While some Dublin bus routes are constantly changing with extensions into the suburbs or splitting into different routings, routes 53 & 53 A have remained the same for years & years.
Operating from Clontarf garage, route 53 & offshoot 53a operate from the city Centre, close to liberty hall to the close knit community of east wall close to Dublin port. The route, with its 20 minute frequency, usually has 2 buses operating, with some services operating into Dublin port ( route 53a ) taking a more direct routing via the north wall road. Route 53a which operates down to the end of the Alexandra road in the port area was to cater for the many people who worked in the port, especially Dublin port dockers.
Seen above is a Wright bodied B6BLE Volvo, WV 19, which is typically allocated to route 53 heading towards Connolly railway station enroute to east wall 1st August 2004.
While Clontarf received a larger batch of crusaders in 1999 &more in 2001 ( WV11-20 & 41-46 ) especially for routes 53, 51a & 103/104.........this year ( 2004 ) seen significant transfers within the Dublin bus fleet, with a large batch of Clontarf WV's moving to donnybrook garage to allow the withdrawal of their AD class Setanta's there.
Leyland Olympian RH 154, originally Clontarf garages first ever wedding bus in 1993 is seen operating the route 2nd July 2004 in very heavy traffic at the back of the customs house. This vehicle featured a number of interior modifications to the Alexander layout, with strip lighting & redesigned interior green paneling with grey trim seating. RH 154 is now part of the Dublin Tour fleet.
Any type of vehicle is liable to turn up on route 53 these days & Volvo B&TL AV 287, one of Clontarf newest & rarest av's delivered there in 2003 in seen passing the Abbey Theatre 24th July 2004
Clontarf had the distinction of originally receiving this batch of WV's in standard Dublin bus livery, unlike the city imp yellow/ red livery which other garages received. the main purpose for this change was that WV11-20 were specifically ordered for new revised routes 103/ 104 operating from Clontarf- Fairview Dart station to Omni Park shopping centre/ cappagh hospital in finglas. these buses allowed a moderately low demand route to operate frequently, with low floor/ wheel access facilities, thus continuing the role route 300 had begun some time before using the failed mazda omni's.
Clontarf Garage RA 241 ( 95 D 241 ), originally delivered to Donnybrook in August 1995 in two tone green for route 46A, seen above at route 53's terminus on East Wall Road 27th July 2007.
RA 241 spent its final years in Clontarf, transferred with RA 240 also of Donnybrook & RA 248 from Phibsboro to allow for older RH withdrawals.
WV 18 also of Clontarf at Route 53's East Wall terminus in 2007.
WV 18 was the first Dublin Bus WV to receive the new Dublin Bus logo's in 2007 now introduced across the fleet.
Route 53 is normally allocated the WV class but its not unusual to see double deckers on the route, which requires 3 buses to operate the peak with a trip time of 25 minutes & operating every 20 minutes.
Older shots of route 53 in former liveries....
East Wall Road
East Wall Road
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Clontarf WV
allocation
2008
WV 17-20
WV 41-46
used primarily on routes :
31C
51A
53 / 53A
103/ 104
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Following the withdrawal of the single decker midibus WV class from Clontarf Garage in May 2009, routes such as the 53 & 104 were converted to double decker operation.
EV 76, a Volvo B9 with Enviro400 body is seen on route 53 in July 2009.
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Former Clontarf Garage WV 17 on route 53.
Selected route 53 journeys are extended to/from Alexandra Road in Dublin Port
Route 53 extended journeys from Alexandra Road operate via East Wall
Dublin Bus Route 53
Eden Quay
Connolly Station
North Strand
East Wall Road
Church Road
Alexandra Road
Dublin Port
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Dublin Bus Olympian RA 273, originally delivered to Clontarf for new Cityswift 27 is seen operating along East Wall having just come out of the scheme & heading back towards the City Centre July 2007.
This former Cityswift batched was ousted from service by the arrival of new Enviro400's EV 9-22 in 2007.
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Clontarf Garage WV 43, a low floor Volvo B6BLE with Wright Crusader body basks in the summer sunshine alongside the North Wall Quays in July 2007 while on layover between trips.
A small number of route 53 trips operate as anti-clockwise route 53A trips, not serving the East Wall Road or scheme, instead operating straight down the North Wall Quays & into Dublin Port, to the far end of the Alexandra Road, mainly in the morning, lunchtime & an evening return trip. This is a historical route, especially operated to serve the hundreds of dockers that once worked in Dublin Port. How times have changed, even the once busy Dublin Maritime offices in the background have been vacated, as the area is redeveloped into more lucrative high rise apartments & office complex's towards The Point.
Rear view of WV 43, alongside a new cycle track along the North Wall Quays, soon to be joined by a new bus lane, the East Link Toll Bridge in the background towards the end of North Wall Quay.
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Irish Ferries - Dublin City to Ferryport shuttle
Route 53B, a special express shuttle operates from Bus Aras ( Central Bus Station ) to meet all Irish Ferries arrivals & departures.
The normal Dublin Bus route 53 & 53A services, while some are extended to Alexandra Road do not operate to or even near the ferry terminal.
CIE Leyland Atlantean D 656 is seen operating route 53 from East Wall way back in 1983.
While deckers were originally introduced on route 53 from 1956 with Leyland R's, modern day deckers from the D to the KD class were rarely operated on the route just to roof damage should the brakes be applied under the East Wall bridge,
In the 1980/90's when double decker KD types operated the route, particularly at peak times to supplement the timetable, they operated via the Alfie Byrne Road/ Fairview instead of East Wall Road upper.
It would be several years & many truck strikes with the East Wall bridge before the bridge was highered several centimeters & then trucks banned from that part of East Wall Road that deckers would be allowed over the normal 53 route.
Dublin Bus began its first radical change for the 53/53A on the 6th March 1988 when both routes were merged operating City Centre- North Wall- East Wall- North Strand as a circular type service but within weeks ( 3rd April 1998 ) this was revised, with morning services up to 10.45 am operating outbound as a 53A to Alexandra Road, returning as a 53 via East Wall. Then the routes operating independently until the evening peak, from 1640 until 1840 buses operated outbound via the 53 North Strand, returning to the City as a 53A via North Wall. After 1840, the two routes operated independently again.
The current timetable is far more simplistic, with the majority of services operating as 53's via the North Strand, with some extensions to Alexandra Road, limited 53A workings in the morning, lunchtime & early evening.
Clontarf KC 74 at Beresford Place 53 terminus
Photo Darren Hall
Clontarf KC 110 at Beresford Place 53 terminus
Photo Darren Hall
Clontarf KC 113 at Beresford Place 53 terminus
Photo Darren Hall
Route 53 had its terminus at Beresford Place for many years, so city bound 53 services had an awkward routing along Connolly Station, over Memorial bridge, by Tara Street Station, over Butt Bridge & terminating at Beresford Place.
KC 45, a GAC single decker is seen operating a 53 on 1st June 1996.
Photo Darren Hall
Photo Darren Hall
KC 78 waits its time at the East Wall Road terminus 26th April 1999. This was the original 53 terminus for many years, the old Point Depot was still a freight train railyard & eventually developing into a concert venue, with the buses turning at the roundabout at the East Link Bridge.
With the ongoing development of the The Point Depot, the port bound road was reduced from two to one lanes, forcing the 53 terminus to move back down the East Wall Road to the old port gates.
Photo Darren Hall
City Imp WV class took over from the ME City Imp class & would be operating the 53/53A routes until their own demise in early 2009.
WV 42 is seen on route 53 in April 2004 in Marlborough Street.
