Local Link riding high with new Route 819
The introduction of the Route 819 bus service between Mullingar and Athlone has contributed to a doubling in passenger numbers for the TFI (Transport for Ireland) Local Link bus services.
More than 4,000 people use TFI Local Link bus services in Westmeath, Longford and Roscommon, and according to TFI, the number has doubled since the introduction of Route 819 at the end of August 2023 and also, a service between Longford and Roscommon. The figures show that on average, 3,174 people use bus services across the three counties: in 2021, that figure was just 1,018. The peak week to date was in October, when 4,094 people travelled.
Nationally, people now use TFI Local Link bus services more than 100,000 times, including 4,075 passengers in Longford Westmeath and Roscommon.
Across the country, there are 15 Local Link offices, and there were 105,986 passenger journeys on services in the week ending October 13, 2024 – a more-than five-fold increase compared to January 2022, when weekly passenger numbers were 19,982.
TFI say the increase in numbers coincides with the rollout of the National Transport Authority (NTA) Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, from January 2022. Since then, 110 new and enhanced TFI Local Link routes have been introduced under the plan, covering every county.
TFI Local Link Longford Westmeath Roscommon General Manager, Damien O’Neill said: “TFI Local Link Longford Westmeath Roscommon is dedicated to providing reliable and accessible transport services that enhance connectivity, making it easier for residents to travel within their communities and beyond.
“The success of the ‘Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan,’ including services like the 426 Longford to Roscommon and 819 Athlone to Mullingar, along with other regular routes such as the LR24 Ballymahon to Longford, 570 Boyle to Roscommon, 571 Arigna via Drumshanbo to Boyle, 865 Granard to Longford, and 1794 Castlerea, has significantly improved public transport.
“These services enable people to access college, local employment, leisure activities, and more through sustainable, affordable, and accessible modes of transport. Additionally, our traditional demand-responsive services, which can collect passengers at their door (subject to service restrictions), have contributed to TFI Local Link reaching 100,000 passenger journeys per week.”
• locallinklwr.ie