Bus Eireann to stop serving Rosslare on long established route 40

[Ballyheigue]

From May 24th, Bus Eireann (Expressway) have announced that they will curtail the long established route 40, cutting the Rosslare to Waterford section. Rosslare to Cork/Tralee passengers will have no way of travelling unless they rely on the limited (and lengthy) 370 to Waterford and hope it connects with a 40, or go via Dublin on the train! This route has served Rosslare as far as I'm aware since the 80s, so it's quite a major change.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

From May 24th, Bus Eireann (Expressway) have announced that they will curtail the long established route 40, cutting the Rosslare to Waterford section. Rosslare to Cork/Tralee passengers will have no way of travelling unless they rely on the limited (and lengthy) 370 to Waterford and hope it connects with a 40, or go via Dublin on the train! This route has served Rosslare as far as I'm aware since the 80s, so it's quite a major change.

Pretty much stuffs up foot passengers Fishguard - Rosslare as the trains cleverly don't connect with the boats at Rosslare either!

Waterford to Dublin / Dublin Airport and Ballina to Galway Expressway services are going also.

 

[duesselmartin]

you can still get a local bus from Rosslare to Wexford and change into a Wexford Bus Co. service to Waterford.
Fact is the 40 was frequently late and more expensive than the Wexford Bus company. I rencently waited 90 minutes at Rosslare for it.

 

[berneyarms]

From May 24th, Bus Eireann (Expressway) have announced that they will curtail the long established route 40, cutting the Rosslare to Waterford section. Rosslare to Cork/Tralee passengers will have no way of travelling unless they rely on the limited (and lengthy) 370 to Waterford and hope it connects with a 40, or go via Dublin on the train! This route has served Rosslare as far as I'm aware since the 80s, so it's quite a major change.

You are not really giving the whole picture here.

The 40 is a commercial service, receiving no subsidy, and as such BÉ are entitled to decide to cease operating it if it is not making a profit.

Critically, what now happens is that the NTA will examine whether some or all of the departures on the route need to be replaced by a PSO subsidised service.

It is perfectly possible that the service will continue albeit with fewer departures - particularly the early morning service from Rosslare to Waterford and v.v. and the evening return journeys.

Until that review is completed, no one can say that there will be no services provided.

You are completely wrong about the absence of alternatives - TFI Local Link route 387 operates 15 services a day in both directions between Rosslare Europort and Wexford, and Wexford Bus route 340 operates up to 8 services a day in each direction between Wexford and Waterford via the N25 and New Ross.

The 40 is operated as three separate routes in any case (Tralee-Cork, Cork-Waterford and Waterford-Rosslare) and separate fares charged for each leg.

 

[Ballyheigue]

You are not really giving the whole picture here.

The 40 is a commercial service, receiving no subsidy, and as such BÉ are entitled to decide to cease operating it if it is not making a profit.

Critically, what now happens is that the NTA will examine whether some or all of the departures on the route need to be replaced by a PSO subsidised service.

It is perfectly possible that the service will continue albeit with fewer departures - particularly the early morning service from Rosslare to Waterford and v.v. and the evening return journeys.

Until that review is completed, no one can say that there will be no services provided.

You are completely wrong about the absence of alternatives - TFI Local Link route 387 operates 15 services a day in both directions between Rosslare Europort and Wexford, and Wexford Bus route 340 operates up to 8 services a day in each direction between Wexford and Waterford via the N25 and New Ross.

The 40 is operated as three separate routes in any case (Tralee-Cork, Cork-Waterford and Waterford-Rosslare) and separate fares charged for each leg.

Ah, but the majority of journeys on all 3 legs usually connected in the past (subject to traffic of course) and in the recent past through fares have been available. Are they now treated as separate services due to time keeping? If so then maybe re-numbering and re-timing to reflect actual journey times would be a better option. The alternatives offered between Rosslare and Waterford may not connect, and in addition, it's another leg added on, who's going to try Rosslare to Cork over 3 journeys when it used to be 2, and worse still Tralee over 4 journeys when 3 was bad enough even though on paper they connected?

 

[Flying Snail]

Ah, but the majority of journeys on all 3 legs usually connected in the past (subject to traffic of course) and in the recent past through fares have been available. Are they now treated as separate services due to time keeping? If so then maybe re-numbering and re-timing to reflect actual journey times would be a better option. The alternatives offered between Rosslare and Waterford may not connect, and in addition, it's another leg added on, who's going to try Rosslare to Cork over 3 journeys when it used to be 2, and worse still Tralee over 4 journeys when 3 was bad enough even though on paper they connected?

That is how NTA/TFI have chosen to administer bus services in Ireland.

Dublin city services, run by Dublin Bus and Go-ahead Ireland to routes directly controlled by TFI currently in the middle of a very long drawn-out network redesign.Fully integrated train/tram/bus fares based on a single connection fare with day/week capping.

Outer Dublin region, mostly Bus Eireann with a portion franchised off to Go-Ahead Ireland with a separate fare structure to Dublin City, some bus/rail/tram fare integration day/week/month tickets with zones but still heavily dependent on single fares.

Independent commercial operations of various sizes, quality and usefulness, some frequent fast long distance coach routes, some infrequent rural and local town services and everything in between, all run strictly for profit, many with timetables laser focused only on serving times where they can guarantee high custom (peak-only commuter and Friday/Sunday college routes). Fares operator specific only.

The shrinking remnants of the once comprehensive Bus Eireann Expressway network, hobbled to now run as a standalone commercial operation that has on many routes been unable to turn a profit. Fares mostly single/return only, connections within Expressway available and still some limited overlap with other Bus Eireann and Irish Rail services only through Taxsaver scheme tickets

The non-commercial "PSO" parts of the former Bus Eireann network, City/Town routes and wider commuter networks outside Dublin, infrequent rural routes (many now being replaced by more frequent local-link), long distance former Expressway routes not deemed commercial mainly by the absence of competing independent operators. Some zonal fares focused on Cities, single/return outside these regions.

Local-link services, a mix of scheduled and demand based routes, some reasonably frequent regional routes in amongst them. All run through a dozen or so local offices with all services contracted out to varying degrees of professional standards. Strictly single/return fares, no network tickets at all. No inclusion in Bus Eireann based town region zonal fares

Connecting Ireland town services, subsidised franchised town services in places with no previous (or comically poor independent) service, generally good timetables (early moning to late night 7-days). mainly single/return fares within town service only.

A handful of standalone TFI routes, mainly fill-ins where commercial services withdrew or no link existed. Standalone fares, even ones that are close to or within zonal networks.


If you find navigating journeys and fares that involve multiple layers of bus services difficult/expensive/impossible then contact your local TDs or TFI, it is their playground.

 

[berneyarms]

Ah, but the majority of journeys on all 3 legs usually connected in the past (subject to traffic of course) and in the recent past through fares have been available. Are they now treated as separate services due to time keeping? If so then maybe re-numbering and re-timing to reflect actual journey times would be a better option. The alternatives offered between Rosslare and Waterford may not connect, and in addition, it's another leg added on, who's going to try Rosslare to Cork over 3 journeys when it used to be 2, and worse still Tralee over 4 journeys when 3 was bad enough even though on paper they connected?

As above, the world has changed in Ireland and the Connecting Ireland project has been very successful in revitalising public transport across rural Ireland, be that through Local Link or regional Bus Éireann services.

There simply isn't a market for long distance services for foot passengers any more - that day has gone. The notion that the foot passenger numbers would justify maintaining the service is fanciful to say the least in the case of the 40 - the numbers using it are microscopic between Wexford and Rosslare, as people use the cheaper and far more frequent Local Link route 387 (15 services a day in each direction).

I suspect that some of the services that currently operate as route 40 will be retained (but not all) between Waterford and Wexford as PSO, but that Local Link route 387 will cover the leg between Wexford and Rosslare.

People will have to use the TFI journey planner, but also they will benefit from the far lower fares available on PSO services.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Apr 2026 ==

Just to also make the point that since Stena Line unilaterally changed the ferry sailing times back in 2023 in response to requests from hauliers, no route 40 services from Waterford actually connect into ferry departures to Fishguard at Rosslare, nor indeed does the 370.

Local Link route 387 connects into the 08:15 ferry departure with a service from Wexford at 06:48.

The evening sailing at 19:30 also has a Local Link route 387 connection from Wexford at 17:33 (which would in theory take an 18 minute connection from Waterford using Wexford Bus route 340), but given that the evening sailing from Rosslare has no onward connections beyond Fishguard, it's rather moot.

There are connections in the other direction.

The early morning arrival from Fishguard at 05:30 does connect into the 06:40 370 and the 07:00 40. But unless you fancy a four hour wait at Fishguard, no trains connect into that sailing so it is of limited benefit.

Which only leaves the 17:30 arrival from Fishguard, which does have a route 40 connection at 19:00 to Waterford which does connect into an onward route 40 service to Cork at 21:00.

So you can see that frankly, ferry connections really are of minimal importance to the 40 service.

 

[Ballyheigue]

The above post now makes a lot of sense as to why the 40 is so underused, it was a while ago that I used the Fishguard ferry for Tralee and everything back then connected quite well. It's a shame everything has gone South with connections as Rosslare is supposedly an expanding port and it's so much easier even with a change of bus than fighting your way through Dublin for the train to Tralee.

 

[berneyarms]

The above post now makes a lot of sense as to why the 40 is so underused, it was a while ago that I used the Fishguard ferry for Tralee and everything back then connected quite well. It's a shame everything has gone South with connections as Rosslare is supposedly an expanding port and it's so much easier even with a change of bus than fighting your way through Dublin for the train to Tralee.

The numbers of foot passengers were dropping regardless - with Ryanair offering cheap flights from Cork, Kerry and Shannon to GB, it is a miniscule market.

The 40 has been primarily a domestic service as a result - ferry passengers were low even before the ferry timetable changed.