Bus Éireann announces improved service on new Route 170 from Dundalk to Cavan

Bus Éireann, Ireland’s national bus company, says it is pleased to announce a new service Route 170 from Dundalk to Cavan which came into effect on Sunday 27 August.  

The new route is part of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, which is a major national public transport initiative developed and funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA) as part of the Transport for Ireland (TFI) Network.  

Route 170 will provide six daily return services between Dundalk and Cavan, via Carrickmacross, Kingscourt and Bailieboro. The new service features an enhanced timetable with a later departure from Cavan at 19.45pm and Dundalk at 19.45pm. It is the first service to include a Sunday and Public Holiday timetable between Dundalk and Cavan. 

Route 170 is the second of two routes, in conjunction with the Local Link Route 171, in a planned phased roll out of new TFI Local Link and Bus Éireann bus services in Cavan, Monaghan and Louth. 

The existing Bus Éireann 166 service was replaced by the new TFI Local Link 171 service and the new regional Bus Éireann 170 service.

The new Local Link Route 171 will serve Shercock and Inishkeen, these stops are no longer served by Bus Éireann. Passengers travelling between Shercock and Cavan can transfer between Local Link Route 171 and Bus Éireann Route 170 at Carrickmacross.

Following the withdrawal of the existing 166 service, there will be no direct bus services between Shercock and Cavan on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. However, the NTA working with TFI Local Link Cavan Monaghan, are currently preparing plans to provide a new service between Virginia, Bailieboro, Shercock and Cootehill which will be implemented later this year.

“Bus Éireann is delighted to introduce these new and improved services between Dundalk and Cavan, significantly increasing the daily services, particularly for those passengers travelling at the weekend,” said Adrian O’Loughlin, Bus Éireann, Senior Operations Manager, East. 

“Thanks to the National Transport Authority, through the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan we have added over 2 million kilometres to our network and have created over 62 new jobs.

"Demand for our services in the East is higher now than pre-pandemic, passenger numbers nationally are 20-30% higher than they were in 2019. This enhanced service will enable us to connect our growing number of customers with who and what matters to them.” 

Updated service details and timetables are available at buseireann.ie.