Four new Galway bus services starting next month
The services are funded by the National Transport Authority and will be operated by Bus Éireann
Four new Galway bus services will start at the beginning of November as locals get their long-awaited prayers answered.
Bearna and surrounding residents will now have two morning buses from Bearna to Galway City and two returning services in the evening which will run alongside the 424 whose services will increase in capacity also.
TD for Galway West John Connolly said the services are funded by the National Transport Authority and will be operated by Bus Éireann.
Speaking about the new buses he said: “Service times will be at 7:45AM and at 9AM. That's to complement the existing 424 services that go through the village, including the additional auxiliary service that started some weeks ago.
“The services are funded by the NTA and will be operated by Bus Éireann, but the complementary and accommodation infrastructure such as bus stop signs, are the remit of Galway County Council. I'll be engaging with both the NTA and Galway County Council this week to try and see can we get some clarity around those issues.”
Elsewhere, the Galway Minister with responsibility for public transport has again insisted that the city’s BusConnects plan will go ahead – but he could not confirm when the redesigned routes and increased frequencies would begin.
Minister of State Seán Canney was responding to the Galway Commuter Coalition which lashed out at the fact that this week’s Budget provided no specific funding to introduce the new network, despite an expectation it says Mr Canney expressed in May. It is seeking an immediate funding commitment and a firm delivery timetable.
Speaking to this publication, Mr Canney disputed the coalition’s position, saying funding for BusConnects was planned within the National Development Plan to 2030.
He distinguished capital funding for infrastructure from the annual Public Service Obligation allocation used to operate public transport services.
Mr Canney said increased PSO funding would support additional services in 2027, with priorities to be considered in the coming weeks.
However, he did not identify a specific allocation for Galway nor could he confirm that it would cover the redesigned network’s launch.
Asked whether a 2027 start remained realistic and when the first new routes and increased frequencies would begin, he said: “I can’t do that because I don’t micromanage it.”
On completion of the wider project, he said: “Hopefully it’ll be completed in the lifetime of this government.”
Responding, the coalition accepted that BusConnects falls under the National Development Plan but said this did not resolve uncertainty over funding to introduce the new services.
“Galway BusConnects has been left in limbo, despite assurances we received from Minister Canney,” it said.
Mr Canney also linked progress on BusConnects to the Galway City Ring Road, saying certainty over that project would allow planning for the bus network to advance.
Mr Canney insists BusConnects will be delivered, but has given no firm date for the new services, while the bridge trial still awaits approval.