NTA has announced today that it is to amend the alignment of route 80 that runs from Chapelizod to the city centre, in response to feedback from customers. The amended route will now run all the way along the north quays to O’Connell Bridge and Custom House Quay, before heading north.
Background on Route 80
The 80 was introduced in October as part of Phase 7 of the BusConnects Network Redesign for Dublin, running from Liffey Valley through Chapelizod, to the south city via High St and South Great Georges St.
The proposal announced today involves merging the 80 with the existing 130 that already runs from the city centre to Clontarf. The newly-aligned service will run along the current 80 route as far as Bridge St, but will continue along the north quays to Eden Quay and then northward through the city centre to Clontarf. It will continue to have a 10-minute peak-time frequency in line with the current 80 and 130.
Connectivity and Timeline
The route also offers new connectivity to the Luas Green Line at O’Connell St, and DART at Connolly.
The new route will come into operation in Q2 2026.
In advance of that, from early 2026 and as a temporary measure, route 80 will operate from Liffey Valley to Chapelizod on a revised alignment along the quays to the south city. The revised alignment will cross the Liffey at O’Connell Bridge, rather than at Bridge St, and will run through College Green to South Great Georges Street. This will take effect early in the new year.
Customer Feedback and NTA Response
NTA Director of Public Transport Services Jeremy Ryan said: “We acknowledge that for a variety of reasons including city centre congestion, the 80 got off to a rocky start and didn’t meet expectations. When rolling out phases of the BusConnects network, we always give a commitment to monitor the new services, identify any issues that arise, and to put in a fix where appropriate. That’s what we are doing today.
“In planning the redesigned bus network, the NTA considered the planned transformation of College Green and Dame Street by Dublin City Council into a pedestrian-friendly plaza. The creation of this new public space means east-west bus movements through College Green will no longer be possible. That was why we had routed route 80 by Bridge Street rather than O’Connell Bridge to get to the south city.
Why the Change Makes Sense
“The customer feedback we got was that rather than turning right off the quays to cross the Liffey at Bridge St, route 80 would be more useful if it went further along the quays so that people could benefit from the bus priority measures in place along the quays, and the greater connectivity to the O’Connell St area and onward transport services in that area.
“We’ve taken a look at that and we believe it makes sense. NTA is happy to take that feedback on board and we have asked Dublin Bus to amend the service accordingly.”
NTA will put in place a full customer communications plan well in advance of the changes taking effect.
Fast-Tracking Chapelizod Walkway
NTA has also announced that it is to fast-track the delivery of a planned walkway and steps from Chapelizod Bypass back to Chapelizod Hill Road. This will make it easier for people in Chapelizod village to avail of bus services including the C-Spine services, that run along the by-pass. The walkway is part of the BusConnects Dublin Lucan to city centre scheme that has received planning consent from An Comisiún Pleanála. The walkway is now to be constructed in advance of the rest of that scheme, with work now scheduled to commence next year.