25% jump in passenger numbers on town bus service
As Ireland's first all-electric town bus service celebrates its first anniversary in Athlone, Bus Éireann has revealed there has been a 25% jump in passenger numbers since the launch.
The big environmental win according to the State transport company, is the elimination of 400,000 kg of tailpipe emissions when compared with to a diesel vehicle.
During the first year of service, eleven state-of-the-art zero-emission electric buses completed over 530,000 emission-free kilometres.
Bus Éireann and the National Transport Authority (NTA) are marking one year since the launch of Ireland’s first all-electric town service in Athlone town as part of a €10 million investment.
It was the first project to launch under the Government’s Pathfinder Programme – a list of exemplar transport projects to be delivered by local authorities and agencies around the country within three years – on January 29, 2023 by Transport Minister Eamon Ryan.
He said at the launch it was a privilege to be in Athlone for what he described as a “very significant, important and historic day”. Having seen the buses, the minister said they were “quick, quiet and clean” and much more accessible than before.
During his visit last year Minister Eamon Ryan was given a tour of the charging infrastructure supplied with power from the newly-constructed electricity substation within the Bus Éireann depot on Station Road, Athlone, where he also met with local technicians and driving staff among the 100-strong workforce in the town.
In preparation for the Athlone launch, Bus Éireann drivers and mechanics participated in a comprehensive training programme of more than 500 hours – on the driving, maintenance and operation of the buses.
The service, which has seen 25% passenger growth in 2023, operates two routes , the A1 and A2, and is delivered by over 50 Bus Éireann employees in Athlone.
Stephen Kent, Chief Executive Officer, Bus Éireann said: “We are delighted to mark this milestone of the Athlone service. The launch of the service in January 2023 is an important step in our journey to supporting the delivery of the Government Climate Action Plan.
"We are proud to operate this environmentally friendly and accessible service for the people of Athlone, helping to sustainably connect this community.
The Athlone project, as well as the upcoming transition of our Limerick city service to zero-emission bus operation, underscores our dedication and collaboration to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030.”
The Athlone town service bus fleet is composed entirely of Enviro200EV single-deck battery-electric buses supplied by British bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis, which are in use in a number of major cities in the United Kingdom, including London and Glasgow.
Anne Graham, Chief Executive Officer, NTA said: “The launch of the all-electric service in Athlone has proven to be a significant milestone on the journey to a zero-emissions bus fleet for our towns and cities.
“For the last year, the people of Athlone – and not just our customers – have benefitted from buses that are cleaner, quieter, more comfortable and more attractive.
“The experience we have gained here with our colleagues in Bus Éireann is already standing us in good stead as NTA rolls out similar programmes in other parts of the country.”
During the recent cold snap at the end of January and into early February, Bus Éireann admitted that the electric bus service was disrupted recently when sub zero temperatures affected "the batteries and range" of the buses.
Its understood that some bus services in Athlone were ending at 8pm during the recent cold spell, rather than their scheduled time of 9pm.
The next phase of the electrification of Bus Éireann-operated public bus services will see the first electric buses operating services in Limerick in March which will see 34 double-deck electric buses entering service.
Drivers and staff at Limerick’s Roxboro depot have been undertaking testing and training on the buses in recent weeks, in preparation for the launch.