UCD Students' Union Welcomes New Heuston-UCD Bus Services but Highlights Ongoing Concerns
UCD Students' Union Welcomes New Heuston-UCD Bus Services but Highlights Ongoing Concerns
Following extensive student feedback and lobbying efforts, including our petition, which gathered 3,700 signatures+, the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Dublin Bus have announced 45 new daily peak-time services between Heuston Station and UCD.
These new services, operating on routes X25, X26, X27, X28, X30, X31, and X32, have commenced as of this week and provide a much-needed direct connection between Heuston and Belfield for students commuting from west Dublin, North Kildare and beyond. While we welcome these changes, we remain concerned about the remaining gaps in connectivity for students traveling to UCD.
What’s Changing?
Direct Heuston–UCD bus services at peak times:
25 departures in the morning & 20 in the evening
First buses leave from 6:40 AM, with return services starting from 16:12
X25, X27, X28, and X30 will now pick up passengers at Heuston for the first time
X26, X31, and X32 have been extended to serve UCD
Ongoing Concerns
While this is an important step forward, it is not a full replacement for the 145 bus, which previously offered all-day connectivity between Heuston and UCD.
UCDSU President Miranda Bauer commented:
“This outcome shows the power of student voices. We campaigned, we mobilised, and we were heard. However, these new peak-time services still leave significant gaps for students who travel outside rush hour. We remain concerned about the loss of reliable, all-day connectivity and will continue to push for further improvements to ensure all students can access campus conveniently.”
Next steps
If you’re using the new services, we want to hear from you! Let us know how these changes are affecting your commute. Are they helping, or do issues remain? Thank you to everyone who signed the petition, shared their experiences, and contacted decision-makers. While we we still have our work cut out to improve public transport for these affected students and others, this progress would not have been possible without you.
The Official Transport for Ireland update can be found here: https://www.transportforireland.ie/news/45-direct-bus-services-a-day-to-connect-heuston-and-ucd/
