Dublin Bus have today confirmed the imminent removal of the popular 90 and 91 services from Heuston Station to the City Centre.

Speaking to Fine Gael’s Tony O’Donnell, the company stated that they had planned to discontinue these vital commuter services from as early as next week; however a brief stay has been granted pending the resolution of industrial relations issues with drivers.

A Dublin Bus spokesperson gave cost cutting as the reason for the end to these vital commuter services. Train passengers will soon face the daunting prospect of squeezing onto the busy Luas from Tallaght, or taking the sole remaining 92 route to St Stephens Green in order to get from Heuston to the City Centre.

“This news has come like a bolt out of the blue,” explains O’Donnell. “The first indication that commuters had regarding the end of these services was a leaflet distributed this morning. No prior notice was given, and the commuter lobby groups were not consulted. Even Dublin Bus themselves seemed confused regarding the status of the 90 and 91. This morning they indicated that the routes would end as early as next week, but by this afternoon a stay of execution had been granted. Dublin Bus have confirmed that this is a purely temporary pause, and that both services will end in the coming weeks.

“Given that these are among the busiest services operated by Dublin Bus, it seems amazing that they are being cut for cost-saving purposes. It seems clear that the beleaguered rail commuter is caught in a battle between Irish Rail and Dublin Bus regarding the cost of operating these buses. These routes are used by thousands of daily rail commuters from Kildare stations, and there can be no doubt that remaining 92 bus and the Luas will struggle to deal with the additional demand.

“From speaking to rail commuters through the day today, there is shock and anger at this decision. I would call on all commuters and occasional rail users to contact Irish Rail and Dublin Bus immediately to express their frustration at the removal of the 90 and 91. They are absolutely vital for Kildare rail users, and we must try to ensure that Dublin Bus reverse this decision.”