all theese long commutes my own 19minute commute seems like nothing!

Niallface

if you can, cycle.
for me 1hour 25 on dublin bus. or leisurely 30 min cycle