COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, October 13, 2025

QUESTION NO. 5(a)

QUESTION: Councillor H. Farrell

To ask the Chief Executive for an update on the dates for the remaining phases of Bus Connects, and summary of changes expected in each remaining phase.

REPLY:

There are 12no. core bus corridors planned for Dublin. It is expected that all twelve Dublin core bus corridors will be completed by 2030. The construction of the bus corridors will be delivered on a phased basis by the NTA in order to reduce the traffic impacts that could arise should all twelve be constructed concurrently.  There are 3no. schemes in the South Dublin County Council local authority area and these are explained in more detail below:

Liffey Valley to City Centre Core Bus Corridor:

The National Transport Authority has signed a contract with GMC Group Ltd. for the detailed design and construction of a 9.2 km route Core Bus Corridor from Liffey Valley to the city centre, which partly runs through South Dublin local authority.

The estimated total scheme cost of the route will be up to €274 million. Construction will be commencing in December 2025, and the works will continue for around three years and are due to conclude in early 2028.  I attach a detailed design and construction programme for this scheme.

Clondalkin and Tallaght to the City Centre Core Bus Corridor:

The Tallaght / Clondalkin to City Centre Core Bus Corridors measures approximately 15.5km with an additional offline cycling facility approximately 3.9km in length consisting of two sections, namely the Tallaght to City Centre section and the Clondalkin to Drimnagh section.

The detailed design and construction contract for this scheme is expected to be signed by mid year of 2026 with construction starting at the end of 2026.

Rathfarnham to City Centre ore Bus Corridor:

The third scheme in South Dublin is the Rathfarnham to City Centre core bus corridor scheme, which is expected to start after the Clondalkin scheme is progressing.

Additional Bus Route upgrades and Improved Bus services:

In addition to the core bus routes above, the NTA and SDCC are improving a number of bus routes with local infrastructure improvements such as new bus stops, upgraded existing bus stops, and bus hub improvements.  Two new bus hubs at Liffey Valley and Adamstown are now in place, and a new bus hub in Tallaght is planned as part of the core bus corridor delivery. 

The aim on these bus routes is to improve the bus infrastructure along the routes, increase bus frequency and comfort and to improve journey time reliability.  Several new routes have been upgraded such as the C spine, W spine, and G spine routes under these initiatives.

As passenger demand increases, especially to serve the new development areas in our county, additional bus routes and increased frequency of service will be delivered.  This has happened in Adamstown, where the C spine routes have been expanded as the development has been completed.

Therefore, there is expected to be several key bus and active travel improvement schemes delivered in our county over the next 5 years, which will significantly add to the sustainable travel options in our Local Authority.