New Network Plan for Waterford
The Waterford bus network has evolved with the growth of the city. Recent improvements to bus frequencies, weekend service levels and reliability have improved the usefulness of public transport in the city. The Waterford Metropolitan Area is expected to grow 50% more populous by the year 2040. In order to accommodate this growth whilst maintaining a high quality of life, a step-change in the level of use of public transport will be needed. There is an urgent need to build on recent success in Waterford by restructuring the Waterford urban bus network and making greater investments in useful, reliable bus services. This network redesign is one step in that process of restructuring and reinvestment. It is a collaboration among:
• National Transport Authority
• Waterford City and County Council
• Kilkenny County Council
The bus network redesign is a review of where and how often the bus should come. This includes which roads buses run on, times and days of service, frequencies, stop locations, and how people will interchange between routes.
The network has been reinvented from a blank slate, rather than adjusted from the current network. There is no
assumption that inherited patterns of bus service must be maintained for the sake of tradition or to avoid change.
This New Network Plan will benefit large numbers of Waterford residents, visitors and workers. Reasonable efforts and expenditures have been included to reduce (but not eliminate) disruptions to existing bus users in the city. Implementation of route changes is expected to begin in 2026. As conditions evolve the routes may be modified from what is shown in this Plan, and the changes may be made in phases rather than all at once.
Available to download below is the Network Report, summary chapter, frequency tables, City Centre Map and the full Network Map.
Public Consultation July 2024
The National Transport Authority (NTA) published its draft new bus network for Waterford in July 2024. Consultation on the draft network ran for 6 weeks and closed on the 16 August 2024. An online consultation process allowed members of the public to provide their feedback on the proposals. A number of information events took place to explain the proposed network in more detail along with a webinar. Information booklets were delivered to up to 40,000 residents and businesses along the proposed draft new bus network. To view the documents from the public consultation on the draft bus network for Waterford click on the links below.