New X1/2 timetablle and Intro of X5

XPS_Zero

I saw this new timetable at Busaras today. I got there in time for the 12:00 bus, which turned out, despite the EXTREME annoyance of the crowd, to be 12:15. Don't get me wrong the new timetable is a huge improvement but it's not well advertised considering it started SUNDAY not even today:

• There are no paper copies of the new timetable in the boxes but the old ones are gone, just two taped to the glass on either side of gate 10 so if you were not at the dead front of the que like me you'd have had no idea what was going on.
• Online the PDF would not download off a wifi connection, had to do it at home, here it is: https://expressway.ie/pdfs/Route_X1_X2_X5_6PP_DL_V23_Web.pdf
• There was no audio announcement so as 12 went people wondered if they'd missed the bus or what was going on, at 12:14 we only started boarding which is unusual usually they give themselves plenty of time. Eventually someone came over to divert the Newry people to their new half hour wait for the Newry bus.

Having said that, it is a big improvement. The X1 fills up even at obscure times esp at the airport, one time a woman had to have her husband wait at the airport for the next one as there were no more seats, next time it happened I volunteered to swap with someone and do the wait myself, nobody should have to do that. So having an X5 that goes just Newry/Dublin direct express was a great idea. So was introducing the X2 for more frequency, i assume all year round as it's usually a summer bus. Sure it stops in Banbridge and Sprucefield but they are BASICALLY Belfast anyway.


I do wonder why Tranklink pull most of the weight on this route and why there are so few BE's someone here said before they ended up with a shortage due to NTA commitments elsewhere. Translink may be just as comfortable but their WIFI is awful (constantly cuts out) and there are no USB plugs or sockets on ANY of them (only on their new Derry/Dublin Belfast/Derry busses which I wish they'd use on the Dublin-Befast route)

So while it's better on the "packed bus" score, it's oddly the same on time ...how is that possible???? It still takes 2 hours and 20 minutes even skipping Newry which, if you include it takes.....2hours and 20 minutes look at the X1 to X2 journey times they are the same! WTF?

devnull

We also now have the ridiculous situation of having three buses from Dublin to Belfast in 15 minutes and the same in the other direction but then no bus for 45 minutes in either direction.

That isn't good for the consumer at all and such carry on happening on cross border routes is a fine example of why deregulation is bad!!

Lord Glentoran

devnull wrote: »

We also now have the ridiculous situation of having three buses from Dublin to Belfast in 15 minutes and the same in the other direction but then no bus for 45 minutes in either direction.

That isn't good for the consumer at all and such carry on happening on cross border routes is a fine example of why deregulation is bad!!

Half hourly trains. That’s the way to go.