New Laois Offaly bus route links Portlaoise, Mountmellick and Birr

The wheels are turning on a new bus routes that links Portlaoise, Birrr and Mountmellick taking in communities in the Slieve Blooms along the way.

TFI Local Link Laois Offaly is delighted to announce the new Route 823 bus service connecting Birr to Portlaoise launched on October 20.

The new service will operate seven days a week, five times a day, Monday to Saturday, and four times a day on Sunday. 

Local Link says Route 823 will provide greater regularity and flexibility than ever before for the communities of Birr,  Mountmellick and Portlaoise along with Crinkill, Kinnitty, Cadamstown, Clonaslee, Rosenallis, which were not served by any regular public bus service.

The Laois Offal service says that with a peak time service for commuters to Birr, the new Route 823 will provide stronger links to national bus and rail networks in Birr, Mountmellick and Portlaoise and importantly, early and late services to Portlaoise for communities connecting to Dublin and elsewhere.

The TFI Local Link Laois Offaly Manager is Frances Byrne.

“The timetable for the new Route 823 service is structured to meet other transport links such as Irish Rail and private operators, along with some of our own TFI Local Link Laois Offaly services and provide greater access for the local communities in the rural areas. This new route, along with many other planned new and enhanced routes around the country,
represent the significant investment in rural transport specifically and in public transport generally by the state,” she said.

Waiting for demolition - slow progress to replace two Portlaoise houses

A statement added that this new route is part of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan which is the national public transport initiative developed and funded by the National Transport Authority, with the aim of increasing connectivity, particularly for people living outside our major cities and towns.