Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas J Stamp
to answer my own question - cork services stop here still, which i think are every two hours each way.
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No - service 8 is non stop Portlaoise Hospital - Newlands Cross, both request stops. BE still operate a weekend 124 (round trip Saturday, inboind only Sunday) with a lot of empty running. Ballybrittas and Monasterevin are served by Dublin Coach (hourly 24/7), and Kavanaghs. Martleys have an equivalent to the old commuter 124 on weekdays.
My point was that CIE have surrendered local traffic east from Portlaoise. Neither road nor rail offer an adequate service eastbound from the town for anything other than Dublin, thanks to the motorway running of the coaches and the uneven, gapped stopping pattern of the rail service (eg no train 0855 to 1117, making a mockery of the cheap €12 fare for day trips). I feel Dublin Coach have taken the market by offering a better product, in terms of comfort and frequency, at a lower price. They are also innovative - for example, offering a 50% discount to airport workers on production of an airport pass.
LC