People in Sligo, Leitrim, Longford, and the wider Northwest are limited by outdated train timetables. Weekend and evening services don’t allow reliable access to work, education, healthcare, or cultural events. We are calling for a full review of Sligo–Dublin rail and bus services, including earlier morning arrivals and later evening departures.

We are calling for a targeted review of Dublin-to-Northwest bus and rail timetables, where current services:

• Do not support weekend work or appointments
• Do not allow morning arrival into Sligo and the Northwest
• Do not allow return travel after evening events
• Treat the Northwest differently to other regions

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Why this matters

Local politicians, including Cllr Sean McGowan and colleagues, have repeatedly called for early morning and evening services between Sligo, Longford, and Dublin. Despite cross-party support, these services have not yet been introduced.

The current timetable means:

• First train to Sligo in the week is 10:16 ((too late for hospital appointments, college, and work)
• First train into Sligo on Saturday: 12:19
• Last train from Dublin to Sligo: 19:30 (too early for evening events, overtime, or cultural participation)
• Last Bus from Dublin is 23:00. This is great, but events often finish at 23:00 which means missing the end.
• Weekday schedules are better, but evening and weekend access remain inadequate.
• The 17:05 Dublin-Sligo train is too early for many people finishing work at 17:00. They then have to wait until 19:30 for the last train!

Councillor voices:

“I think it’s essential that a train is available for those working or studying from 9am. It would also ease pressure on housing in Sligo and allow more people to access education.” – Cllr Róisín Kenny

“There is a need for this service, and we need funding from the NTA to get it across the line.” – Cllr Sean McGowan

Infrastructure is feasible!
Loops in Carrick-on-Shannon and potential crossing points in Ballymote could make early and late services operationally viable.

Our call
We ask Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann and the NTA to:

• Conduct a full review of Sligo–Dublin (and wider Northwest) train and bus timetables
• Introduce trial early morning and late evening services, including weekends
• Align services with real-life needs: work, education, healthcare, and culture based on public consultation and surveys.

Sign this petition to show that Northwest communities want fair, modern, and usable public transport.

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