In early August 2005, Dublin Bus revised route 42 operations to Malahide.
Changes following consultations with local representative & community groups extended the penetration of the 42 for a sprawling 42.
Unlike many other bus routes in Dublin tweaked, upgraded, extended or reduced depending on various conditions, the 42 timetable remained unchanged since the conception of Dublin Bus in 1987. It even had one of those quirky last buses only operating Monday to Thursday from the outer terminus, dating back to pre one person operation days.
The 42 had traditionally run as far as Malahide Village before splitting, either turning right up towards the rural settlement of Seamount or continuing straight along the Coast Road before terminating close to the entrance of Seapark. Services were usually spilt between the two termini.
On Sunday 7th August, a new timetable & routing structure was introduced. Coast Road bound buses would now operate to the ever expanding housing estate of Seabury located to the left on the main approach road to Malahide. Seabury Estate & the Yellow Walls area were served by the DART feeder route 102 to Sutton Station, & also route 230 serving Dublin Airport, Swords, Malahide Village & Portmarnock. Neither of these buses however offered a direct city service, despite the large population area. Meanwhile, Seamount bound buses were now extended beyond Seamount, turning left into Blackwood Lane & into the various suburbs of Portmarnock, continuing down Wendell Avenue, past the Sands Hotel & terminating at the 32 terminus on the Coast Road.
Clontarf Garage AV 230, a Volvo B7TL with ALX400 bodywork is seen operating to the 42 Seamount terminus on the last day, Saturday 6th August 2005 before the route was extended. AV 230 was delivered to Clontarf in 2002, in Cityswift livery mainly for route 27 to Clare Hall, but soon the Cityswift allocation of AV 230 - 224 were drifting onto various other routes.
The turn at Seamount was merely a siding & very tight especially for the AV class, requiring various maneuvers. In the old days, The Hill road was only a minor road, but has since become various busy linking Portmarnock with Malahide. The terminus had to be here, as further down the road is the main Dublin- Belfast railway line & a low bridge.
AV 230 was recently resprayed to the new corporate Dublin Bus colours & is about to operate the 16.05 Saturday departure to the City Centre. Ironically, the stop at the terminus had a planning permission application for a shelter, since removed.
Finally, AV 230 with display set for the City Centre at the Seamount terminus. In the background, to the left, just past the roadsigns, is the left turn into Blackwood Lane where the 42 now continues as it heads for Portmarnock.
Route 42 receives 2 extra buses to operate the new 42 bill, these 2 buses taken from routes 42A/ B which also received new timetables with the introuction of the 42 changes.
