Dublin Bus Route 53

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.

WV 17 is seen operating the route 19th July 2004.

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.