269 MILLION PASSENGER journeys were provided by Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann, Irish Rail, Luas and Go-Ahead Ireland services in 2018. 

That’s an increase of almost 19 million (17%) compared to 2017, according to the preliminary full-year figures for each of the State-supported public transport operators published today. 

Bus Éireann was the biggest percentage increase of any of the operators, at 12.9%. The company provided 35.1 million passenger journeys in 2018, compared to 31.1 million in 2017. 

Dublin Bus provided the largest number of passenger journeys in 2018 at over 143 million. This represents an increase of almost 7 million on 2017. 

Irish Rail also saw increased figures in 2018, with figures for Dart and commuter service increasing by between 4% and 5%. 

Numbers on the Luas increased by 11% to almost 42 million in 2018.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has said the Green Line extension to Broombridge, which opened in December 2017, along with the seven longer trams that were brought into operation last year, were among the factors contributing to the increase. 

Go-Ahead Ireland is included in the yearly figures for the first time, as it became a PSO transport operator in Autumn 2018. It provided 1.3 million passenger journeys on the routes that it operates in the Dublin region. 

NTA NTA

While NTA CEO Anne Graham noted that these figures are “very positive”, she said that “none of us can rest on our laurels”. 

“The priority now must be to deliver on those improvements in our public transport infrastructure that are provided for under the National Development Plan announced last year,” Graham said. 

“In the shorter term, we will purchase more bus vehicles for use around the country this year and will be moving to purchasing low-emission vehicles from July,” she said.