Minister of State and Dublin Mid West TD, Emer Higgins has welcomed confirmation from the National Transport Authority (NTA) that the 68 and 69 bus routes will be saved with improved frequency and continued direct access to the city centre.
“I am delighted to see that the 68 and 69 routes have been saved, and they’ll now run every 30 minutes with continued direct access to the City Centre. The National Transport Authority has confirmed these changes to me, and I know this will be very welcome news for people living in Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart, Citywest and Clondalkin.
“Many residents had contacted me with concerns about the original BusConnects proposals, which would have removed these vital links. I raised those concerns directly with senior management at the NTA, and I’m very pleased to see that local feedback reflected in the revised plan.”
Fine Gael Councillor, Shirely O’Hara also welcomed the announcement:
“This is fantastic news for commuters in Newcastle, Rathcoole, Clondalkin and Citywest. We’ve campaigned hard to protect our direct routes and to get better frequency and now we’ve secured both. This will make a real difference to people’s daily lives and will also encourage more people to use public transport, which in turn will help to alleviate traffic congestion in our villages during peak times.”
The revised plan includes the following changes:
- It was proposed to remove the 68 bus route from Newcastle to the City Centre leaving just a feeder to the Red Cow, this plan has now been scrapped and the old 68 will be renamed route 57 and will run every thirty minutes between Newcastle and the City Centre via Clondalkin Village.
- The 69 bus from Rathcoole to the City Centre will be renamed route 58 and will run every thirty minutes between Rathcoole and the City Centre (Mountjoy Square) via Saggart, Citywest, and Clondalkin.
- There will be an express service, route X58, between Rathcoole and the City Centre, running one journey inbound in the morning and one journey outbound in the afternoon.
- For Clondalkin bus users new routes 57 and 58 will jointly provide a bus every fifteen minutes over their common section, i.e. Clondalkin Village and the City Centre via Monastery Road, Bluebell, Tyrconnell Road, Inchicore, Islandbridge and Heuston.
These new services are due to begin in the first half of 2026, as part of phase 8 of the BusConnects ‘D’ Spine. A detailed information leaflet will be delivered to households and businesses by the NTA in advance of the roll-out.
Minister Higgins concluded: “I’d like to thank everyone who contacted me to raise their concerns about the proposed changes. I’d also like to thank the NTA for engaging constructively with me on this issue. This is fantastic news for our area and in particular those who rely on these bus routes every day”.