Go-Ahead Ireland expands bus services under national procurement contract

Go-Ahead Ireland has been awarded a five-year national procurement contract to operate Public Service Obligation (PSO) bus services across the Outer Dublin Metropolitan Area (ODMA), positioning the operator at the centre of Dublin’s BusConnects network expansion.

Under the contract, Go-Ahead Ireland will manage 65 PSO routes, including nine term-time routes designed to support families and strengthen community connectivity. Once fully implemented, the services will add approximately 17.5 million kilometres annually to the Transport for Ireland (TFI) network, improving accessibility across North and South Dublin.

The operator began running 25 new routes on 22 November while gradually phasing out 15 older routes from the previous ODMA contract. The remaining 40 routes will be introduced in phases, aligned with the rollout of phases 8 to 11 of the BusConnects Network Redesign. Go-Ahead Ireland was selected as the preferred bidder through a competitive public procurement process.

Dervla McKay, Managing Director of Go-Ahead Ireland, said: “At Go-Ahead Ireland, our priority has always been our passengers. This new contract enables us to expand our services and our network while continuing to provide safe, reliable, and accessible transport across the Greater Dublin Area.”

Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien added: “This agreement represents a significant investment in the future of public transport in Dublin and delivers on commitments set out in the Programme for Government. Expanding services and improving connectivity are central to our climate and mobility goals.”

NTA CEO Anne Shaw said: “By partnering with Go-Ahead Ireland, we are ensuring that passengers benefit from modern, efficient, and customer-focused services. Our goal is to make public transport the first choice for more people, reducing congestion and emissions while improving quality of life.”

See how Go-Ahead Ireland is transforming bus travel across Dublin under this national procurement contract in the full story.