The National Transport Authority (NTA) has today opened a public consultation on plans to improve bus connectivity for Athenry.
The consultation, which runs until 5:00pm on Friday, 9 January 2026, invites feedback from residents, businesses, and stakeholders on proposed service enhancements, designed to strengthen local and regional transport links.
Under the proposals, the NTA plans to reroute Bus Eireann’s 425a service, which operates between Mountbellow to Galway City, to service Athenry. This proposal aims to fill the gap from the withdrawal of the Athenry to Galway City Commercial bus which ceased service in 2024. It is also proposed to rename the service as the 415.
To support the amended 425a, a new service, Route 416, is planned to be introduced under the proposals and is planned to operate between Athenry and Tuam via Corofin, Abbeyknockmoy and Monivea. It is proposed that this new service would operate four to five return journeys a day, seven days a week, and would be operated by Local Link Galway.
The new services would be integrated with the TFI Live app for convenient journey planning, and cashless payments would be facilitated by the Leap Card fare system. Free Travel Passes would also be valid on applicable services along the corridor.
The NTA aims to implement the proposed service enhancements in 2026, subject to securing the necessary additional funding and resources.
Feedback from the public is essential in shaping the proposed enhancements to the needs of the communities in the Athenry area. The NTA encourages residents and businesses to review the plans and participate in the consultation process.
You are invited to review the proposals and submit feedback
These proposed amendment of the 425a bus service and introduction of the 416 bus service is part of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, a national initiative aimed at strengthening rural public transport as part of the Transport for Ireland Network (TFI). The plan, which is developed and funded by the National Transport Authority, is aligned with the goals of Project Ireland 2040 and the Climate Action Plan.
