Dublin Express, which is part of National Express Limited and operates services between the city centre and the airport, is to expand its operations by providing a route to Belfast in Northern Ireland.
The operator will invest around £8.5 million on a fleet of eight new Caetano Levante III coaches over the next 12 months for use on the service between the two capitals, which will be run by Quinn’s Coach Hire of Dungannon from 18 July onwards.
Sixteen trips per day in each direction will cover the 100 miles between Belfast centre’s Glengall Street to Dublin Airport and Dublin city centre. It will lead to the creation of 40 new jobs in driving, management, maintenance and retail, most of which will be in Dungannon and Belfast.
A £1/£1 euro introductory offer is being made available to the first 10,000 customers from tomorrow (4 July).
Dublin Express General Manager Rory Fitzgerald, says: “We are excited to bring the Dublin Express brand to Northern Ireland and particularly Belfast, offering a new high-quality experience to passengers on the M1 corridor. The new route is a significant milestone linking the two most populated cities on the island of Ireland and adds to our extensive network across the UK.
“We estimate the number of Northern Ireland residents using Dublin Airport annually at over 1 million due to its geographic location on the north side of the city, the seamless M1 motorway and the numerous connections to mainland Europe, the Middle East and of course transatlantic flights to the US.”
The Euro VI diesel vehicles will be fully accessible with an onboard lift and wheelchair space, leather reclining seats, free WiFi, toilet and USB charging points at each seat. Mr Fitzgerald adds: “We also believe our new coaches will be a step up in quality, safety and comfort to anything seen on the route previously.”
The Dublin Express has operated since March 2020 and offers services up to every 15 minutes.
