Massive six-fold increase in Laois passengers travelling by local link services

There has been a six-fold increase in the amount of Laois people travelling via the TFI local link bus services.

Journey numbers have reached a record high, with people now using TFI Local Link bus services more than 100,000 times a week across rural Ireland, including 7,203 passengers in Laois and Offaly.

Due to these high figures, TFI Local Link have hinted at the establishment of bus routes from Birr to Portlaoise, Mountrath to Carlow, Portlaosie to Thurles and Portlaoise to Roscrea.

In Laois Offaly alone, passenger numbers have increased more than six-fold, driven by the introduction or enhancement of six key routes. These include:

• Route 850: Roscrea to Athlone
• Route 831: Rathdowney to Portlaoise
• Route 840: Banagher to Tullamore

These bus services are provided for the National Transport Authority (NTA) by 15 Local Link Offices around the country. There were 105,986 passenger journeys on TFI Local Link services in the week ending 13 October 2024. This represents a more-than five-fold increase compared to January 2022, when weekly passenger numbers were at 19,982.

‘Without our great staff, drivers and regular passengers, the achievement of reaching 100,000 passengers a day wouldn’t happen," said TFI Local Link Laois Offaly Manager, Frances Byrne.

The roll out of Connecting Ireland, with routes like the 840 Banagher to Tullamore, 823 Birr to Portlaoise, 822 Mountrath to Carlow, 834 Portlaoise to Roscrea, 858 Portlaoise to Thurles, 850 Athlone to Roscrea and more to come, increasing public transport in connecting our rural communities," the manager stressed.

Passenger journey numbers have been increasing consistently for over three years now. The weekly national average was 16,745 in 2021; 36,664 in 2022; and 78,892 in 2023. Now it has surged to 100,000 – a new high.

This dramatic increase in numbers coincides with the rollout of the NTA’s Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, from January 2022. Since then, over 110 new and enhanced TFI Local Link routes have been introduced under the plan, covering every county.

2024 is the third year of a five-year implementation plan for Connecting Ireland. Some 60 percent of the proposed services are now in place, with the remainder to be introduced in the coming years.

The new and enhanced services are proving to be very attractive to a new set of customers in rural Ireland, who are choosing TFI Local Link services to get to work, education, healthcare, and social activities.

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan also acknowledged the milestone and the efforts behind the scenes.

“We have seen a transformation in public transport across rural Ireland and going by the numbers, people really like it," said Minister Ryan.

"Reaching this milestone of 100,000 passengers a week is incredible but I’d like to think of it as just the beginning. We need to have buses criss-crossing this country and reaching into towns and villages everywhere.

“I want to extend my thanks to the Local Link offices, operators, and passengers who have made this achievement possible. The exponential growth we’re seeing – up five fold in just four years in many places - highlights the importance of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan in delivering improved access and inclusion for rural Ireland," he said.

We are building not just a better-connected Ireland, but a more sustainable, equitable, and vibrant one—thanks to the hard work of everyone involved," Minister Ryan finished.

Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Authority (NTA), expressed her gratitude for the collective effort.

“This achievement is a direct result of the dedication and hard work by a whole range of people and the continued support from passengers who have embraced the service," Ms Graham said.

“Reaching 100,000 passengers per week would not have been possible without the incredible commitment of the Local Link Offices and their staff as well as the drivers and the local bus operators, and I’d like to thank everyone who is involved.

“I was always optimistic that Connecting Ireland would prove to be a transformative plan for rural communities, but honestly, I’m completely blown away by the success story that it has become across the country. And we’re not finished yet!" the CEO said.

For more information about TFI Local Link services in Laois, see here.