Dublin Bus route 747 Busarás-Airport - through the Port Tunnel?

drkpower

Hi folks

I keep hearing different things abouth the 747 Airport bus from Busarus. So can anyone with recent experience confirm if this service still goes through the Port Tunnel?

Victor

Many, but not all.

drkpower

Your kidding?!
What a wonderfully Irish solution.... Is there any way of knowing in advance which ones go through the Tunnel?

Victor

If you are going from Busáras to the Airport, what does it matter as you won't be getting off.

Is it that you want to use / see the tunnel or that you don't want to use it? An alternative is to use the 16a, 33 41/b or 746 buses, which also serve the airport, but aren't express.

drkpower

Victor wrote: »

If you are going from Busáras to the Airport, what does it matter as you won't be getting off.

Is it that you want to use / see the tunnel or that you don't want to use it? An alternative is to use the 16a, 33 41/b or 746 buses, which also serve the airport, but aren't express.

I want to use the Tunnel as it is the quickest way up and Im going on a Friday afternoon so dont want to have to consider the variable of traffic.

markpb

I assume DB only use the tunnel when the disadvantages of travelling in the wrong direction (out to the port) outweighs the speed advantages of the tunnel. Since they have buses running through Drumcondra all day long, they can monitor traffic levels and instruct 747 drivers accordingly. Also, the traffic between busaras and the port can be quite bad so it can cause it's own problems.

Carawaystick

Last time I got the airlink we crossed the Liffey twice. That's definitely going n the wrong direction.....

Took an hour and 7 minutes.
Mrs Carawaystick gets the 33x from Custom house to Lusk in 35 mins....

KC61

The 747 starts at Busarus, crosses the Liffey onto Georges Quay, Burgh Quay, and then crosses the Liffey again onto O'Connell Street, where there is a stop outside Dublin Bus HQ. It then has a final stop at Parnell Square West (the first stop). Note that 748 journeys that do not have a driver change also serve O'Connell Street and Parnell Square.

Normally the 747 will then operate via Dorset Street and Drumcondra and onto the M1 from there. They will only use the Port Tunnel outbound where there is very heavy traffic, as there are bus lanes the majority of the route and from Parnell Square it is usually the fastest route. Where they do use the Port Tunnel, it necessitates the bus going right around Parnell Square, left onto Parnell Street, straight onto Summerhill, right onto Portland Place, and directly onto Seville Place and Sherriff Street to get to the Port Tunnel.

So it would be fair to say that outbound 80-90% of the time they operate via Drumcondra, only diverting via the tunnel where the traffic dictates that it would be faster.

Inbound, outside of evenings and early mornings when traffic is light, the 747 uses the Port Tunnel all the time.

The best stop to board at is O'Connell Street where you won't have the traffic coming along the quays which can be quite heavy.

Usual journey time from O'Connell Street (off-peak) is 25 minutes, but it can go up to 50 minutes in the peak if there is really bad traffic.

BenShermin

I could never understand why the 747 route isn't reversed. It could start from Parnell Square and stop at a southbound O'Connell Street stop and then use Abbey Street towards Beresford Place for the Busaras stop and then towards the port tunnel for the Airport.

In reverse it could stop at Connolly Luas Station, Tara Street Station and a Northbound O'Connell Street stop.

Wishbone Ash

drkpower wrote: »

I want to use the Tunnel as it is the quickest way up and Im going on a Friday afternoon so dont want to have to consider the variable of traffic.

The slighest hitch in the tunnel and everything comes to a stop for what may be a considerable period.......and there's no reversing out!

bbsrs

Get to heuston and get the 748 it goes through the tunnell

KC61

bbsrs wrote: »

Get to heuston and get the 748 it goes through the tunnell

Not always - It can also operate via O'Connell Street and Drumcondra.