Public transport use rises again in Dublin and across Ireland, with 363.5 million journeys recorded in 2025

Image credit: Matt Walsh

New figures published by the National Transport Authority (NTA) show that public transport usage continued to grow in 2025, with 363.5 million passenger journeys recorded across the Transport for Ireland (TFI) network. This represents a 6% increase on 2024, when 343.6 million journeys were made.

The figures cover Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland, Iarnród Éireann, Luas, Bus Éireann, and Local Link services, and reflect ongoing growth in public transport usage — particularly in Dublin, which accounts for a large proportion of overall passenger numbers.

Dublin Bus, Luas and rail account for major share of journeys

Dublin Bus carried 164 million passengers in 2025, making it by far the most heavily used public transport operator in Ireland. The scale of bus usage highlights the continued importance of the bus network in Dublin, particularly in areas without direct rail access.

Go-Ahead Ireland, which operates a number of Dublin commuter routes, carried 26 million passengers, an increase of 18% compared to the previous year.

Luas also recorded its highest ever annual usage, with over 55 million passenger journeys across the Red and Green lines. Both lines serve key commuter corridors linking suburbs, residential areas, and major employment centres with the city centre.

Heavy rail usage also reached a new high, with 55 million journeys recorded across Iarnród Éireann services, including DART, Dublin Commuter, and Intercity routes. DART and commuter rail services play a particularly important role in connecting Dublin with surrounding counties such as Wicklow, Kildare and Meath.

BusConnects rollout continues to reshape Dublin’s bus network

The NTA noted that two further phases of BusConnects Dublin were introduced during 2025, bringing changes to routes, frequencies, and service coverage in parts of the city and suburbs.

BusConnects is gradually replacing Dublin’s older bus network structure with a redesigned system. While the rollout is ongoing, the changes are already affecting how people travel across the city, with more orbital routes and revised service patterns now in place.

Growth also recorded outside Dublin

Public transport usage increased in other parts of Ireland as well. Bus Éireann carried 53.6 million passengers, while Local Link services — which operate mainly in rural areas — recorded 6.97 million journeys, a 19% increase compared to 2024.

These services provide connections in towns and rural areas that would otherwise have limited access to public transport.

Overall trend points to continued growth in public transport usage

The increase of almost 20 million additional journeys in one year suggests that public transport usage is continuing to recover and expand following pandemic-era declines.

In Dublin, buses, Luas and rail services together account for the majority of public transport journeys in Ireland. With BusConnects continuing to roll out and rail capacity improvements planned in the coming years, passenger numbers in the capital are likely to remain high.

The latest figures provide a snapshot of how extensively public transport is used in Dublin and across the country, and how travel patterns continue to evolve.

For more information, please check the National Transport Authority website.