A new bus route linking Swords to Ashbourne commences service today, Sunday November 24th. The new Route 197 will be operated for the National Transport Authority by Go-Ahead Ireland as part of the Transport for Ireland (TFI) subsidised public transport network.
The 197 will operate 17 daily return services on Monday to Saturday and 14 daily return services on Sunday inclusive of public holidays (there are no services on Christmas Day).
Services will be run on a one-hour frequency for most of the day in both directions.
The principal stopping places are :
Additional stops will be added to the service in the coming weeks and months at Rolestown, Bunbury Gate in Swords, and Tesco at Airside.
Timetable and route information is available here.
Fares for adults using a Leap Card are between €1.55 and €3.00 depending on distance travelled, while child Leap fares run from €1.00 to €1.50. Free travel passes are accepted.
Fare information is available here.
The 197 buses are low floor and are fully accessible for wheelchairs. Passengers with assistance dogs are welcome on the 197.
In the coming weeks, Route 197 will be fully integrated in the TFI Journey Planner. The TFI National Journey Planner is a door-to-door journey planner that provides service information, directions and time estimates for taking a journey on all licenced public transport providers across Ireland.
NTA spokesperson said:
“We’re delighted to announce with Go-Ahead Ireland, details of Route 197. Swords and Ashbourne are two very busy towns from a retail and employment point of view, with populations that are growing rapidly.
Up to now there has been little or no connectivity between them as far as public transport is concerned, despite the fact that the two towns are relatively close. We believe that there is great potential for Route 197 and we are confident that it will prove very popular with the local travelling public.
We are hoping to make further improvements to the 197 in the weeks ahead in terms of areas served, new bus stops, and passenger information.”
