Cork public transport: All the details you need to get around during the festive season

Those planning to return home for Christmas or pick up their final few presents in the city should note the following timetable changes

Cork's City, Town, Commuter, and Rural services will operate to a Saturday schedule on Christmas Eve, with last departures at approximately 9pm.

Fri, 22 Dec, 2023 - 20:25

Martin Mongan

Public transport in Cork will operate on a revised timetable over the festive period.

Those planning to return home for Christmas or pick up their final few presents in the city should note the following timetable changes:

Bus Éireann

Saturday, December 23, will see services operate under Bus Éireann's usual Friday schedule.

On Christmas Eve, City, Town, Commuter, and Rural services will operate to a Saturday service, with last departures at 9pm approximately.

Expressway services will operate as normal on Christmas Eve. The final departures for buses to and from Cork are as follows: Route 40, 5.50pm from Tralee and 8.30pm from Cork; 7.30pm from Waterford and 7pm from Cork.

Services will not run on Christmas Day.

On St Stephen's Day, City, Town, Commuter, and Rural services will operate a Sunday service with first departures at 9am approximately. The Route 51 Expressway service will first depart at an earlier time of 7.05am in Galway and 7.25am from Cork.

Services will operate as normal from December 27 to January 1.

Monday, January 2, will operate under the Sunday schedule and normal service resumes from Tuesday, January 3.

Irish Rail

All services will operate as normal up to and including Saturday, December 23.

Christmas Eve will see all services run as normal apart from the 9pm Heuston to Cork, 8.30pm Heuston to Galway, 7.45pm Heuston to Limerick, and the 6.20pm Limerick to Heuston, which are cancelled.

There will be no train service on Christmas Day or St Stephen’s Day.

Intercity routes will return on Wednesday, December 27, with a revised schedule. Irish Rail urges commuters to check if their specific route is impacted.

Thursday, December 28, to December 30 will operate under the Saturday service alterations.

On New Year’s Eve, all Sunday services run as normal apart from the 9pm Heuston to Cork, 8.30pm Heuston to Galway, 7.45pm Heuston to Limerick, and the 6.20pm Limerick to Heuston, which are cancelled.

On New Year’s Day a revised schedule will operate.

Normal services will resume from January 2.

No trains will operate on Christmas Day or St Stephen’s Day. Picture: David Creedon

Cobh Connect

Route 200, which serves Cork and Cobh, will run a normal service, with Nitelink on Saturday.

An additional service will run on Christmas Eve from Cobh to Cork. The last service will leave Cork at 6.45pm.

No service will operate on Christmas Day and Tuesday, December 26, will see route 200 operate under Sunday hours without a Nitelink service.

Normal service will resume from Wednesday, December 27, to Saturday, December 30.

Sunday hours and the Nitelink will operate on New Year’s Eve.

Sunday hours will be in effect on Monday, January 1, and normal service will resume from Tuesday, January 2.

Route 210, which serves Hollyhill to Little Island, will have no services in operation from December 23 to January 1.

Normal service will resume from January 2.

Route 211, which serves Cobh, Carrigtwohill, and Little Island, will not run from Saturday, December 23, until January 8, when normal service will resume.

Route 250, the town service for Cobh, will not offer a service from Saturday, December 23, until Monday, January 8, when normal service resumes.